What is 和 used for in 和西方人过圣诞节差不多，这是一个全家团聚的节日? I know how to use 和 to link one or more nouns or noun phrases, but in this sentence I don't understand what purpose does it serve at the beginning of the sentence?


  和西方人过圣诞节差不多，这是一个全家团聚的节日。


(This sentence is from a text about 春节)
Here the use of 和 and 差不多 is similar to the phrasing "Like how" in English.

"Like how Westerners celebrate Christmas, this [Chinese New Year] is a holiday when the entire family gets together."