Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, has more than 4,000 years of history. Being one of the traditional Chinese festivals, it is the grandest and the most important festival for Chinese people. It is also the time for the whole families to get together, which is similar with Christmas Day to the westerners. Originating during the Shang Dynasty (about 17th - 11th century BC), it celebrates family reunion and hopes the advent of spring and flowers blossomingrich with full of colorful activities. People from different regions and different ethnic groups celebrate it in their unique ways.
中國(guó)春節(jié)又名農(nóng)歷新年，已有四千多年歷史雾鬼。作為傳統(tǒng)中國(guó)節(jié)日之一，春節(jié)是中國(guó)人最盛大产园、最重要的節(jié)日坯约。春節(jié)與西方的圣誕節(jié)類(lèi)似盖溺，是全家相聚的日子答姥。春節(jié)起源于商朝（公元前17至前11世紀(jì)）铣除，旨在慶祝全家團(tuán)圓，節(jié)日期間活動(dòng)豐富多樣鹦付，滿溢著春暖花開(kāi)的美好憧憬尚粘。不同地區(qū)、不同民族的人們以各種獨(dú)特的方式慶祝春節(jié)敲长。
Festival Time 節(jié)日時(shí)間
It comes on the first day of Chinese lunar calendar and lasts for almost half of a month. But in folk custom, this traditional holiday lasts from the 23rd day of the twelfth month to the 15th day of the first month (Lantern Festival) in the lunar calendar. Among these days, the New Year’s Eve and the first day of the New Year is the peak time. The exact days are different in every year according to the lunar calendar. Schedule of Spring Festival in recent years is offered in the following table.
春節(jié)起自中國(guó)農(nóng)歷新年第一天郎嫁，歷時(shí)半個(gè)月左右。但是按照民間習(xí)俗潘明，春節(jié)從農(nóng)歷12月23號(hào)持續(xù)至第二年的農(nóng)歷1月15號(hào)行剂，也就是元宵節(jié)那天秕噪。在此期間钳降，春節(jié)在大年三十和大年初一達(dá)到高潮。按照農(nóng)歷腌巾，每年的具體日子有所不同遂填。近幾年春節(jié)的具體時(shí)間如下表所示。
| Year（年份） | Date（日期） | Holiday（假期） | Chinese Zodiac（中國(guó)生肖） |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | January（1月） 23 | January（1月） 22 - 28 | Dragon（龍） |
| 2013 | February（2月） 10 | February（2月） 9 - 15 | Snake（蛇） |
| 2014 | January（1月） 31 | January（1月） 31 - February（2月） 6 | Horse（馬） |
| 2015 | February（2月） 19 | February（2月） 19 - 25 | Sheep（羊） |
| 2016 | February（2月） 8 | February（2月） 8 - 14 | Monkey（猴） |
| 2017 | January（1月） 28 | January（1月） 28 - February（2月） 3 | Rooster（雞） |
History 歷史
It is said that the custom of Spring Festival started in when people offered sacrifice to ancestors in the last month of Chinese lunar calendar. At that time, people prepared the sacrifice by doing thorough cleaning, having bathes and so on. Later, people began to worship different deities as well on that day. It is the time that almost all the farm works were done and people have free time. The sacrificing time changed according to the farming schedule and was not fixed until the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD). The customs of worshipping deities and ancestors remains even though the ceremonies are not as grand as before. It is also the time that spring is coming, so people held all kinds of ceremonies to welcome it.
中國(guó)人在農(nóng)歷最后一個(gè)月祭祀祖先澈蝙，據(jù)說(shuō)春節(jié)習(xí)俗由此而來(lái)吓坚。當(dāng)時(shí)，人們?cè)跍?zhǔn)備祭祀時(shí)會(huì)進(jìn)行大清掃灯荧、洗澡等礁击。后來(lái)，人們也開(kāi)始在那一天祭拜不同的神 靈逗载。此時(shí)幾乎所有的農(nóng)活都已收尾哆窿，人們有了空閑時(shí)間。祭祀時(shí)間隨耕種時(shí)間而變厉斟，直到漢代才固定下來(lái)（公元前202年至公元220年）挚躯。祭祀神靈和祖先的習(xí) 俗至今仍有，但是并沒(méi)有以前那么盛大擦秽。又因?yàn)榇藭r(shí)正值冬春交際之時(shí)码荔，所以人們會(huì)舉辦各種慶卒銮冢活動(dòng)迎接春天的到來(lái)。
Legends 傳說(shuō)
There are many legends about Spring Festival in Chinese culture. In folk culture, it is also called “guonian” (meaning “passing a year”). It is said that the “nian” (year) was a strong monster which was fierce and cruel and ate one kind of animal including human being a day. Human beings were scared about it and had to hide on the evening when the “nian” came out. Later, people found that “nian” was very scared about the red color and fireworks. So after that, people use red color and fireworks or firecrackers to drive away “nian”. As a result, the custom of using red color and setting off fireworks remains.
