IntroductiontoChineseNewYear中国新年专题英文介绍.docVIP

中国新年（春节）专题 the Introduction to Chinese New Year Important Days For Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is not just a one day celebration. Indeed, it is a period that stretches nearly a month. Many ceremonies and activities are observed throughout the period. Here is an incomplete list of what should be done at different days. All the dates are in Chinese lunar calendar with corresponding western calendar dates of 2009 in parenthesis. Dec. 8 (Jan. 3): Drink 腊八(la4 ba1, December congee. Dec. 23 24 (Jan. 18 19): Clean up the house and send kitchen god to heaven. Dec. 25 (Jan. 20): Welcome the Emperor God coming to earth. Dec. 30 (Jan. 25): New Year’s eve, 贴对联(tie1 dui4 lian2, put on gate posts), 放鞭炮(fang4 bian1 pao4, set off firecrackers), 包饺子(bao1 jiao3 zi, make dumplings), 守岁(shou3 sui4, stay awake over the night), eat a lavish dinner. New Year (Jan. 26): 拜年 (bai4 nian2, say happy New Year) to relatives lived together. Jan 2 (Jan. 27): Say Happy New Year to relatives and friends or provide sacrifice to ancestors and treasure god. Jan 5 (Jan. 30): 破五(po4 wu3, break five), no more taboos. People in south will sacrifice for treasure god at the day. Jan. 15 (Feb. 9): Lantern Festival, appreciate latterns and eat stuffed rice ball. It also marks the end of celebration for this long holiday. Prelude of Chinese New Year 腊月 (la4 yue4, December) 23 in Chinese lunar calendar marks the starting day for Chinese New Year. In 2009AD, it is Jan. 18. In tradition, the governments and royal families will officially sacrifice for the kitchen god (祭灶) at the day. Then the regular people will do the same thing at the next day. It is said that those who rely on water for their life (i.e. fishers) will do it the third day. Today, the government will not do it anymore, but many people still celebrate the date following the tradition. The date can be either Dec. 23 or Dec. 24. For that reason, Dec. 23 is also called 小年(xiao3 nian2, the little year). Correspondingly, the Chinese New Year i