Traditional customs for Spring Festival.docx

Traditional customs for Spring Festival.docx

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TraditionalcustomsforSpringFestival

TraditionalcustomsforSpringFestival

ChineseNewYearCelebrationisthemostimportantcelebrationoftheyear.ChinesepeoplemaycelebratetheChineseNewYearinslightlydifferentwaysbuttheirwishesarealmostthesame;theywanttheirfamilymembersandfriendstobehealthyandluckyduringnextyear.

ChineseNewYearCelebrationusuallylastsfor15days.CelebratoryactivitiesincludeChineseNewFeast,firecrackers,givingluckymoneytochildren,theNewYearbellringingandChineseNewYearGreetings.MostofChinesepeoplewillstopthecelebratingintheirhomeonthe7thdayofNewYearbecausethenationalholidayusuallyendsaroundthatday,howevercelebrationsinpublicareascanlastuntilthe15thdayofNewYear.

HouseCleaning

TocleanhousesontheNewYearEveisaveryoldcustomdatingbacktothousandsofyearsago.Thedustistraditionallyassociatedwith“old”socleaningtheirhousesandsweepingthedustmeantobidfarewelltothe“old”andusherinthe“new”.DaysbeforetheNewYear,Chinesefamiliescleantheirhouses,sweepingthefloor,washingdailythings,cleaningthespiderwebsanddredgingtheditches.Peopledoallthesethingshappilyinthehopeofagoodcomingyear.

Housedecoration

Oneofthehousedecorationsistopostcoupletsondoors.OntheSpringFestivalcouplets,goodwishesareexpressed.NewYearcoupletsareusuallypostedinpairsasevennumbersareassociatedwithgoodluckandauspiciousnessinChineseculture.

PeopleinnorthChinaareusedtopostingpaper-cutontheirwindows.Whenstickingthewindowdecorationpaper-cuts,peoplepasteonthedoorlargeredChinesecharacter“fu”Ared"fu"meansgoodluckandfortune,soitiscustomarytopost"fu"ondoorsorwallsonauspiciousoccasionssuchaswedding,festivals.

WaitingfortheFirstBellRingingofChineseNewYear

ThefirstbellringingisthesymbolofChineseNewYear.ChinesepeopleliketogotoalargesquareswheretherearehugebellsaresetuponNewYear’sEve.AstheNewYearapproachestheycountdownandcelebratetogether.Thepeoplebelievethattheringingofhugebellcandriveallthebadluckawayandbringthefortunetothem.Inrecentyears,somepeoplehavebegungoingtomountaintemplestowaitforthefirstringing.HanshanTempleinSuzhou,isveryfamoustempleforitsfirstringingofthebelltoheraldChineseNewYear.ManyforeignersnowgotoHanshanTempletocelebrateChineseNewYear.

Stayinguplate（"Shousui"）

ShousuimeanstostayuplateorallnightonNewYear`sEve.Afterthegreatdinner,familiessittogetherandchathappilytowaitfortheNewYear’sarrival.

NewYearFeast

SpringFestivalisatimeforfamilyreunion.TheNewYear`sFeastis"amust"banquetwithallthefamilymembersgettingtogether.ThefoodeatenontheNewYearEvebanquetvariesaccordingtoregions.InsouthChina,Itiscustomarytoeat"niangao"（NewYearcakemadeofglutinousriceflour）becauseasahomophone,niangaomeans"higherandhighereveryyear".Inthenorth,atraditionaldishforthefeastis"Jiaozi"ordumplingsshapedlikeacrescentmoon.

SettingFirecrackers

LightingFirecrackersusedtobeoneofthemostimportantcustomsintheSpringFestivalcelebration.However,concerningthedangerandthenegativenoisesthatlightingfirecrackersmaybring,thegovernmenthasbannedthispracticeinmanymajorcities.Butpeopleinsmalltownsandruralareasstillholdtothistraditionalcelebration.Rightastheclockstrikes12o`clockmidnightofNewYear`sEve,citiesandtownsarelitupwiththeglitterfromfireworks,andthesoundcanbedeafening.Familiesstayupforthisjoyfulmomentandkidswithfirecrackersinonehandandalighterinanothercheerfullylighttheirhappinessinthisespecialoccasion,eventhoughtheyplugtheirears.

NewYearGreetings（BaiNian）

OnthefirstdayoftheNewYearorshortlythereafter,everybodywearsnewclothesandgreetsrelativesandfriendswithbowsandGongxi（congratulations）,wishingeachothergoodluck,happinessduringthenewyear.InChinesevillages,somevillagersmayhavehundredsofrelativessotheyhavetospendmorethantwoweeksvisitingtheirrelatives.

Onthefirstdayofthenewyear,it’scustomaryfortheyoungergenerationstovisittheelders,wishingthemhealthyandlongevity.Becausevisitingrelativesandfriendstakesalotoftime,now,somebusypeoplewillsendNewYearcardstoexpresstheirgoodwishesratherthanpayavisitpersonally.

LuckyMoney

ItisthemoneygiventokidsfromtheirparentsandgrandparentsasNewYeargift.Themoneyisbelievedtobringgoodluck,wardoffmonsters;hencethename"luckymoney".Parentsandgrandparentsfirstputmoneyinsmall,especially-maderedenvelopesandgivetheredenvelopestotheirkidsaftertheNewYear`sFeastorwhentheycometovisitthemontheNewYear.TheychoosetoputthemoneyinredenvelopesbecauseChinesepeoplethinkredisaluckycolor.Theywanttogivetheirchildrenbothluckymoneyandluckycolor.