中國(guó)文化中關(guān)于春節(jié)的傳說(shuō)有很多缩搅。在中國(guó)民間文化中越败，春節(jié)又被稱(chēng)為“過(guò)年”（意為“過(guò)了一年”）。據(jù)說(shuō)“年”是一頭兇猛殘忍的強(qiáng)大的怪獸誉己，每天都會(huì)吃一種動(dòng)物眉尸，包括人類(lèi)。人們都很害怕它巨双，晚上“年”出來(lái)活動(dòng)時(shí)噪猾，大家都不得不躲起來(lái)。后來(lái)筑累，人們發(fā)現(xiàn)“年”很怕紅色和煙花袱蜡。所以人們從此都用紅色和煙 花或鞭炮來(lái)驅(qū)趕“年”。因此慢宗，使用紅色和放煙花的習(xí)俗就流傳了下來(lái)坪蚁。
Festivities Schedule 節(jié)日安排
Preparing the New Year starts 7 days before the New Year’s Eve. According to Chinese lunar calendar, people start to clean the house on Dec. 24, butcher on Dec. 26th and so on. People have certain things to do on each day. These activities will end Jan. 15th of the lunar calendar.
春節(jié)的準(zhǔn)備開(kāi)始于大年三十前的第七天。按照中國(guó)農(nóng)歷镜沽，人們?cè)?2月24號(hào)掃屋敏晤，26號(hào)殺豬割年肉。人們每天都有特定的事做缅茉。各種活動(dòng)在農(nóng)歷1月15號(hào)結(jié)束嘴脾。
Customs and Practices 習(xí)俗慣例
Every family does a thorough house cleaning and purchases enough food, including fish, meat, roasted nuts and seeds, all kinds of candies and fruits, etc, for the festival period. Also, new clothes must be bought, especially for children. Red scrolls with complementary poetic couplets, one line on each side of the gate, are pasted at every gate. The Chinese character 'Fu' is pasted on the center of the door and paper-cut pictures adorn windows.
每家每戶(hù)都會(huì)全面地打掃房子，并采購(gòu)足夠的食物包括魚(yú)蔬墩、豬肉译打、炒貨、各種糖果等拇颅，供節(jié)日所用奏司。同時(shí)，還要辦置新衣樟插，尤其是小孩的新衣韵洋。大門(mén)兩側(cè)貼著寫(xiě)有對(duì)聯(lián)的紅色橫幅，每個(gè)門(mén)上都有一副對(duì)聯(lián)黄锤。門(mén)正央貼著漢字“柑掠В”字，窗上裝飾著剪紙猜扮。
Taboos 禁忌
The Spring Festival is a start for a new year, so it is regarded as the omen of a year. People have many taboos during this period. Many bad words related to “death”, “broken”, “killing”, “ghost” and “illness” or “sickness” are forbidden during conversations. In some places, there are more specific details. They consider it unlucky if the barrel of rice is empty, because they think they will have nothing to eat in the next year. Taking medicine is forbidden on this day, otherwise, people will have sick for the whole year and take medicine constantly.
春節(jié)是一年的開(kāi)始勉吻，被認(rèn)為預(yù)示著一年的運(yùn)氣。節(jié)日期間有很多禁忌旅赢。很多與“死”齿桃、“破碎”惑惶、“殺”、“鬼”和“病”有關(guān)的不吉利的話都是禁止談 到的短纵。一些地方的禁忌更為具體带污。在那些地方，空米桶被認(rèn)為不吉利香到，因?yàn)樗麄冇X(jué)得來(lái)年將無(wú)米可食鱼冀。吃藥也是禁止的，否則整年都會(huì)生病悠就、都得吃藥千绪。
Festival Food 節(jié)日食物
Food during this happy event has its characteristics, which is the representative of Chinese festival food culture. Dumplings and the reunion dinner are indispensable at this time. Cold and hot dishes are all served. Fish is always an important dish then, which expresses people’s hope of having a wealthy year.
春節(jié)的食物有自己的特色，是中國(guó)節(jié)日食物文化的代表梗脾。團(tuán)圓飯必定離不開(kāi)餃子荸型，冷盤(pán)熱菜皆有。魚(yú)一直是一道重要的菜炸茧，體現(xiàn)了人們希望來(lái)年有余的愿望瑞妇。
Best Places to Go 最值得一去的地方
In China, different places have their own traditions and activities to celebrate the Spring Festival. Beijing, Guangzhou, Xian and Pingyao are some good places to go if one intends to come during the time period. If one does not want to travel so long, but still want to enjoy the atmosphere of Chinese New Year, the local Chinatown is the best place.
在中國(guó)，不同的地方有各自的傳統(tǒng)和慶祝春節(jié)的活動(dòng)梭冠。如果想在春節(jié)期間游中國(guó)辕狰，北京、廣州控漠、西安和平遙是值得一去的幾個(gè)地方蔓倍。如果無(wú)緣來(lái)中國(guó)，但仍然想感受中國(guó)春節(jié)氣氛的話润脸，當(dāng)?shù)氐奶迫私质遣诲e(cuò)的地方柬脸。
