ChineseNewYearstartswiththeNewMoononthefirstdayofthenewyearandendsonthefullmoon15dayslater.The15thdayofthenewyeariscalledtheLanternFestival,whichiscelebratedatnightwithlanterndisplaysandchildrencarryinglanternsinaparade.
TheChinesecalendarisbasedonacombinationoflunarandsolarmovements.Thelunarcycleisabout29.5days.Inorderto"catchup"withthesolarcalendartheChineseinsertanextramonthonceeveryfewyears(sevenyearsoutofa19-yearcycle).Thisisthesameasaddinganextradayonleapyear.Thisiswhy,accordingtothesolarcalendar,theChineseNewYearfallsonadifferentdateeachyear.
NewYear'sEveandNewYear'sDayarecelebratedasafamilyaffair,atimeofreunionandthanksgiving.ThecelebrationwastraditionallyhighlightedwithareligiousceremonygiveninhonorofHeavenandEarth,thegodsofthehouseholdandthefamilyancestors.
Thesacrificetotheancestors,themostvitalofalltherituals,unitedthelivingmemberswiththosewhohadpassedaway.Departedrelativesarerememberedwithgreatrespectbecausetheywereresponsibleforlayingthefoundationsforthefortuneandgloryofthefamily.
ThepresenceoftheancestorsisacknowledgedonNewYear'sEvewithadinnerarrangedforthematthefamilybanquettable.Thespiritsoftheancestors,togetherwiththeliving,celebratetheonsetoftheNewYearasonegreatcommunity.Thecommunalfeastcalled"surroundingthestove"orweilu.Itsymbolizesfamilyunityandhonorsthepastandpresentgenerations.
春节的习俗英文
TheChineseNewYearcelebrationsaremarkedbyvisitstokin,relativesandfriends,apracticeknownas"new-yearvisits"(Chinese:拜年;pinyin:bàinián).Newclothesareusuallyworntosignifyanewyear.Thecolourredisliberallyusedinalldecorations.Redpacketsaregiventojuniorsandchildrenbythemarriedandelders.SeeSymbolismbelowformoreexplanation.
Precedingdays春节前
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OnthedaysbeforetheNewYearcelebrationChinesefamiliesgivetheirhomeathoroughcleaning.ThereisaCantonesesaying"Washawaythedirtonninyabaat"(年廿八，洗邋遢),butthepracticeisnotusuallyrestrictedonnin'ya'baat(年廿八,the28thdayofmonth12).Itisbelievedthecleaningsweepsawaythebadluckoftheprecedingyearandmakestheirhomesreadyforgoodluck.Broomsanddustpansareputawayonthefirstdaysothatluckcannotbesweptaway.Somepeoplegivetheirhomes,doorsandwindow-framesanewcoatofredpaint.HomesareoftendecoratedwithpapercutoutsofChineseauspiciousphrasesandcouplets.Purchasingnewclothing,shoes,andreceivingahair-cutalsosymbolizeafreshstart.
InmanyhouseholdswhereBuddhismorTaoismisprevalent,homealtarsandstatuesarecleanedthoroughly,andaltarsthatwereadornedwithdecorationsfromthepreviousyeararealsotakendownandburnedaweekbeforethenewyearstarts,andreplacedwithnewdecorations.Taoists(andBuddhiststoalesserextent)willalso"sendgods"(送神),anexamplewouldbeburningapapereffigyofZaoJuntheKitchenGod,therecorderoffamilyfunctions.ThisisdonesothattheKitchenGodcanreporttotheJadeEmperorofthefamilyhousehold'stransgressionsandgooddeeds.Familiesoftenoffersweetfoods(suchascandy)inorderto"bribe"thedeitiesintoreportinggoodthingsaboutthefamily.
