春节习俗英文版

TheoriginandcustomoftheSpringFestivalPage2Warming-up1.CouldyoulistsomewordsrelatingtotheSpringFestival?2.WhatarethetraditionsoftheSpringFestivalinyourhometown?Page3ContentsOriginoftheSpringFestival(legend)CustomoftheSpringFestival1.sweepingthedust2.NewYear’svisitandgiftmoney3.settingofffireworks4.writingandpastingcoupletsondoors5.havingjiaozi6.stayinguplateonNewYear’sEve7.watchingtheCCTVNewYear’sGala8.TempleFairPage4OriginoftheSpringFestivalTheChineseNewYearisnowpopularlyknownastheSpringFestivalbecauseitstartsfromtheBeginingofSpring（thefirstofthetwenty-fourtermsincoodinationwiththechangesofNature）.Itsoriginistoooldtobetraced.Severalexplanationsarehangingaround.Accordingtooneofthemostfamouslegends,inancientChinatherelivedamonsternamedNianwhowasextremelyferocious.NianliveddeepatthebottomoftheseaalltheyearroundandclimbeduptotheshoreonlyonNewYear'sEvetodevourthecattleandkillpeople.Page5OriginoftheSpringFestivalOnoneNewYear'sEve,thepeopleofvillageweregettingreadytohidewhentherecameanoldbeggar.Seizedwithpanic,thevillagerswereinagreathurrytorunaway.Onlyagrandmothergavetheoldmansomefoodandadvisedhimtofleetothemountainstoavoidthemonster.Buttheoldmansaid,Ifyouallowmetostayatyourhomeforthenight,I'msuretodriveawaythemonsterNian.Andthegrandmotherlefthiminherhome.whattheoldmandoduringthenight?StickingredpaperonthedoorBurningbambootomakesoundslikeexplosionsLightingmanycandlesintheroomPage6Afterseeingtheredpaperonthedoor,fumesandheardtheexplosions,Nianwasscaredaway.Thenextdaywasthe1stdayofthefirstlunarmonth.Peoplecamebackfromtheirhideoutsandfoundeverythingsafeandsound,theywerequitesurprised.Theoldwomansuddenlyrealizedwhathadhappenedandtoldthevillagersabouttheoldbeggar'spromise.Sincethen,whenNiancame,everyfamilyweredoor-closing,pastedredcoupletsandburntfireworkstodriveNianaway.ThenNiannevercameagain.Fromthenon,peoplebegantocelebratetheirtriumphonthefirstdayoftheyear.Astimewentby,GuoNianevolvedtotheSpringFestivaltoday.Page7DoyouknowthecustomintheSpringFestival?Page8Custom1.SweepingthedustBeforetheNewYearcome,peoplecompletelycleantheindoorsandoutdoorsoftheirhoursesaswellastheirclothes.Page9“Dust”ishomophonicwith“chen”（尘）inChinese,whichmeansoldandpast.Inthisway,“sweepingthedust”beforetheSpringFestivalmeansathoroughcleaningofhousestosweepawaybadluckinthepastyear.Thiscustomshowsagoodwishofputtingawayoldthingstowelcomeanewlife.Inaword,justbeforetheSpringFestivalcomes,everyhouseholdwillgiveathoroughcleaningtobidfarewelltotheoldyearandusherinthenew.Page10Custom2.NewYear'svisitandgiftmoneyPage11OnthefirstdayoftheChineselunaryear,everybodyputsontheirbestclothesandpaysceremonialcallsontheirrelativesandfriends,wishingthemalltheluckinthecomingyear.Juniorswillgreetseniors,wishingthemhealthandlongevity,whileseniorswillgivejuniorssomegiftmoneyasawishfortheirsafetyinthecomingyear..Page12Withthedevelopmentofthenewtechnology,thereisachangeonthewayofgivingNewYearsgreetings.Inrecentyear,itiscommontosendNewYearsgreetingsbysuchmodernmeansofcommunicationastelephones,emailsandtextmessages.Page13CustomItissaidthattheevilspiritscanbefrightenedtorunaway.3.SettingofffireworksThefirecrackerisauniqueproductinChina.InancientChina,thesoundofburningbambootubeswasusedtoscareawaywildanimalsandevilspirits.Withtheinventionofthegunpowder,“firecracker”isalsocalled“鞭炮biānpào”(“炮”inChinesemeansgun)andusedtofosterajoyfulatmosphere.ThefirstthingeveryChinesehouseholddoesistosetofffirecrackersandfireworks,whicharemeanttobidfarewelltotheoldyearandusherinthenew.Page14Inthepastfewyears,suchanactivitywascompletelyorpartiallyforbiddeninbigcitiesincludingBeijingduetofireandpersonalcasualtycausedbyburningfirecrackers.However,someChinesethoughtthataSpringFestivalwithoutfirecrackerswasnotlivelyenoughandtheyburnedfirecrackersbystealth.Soinrecentyears,thebanwascanceledagain.ThisshowsthatburningfirecrackersisaveryimportantactivityduringtheSpringFestival.Page154.WritingandpastingcoupletsondoorsCustomPage16AllthedoorpanelswillbepastedwithSpringFestivalcouplets.Also,picturesofthegodofdoorsandwealthwillbepostedonfrontdoorstowardoffevilspiritsandwelcomepeaceandabundance.TheChinesecharacterfuisamust.Thecharacterputonpapercanbepastednormallyorupsidedown,forinChinesethereversedfuishomophonicwithfucomes,bothbeingpronouncedas“fudaole”Page17twobigredlanternscanberaisedonbothsidesofthefrontdoor.Redpaper-cuttingscanbeseenonwindowglassandbrightlycoloredNewYearpaintingswithauspiciousmeaningsmaybeputonthewall.Page18Custom5.HavingjiaoziOnNewYear’sEve,thewholefamilywillsittogethertomakejiaoziandcelebratetheSpringFestival.Theshapeofjiaoziislikegoldingot（金元宝）fromancientChina.Sopeopleeatthemandwishformoneyandtreasure.YoucannothaveacompleteSpringFestivalwithouthavingjiaozi.Page19Custom6.StayingUpLateonNewYear'sEveThetraditionofstayinguplatetoseeNewYearisoriginatedfromaninterestingfolktale.InancientChinatherelivedamonsternamedNian,whowasveryferocious.NianalwayswentoutfromitsburrowonNewYear’sEvetodevourpeople.Therefore,oneveryNewYear’sEve,everyhouseholdwouldhavesuppertogether.Afterdinner,noonedar