The Spring Festival

SpringFestival/theLunarNewYearsweepingthedusthavingJiaozisettingofffirecrackersSpringcoupletsNewYearprintsNewYear‘svisitgiftmoney（阴历）新年放烟火扫灰对联吃饺子年画压岁钱拜年WhatdoyouthinkoftheNewYear?WhatisSpringFestival?ItiswhatwecalledChunjie(春节).Anditistherealnewyearforourchinesepepole.TheSpringFestivalisthemostimportantfestivalfortheChinesepeopleandiswhenallfamilymembersgettogether,justlikeChristmasintheWest.TheSpringFestivalisiscelebratedonthefirstdayofthefirstmonthofthelunarcalendar.TheoriginoftheLunarNewYearFestivalcanbetracedback追溯thousandsofyears,involvingaseriesofcolorfullegendsandtraditions.Totheancienttimesperiod,thereisakindoffierce[fɪəs]monstercalled“year”.Itsfaciallookisferocious,|fə‘rəʊʃəs|thebornnatureisbloodthirsty,eatingthebirdsandbeasts,thefishandshellfishinsectwithoutfeetparticularly.OneofthemostfamouslegendsisNian,anextremelycruelbeastthattheancientsbelievedwoulddevour[dɪ'vaʊə]peopleonNewYear'sEve.TokeepNianaway,red-papercoupletsarepastedondoors,torchesarelit,andfirecrackersaresetoffthroughoutthenight,becauseNianissaidtofearthecolorred,thelightoffire,andloudnoises.关于“春节”的起源，有一种传说是：中国古时候有一种叫“夕”的兽(又名年)，头长触角，凶猛异常。“夕”长年深居海底，每到特定的一天（现在说的除夕）才爬上岸，吞食牲畜伤害人命。因此，每到除夕这天，村村寨寨的人们扶老携幼逃往深山，以躲避“夕”兽的伤害。有一年除夕，从村外来了个乞讨的老人。乡亲们一片匆忙恐慌景象，只有村东头一位老婆婆给了老人些食物，并劝他快上山躲避“夕”兽，那老人把胡子撩起来笑道：“婆婆若让我在家呆一夜，我一定把‘夕’兽赶走。”老婆婆继续劝说，乞讨老人笑而不语。半夜时分，“夕”兽闯进村。它发现村里气氛与往年不同：村东头老婆婆家，门贴大红纸，屋内烛火通明。“夕”兽浑身一抖，怪叫了一声。将近门口时，院内突然传来“砰砰啪啪”的炸响声，“夕”浑身战栗，再不敢往前凑了。原来，“夕”最怕红色、火光和炸响。这时，婆婆的家门打开，只见院内一位身披红袍的老人在哈哈大笑。“夕”大惊失色，狼狈逃蹿了。第二天也是正月初一，避难回来的人们见村里安然无恙，十分惊奇。这时，老婆婆才恍然大悟，赶忙向乡亲们述说了乞讨老人的许诺。这件事很快在周围村里传开了，人们都知道了驱赶“夕”兽的办法。从此每年除夕，家家贴红对联、燃放爆竹；户户烛火通明、守更待岁。初一一大早，还要走亲串友道喜问好。这风俗广泛流传，成了中国民间最隆重的传统节日。SweepingtheDust(扫尘)PastingSpringCouplets(贴春联)PastingNewYearPrints(贴年画)HavingJiaozi(吃饺子)SettingoffFirecrackers(放鞭炮)NewYear‘sVisitandGiftMoney(拜年和压岁钱)Throughthedevelopmentofthousandsofyears,aseriesofcustomshasbeenreserved.[rɪ'zɜːvd]“Dust”ishomophonicwith“chen”（尘）inChinese,whichmeansoldandpast.Inthisway,“sweepingthedust”beforetheSpringFestivalmeansathoroughcleaningofhousestosweepawaybadluckinthepastyear.Thiscustomshowsagoodwishofputtingawayoldthingstowelcomeanewlife.Inaword,justbeforetheSpringFestivalcomes,everyhouseholdwillgiveathoroughcleaningtobidfarewelltotheoldyearandusherinthenew.TheSpringCouplet”,alsocalled“couplet”and“apairofantithetical[æntɪ‘θetɪk(ə)l]相反的phrases”.OntheeveoftheSpringFestival,everyhouseholdwillpasteondoorsaspringcoupletwrittenonredpapertogiveahappyandprosperous[’prɒsp(ə)rəs]繁荣的atmosphereoftheFestival.Inthepast,theChineseusuallywrotetheirownspringcoupletwithabrushoraskedotherstodoforthem,whilenowadays,itiscommonforpeopletobuytheprintedspringcoupletinthemarket.ThecustomofpastingNewYearPrintsoriginatedfromthetraditionofplacingDoorGodsontheexternaldoorsofhouses.Withthecreationofboardcarvings[‘kɑrvɪŋ]雕刻品,NewYearpaintingscoverawiderangeofsubjects.ThemostfamousonesareDoorGods.ThreeGodsofBlessing,SalaryandLongevity[lɒn‘dʒevɪtɪ]长寿,andAbundantHarvestofCropsandCelebratingSpring.FourproducingareasofNewYearPrintareTɑohuɑwuofSuzhou,YɑngliuqingofTianjin,WuqiɑngofHebeiandWeifangofShangdong.NowthetraditionofpastingNewYearpaintingsisstillkeptinrural农村China,whileitisseldomfollowedincities.NewYearPrintsYangliuqing:TaohuawuWuqiɑngWeifangPaper-cuts,usuallywithauspicious[ɔː‘spɪʃəs]吉祥的patterns,giveahappyandprosperousatmosphereoftheFestivalandexpressthegoodwishesofChinesepeoplelookingforwardtoagoodlife.Inadditiontopastingpaper-cutsonwindows,itiscommonforChinesetopastethecharacter“fu（福）”,bigandsmall,onwalls,doorsanddoorpostsaroundthehouses.“Fu（福）”showspeople’syearningtowardagoodlife.Somepeopleeveninvert反转thecharacter“fu（福）”tosignifythatblessinghasarrivedbecause“inverted”isahomonymfor“arrive”inChinese.Nowmanykindsofpaper-cutsand“fu（福）”canbeseeninthemarketbeforetheFestival.PastingPaper-cutsand“Up-sidedFu”OnNewYear’sEve,thewholefamilywillsittogethertomakejiaoziandcelebratetheSpringFestival.Theshapeofjiaoziislikegoldingot（金元宝）fromancientChina.Sopeopleeatthemandwishformoneyandtreasure.YoucannothaveacompleteSpringFestivalwithouthavingjiaozi.ThefirecrackerisauniqueproductinChina.InancientChina,thesoundofburningbambootubeswasusedtoscareawaywildanimalsandevilspirits.Withtheinventionofthegunpowder,“firecracker”isalsocalled“鞭炮biānpào”(“炮”inChinesemeansgun)andusedtofoster培育ajoyfulatmosphere.ThefirstthingeveryChinesehouseholddoesistosetofffirecrackersandfireworks,whicharemeanttobidfarewellto告别theoldyearandusherin迎接thenew.StayingUpLateonNewYear'sEveThetraditionofstayinguplatetoseeNewYearisoriginatedfromaninterestingfolktale民间故事.InancientChinatherelivedamonsternamedYear.Yearalwayswentoutfromitsburrow[‘bʌrəʊ]洞穴onNewYear’sEvetodevour[dɪ‘vaʊə]people.Therefore,oneveryNewYear’sEve,everyhouseholdwouldhavesuppertogether.Afterdinner,noonedaredgotosleepandallthefamilymemberswouldsittogether,chattingandemboldening壮胆eachother.GraduallythehabitofstayinguplateonNewYear’sEveisformed.ThusinChina,“celebratingtheSpringFestival”isalsocalled“passingovertheyear(guonian)”.However,nowtherearelessandlesspeopleincitieswhowillstayuplatetos