ThebiggesteventofanyChineseNewYear'sEveisthedinnereveryfamilywillhave.AdishconsistingoffishwillappearonthetablesofChinesefamilies.ItisfordisplayfortheNewYear'sEvedinner.ThismealiscomparabletoChristmasdinnerintheWest.InnorthernChina,itiscustomarytomakedumplings(jiaozi饺子)afterdinnerandhaveitaroundmidnight.DumplingssymbolizewealthbecausetheirshapeislikeaChinesetael.Bycontrast,intheSouth,itiscustomarytomakeanewyearcake(Niangao,年糕)afterdinnerandsendpiecesofitasgiftstorelativesandfriendsinthecomingdaysofthenewyear.Niangaoliterallymeansincreasinglyprosperousyearinyearout.Afterthedinner,somefamiliesgotolocaltemples,hoursbeforethenewyearbeginstoprayforaprosperousnewyearbylightingthefirstincenseoftheyear;howeverinmodernpractice,manyhouseholdsholdpartiesandevenholdacountdowntothenewlunaryear.Beginninginthe1980s,theCCTVNewYear'sGalawasbroadcastfourhoursbeforethestartoftheNewYear.
Firstday初一
Thefirstdayisforthewelcomingofthedeitiesoftheheavensandearth,officiallybeginningatmidnight.Manypeople,especiallyBuddhists,abstainfrommeatconsumptiononthefirstdaybecauseitisbelievedthatthiswillensurelongevityforthem.SomeconsiderlightingfiresandusingknivestobebadluckonNewYear'sDay,soallfoodtobeconsumediscookedthedaybefore.ForBuddhists,thefirstdayisalsothebirthdayofMaitreyaBodhisattva(betterknownasthemorefamiliarBudaiLuohan),theBuddha-to-be.Peoplealsoabstainfromkillinganimals.
Mostimportantly,thefirstdayofChineseNewYearisatimewhenfamiliesvisittheoldestandmostseniormembersoftheirextendedfamily,usuallytheirparents,grandparentsorgreat-grandparents.
SomefamiliesmayinvitealiondancetroupeasasymbolicritualtousherintheLunarNewYearaswellastoevictbadspiritsfromthepremises.Membersofthefamilywhoaremarriedalsogiveredpacketscontainingcashtojuniormembersofthefamily,mostlychildrenandteenagers.
Whilefireworksandfirecrackersaretraditionallyverypopular,someregionshavebannedthemduetoconcernsoverfirehazards,whichhaveresultedinincreasednumberoffiresaroundNewYearsandchallengedmunicipalfiredepartments'workcapacity.Forthisreason,variouscitygovernments(e.g.,HongKong,andBeijing,foranumberofyears)issuedbansoverfireworksandfirecrackersincertainpremisesofthecity.Asasubstitute,large-scalefireworkshavebeenlaunchedbygovernmentsincitieslikeHongKongtooffercitizenstheexperience.
Secondday初二
TheseconddayoftheChineseNewYearisformarrieddaughterstovisittheirbirthparents.Traditionally,daughterswhohavebeenmarriedmaynothavetheopportunitytovisittheirbirthfamiliesfrequently.
Onthesecondday,theChinesepraytotheirancestorsaswellastoallthegods.Theyareextrakindtodogsandfeedthemwellasitisbelievedthattheseconddayisthebirthdayofalldogs.
BusinesspeopleoftheCantonesedialectgroupwillholda'HoiNin'prayertostarttheirbusinessonthe2nddayofChineseNewYear.Theprayerisdonetopraythattheywillbeblessedwithgoodluckandprosperityintheirbusinessfortheyear.
Thirdandfourthdays初三
ThethirdandfourthdayoftheChineseNewYeararegenerallyacceptedasinappropriatedaystovisitrelativesandfriendsduetothefollowingschoolsofthought.Peoplemaysubscribetooneorboththoughts.
1)Itisknownas"chìkǒu"(赤口),meaningthatitiseasytogetintoarguments.ItissuggestedthatthecausecouldbethefriedfoodandvisitingduringthefirsttwodaysoftheNewYearcelebration.
