Abstract:
Before the outbreak of the Soviet revolution, traditional festivals, intertwined with clan rituals, idolatry, and local entertainment activities, exerted a deep-rooted influence in civil society. After the establishment of the Soviet regime, the Communist Party of China (CPC) created an entirely new festival system. It promoted public participation in revolutionary festival activities through formulating festival propaganda outlines, elaborating on the connotations of festivals, and organizing campaigns in advance of the festivals. The establishment and promotion of the festival system in the Soviet Area essentially constituted a dialogue between political modernity and cultural tradition, and represented an attempt to transform Chinese culture by using Marxism.