2)Familieswhohadanimmediatekindeceasedinthepast3yearswillnotgohouse-visitingasaformofrespecttothedead,butpeoplemayvisitthemonthisday.Somepeoplethenconcludethatitisinauspicioustodoanyhousevisitingatall.ThethirddayoftheNewYearisallocatedtograve-visitinginstead.
Fifthday初五
InnorthernChina,peopleeatjiǎozi(simplifiedChinese:饺子;traditionalChinese:餃子),ordumplingsonthemorningofPoWu(破五).ThisisalsothebirthdayoftheChinesegodofwealth.InChineseTaiwan,businessestraditionallyre-openonthisday,accompaniedbyfirecrackers.
Seventhday初七
Theseventhday,traditionallyknownasrenri人日,thecommonman'sbirthday,thedaywheneveryonegrowsoneyearolder.Itisthedaywhentossedrawfishsalad,yusheng,iseaten.ThisisacustomprimarilyamongtheoverseasChineseinSoutheastAsia,suchasMalaysiaandSingapore.Peoplegettogethertotossthecolourfulsaladandmakewishesforcontinuedwealthandprosperity.
FormanyChineseBuddhists,thisisanotherdaytoavoidmeat,theseventhdaycommemoratingthebirthofSakraDevanamIndra.
Eighthday初八
AnotherfamilydinnertocelebratetheeveofthebirthoftheJadeEmperor.However,everybodyshouldbebacktoworkbythe8thday.Allofgovernmentagenciesandbusinesswillstopcelebratingbytheeighthday.
Ninthday初九
TheninthdayoftheNewYearisadayforChinesetoofferprayerstotheJadeEmperorofHeaven(天宮)intheTaoistPantheon.TheninthdayistraditionallythebirthdayoftheJadeEmperor.ThisdayisespeciallyimportanttoHokkiens.Comemidnightoftheeighthdayofthenewyear,HokkienswillofferthanksgivingprayerstotheEmperorofHeaven.OfferingswillincludesugarcaneasitwasthesugarcanethathadprotectedtheHokkiensfromcertainexterminationgenerationsago.Incense,tea,fruit,vegetarianfoodorroastpig,andpapergoldisservedasacustomaryprotocolforpayingrespecttoanhonoredperson.
Tenthday初十
TheotherdaywhentheJadeEmperor'sbirthdayiscelebrated.
Thirteenthday正月十三
Onthe13thdaypeoplewilleatpurevegetarianfoodtocleanouttheirstomachduetoconsumingtoomuchfoodoverthelasttwoweeks.
ThisdayisdedicatedtotheGeneralGuanYu,alsoknownastheChineseGodofWar.GuanYuwasbornintheHandynastyandisconsideredthegreatestgeneralinChinesehistory.Herepresentsloyalty,strength,truth,andjustice.Accordingtohistory,hewastrickedbytheenemyandwasbeheaded.
AlmosteveryorganizationandbusinessinChinawillpraytoGuanYuonthisday.Beforehislifeended,GuanYuhadwonoveronehundredbattlesandthatisagoalthatallbusinessesinChinawanttoaccomplish.Inaway,peoplelookathimastheGodofWealthortheGodofSuccess.
Fifteenthday正月十五
Thefifteenthdayofthenewyeariscelebratedasyuánxiāojié(元宵节),otherwiseknownasChapGohMeiinFujiandialect.Ricedumplingstangyuan(simplifiedChinese:汤圆;traditionalChinese:湯圓;pinyin:tāngyuán),asweetglutinousriceballbrewedinasoup,iseatenthisday.Candlesarelitoutsidehousesasawaytoguidewaywardspiritshome.ThisdayiscelebratedastheLanternFestival,andfamilieswalkthestreetcarryinglightedlanterns.
ThisdayoftenmarkstheendoftheChineseNewYearfestivities.