ChineseNewYearisthelongestandmostimportantfestivityintheLunarCalendar.TheoriginofChineseNewYearisitselfcenturiesoldandgainssignificancebecauseofseveralmythsandtraditions.AncientChineseNewYearisareflectiononhowthepeoplebehavedandwhattheybelievedinthemost.
CelebratedinareaswithlargepopulationsofethnicChinese,ChineseNewYearisconsideredamajorholidayfortheChineseandhashadinfluenceonthenewyearcelebrationsofitsgeographicneighbors,aswellascultureswithwhomtheChinesehavehadextensiveinteraction.TheseincludeKoreans(Seollal),TibetansandBhutanese(Losar),Mongolians(TsagaanSar),Vietnamese(T65t),andformerlytheJapanesebefore1873(Oshogatsu).OutsideofMainlandChina,HongKong,Macau,andTaiwan,ChineseNewYearisalsocelebratedincountrieswithsignificantHanChinesepopulations,suchasSingapore,Indonesia,Laos,Malaysia,thePhilippines,andThailand.IncountriessuchasAustralia,CanadaandtheUnitedStates,althoughChineseNewYearisnotanofficialholiday,manyethnicChineseholdlargecelebrationsandAustraliaPost,CanadaPost,andtheUSPostalServiceissuesNewYear'sthemedstamps.
SouthernChineseeatniangao(NewYearcakemadeofglutinousriceflour)onthisoccasion,becauseasahomophone,niangaomeans"higherandhigher,oneyearafteranother."ThefirstfivedaysaftertheSpringFestivalareagoodtimeforrelatives,friends,andclassmatesaswellascolleaguestoexchangegreetings,giftsandchatleisurely.
Chinahas56ethnicgroups.MinoritiescelebratetheirSpringFestivalalmostthesamedayastheHanpeople,andtheyhavedifferentcustoms.
Severaldaysbeforethenewyear,peoplebegintoprepare.Farmerskillpigs,sheep,cocksandhens.Citydwellersbuymeatfishandvegetables.Housesarecleaned;coupletsarepostedonthedoors.Colourfullanternsarehungatthegate.
Ontheeveofthenewyear,eachfamilyhasitsmembersgatherdtogetherandeatsafamilyreuniondinner.AfterthemealtheywatchTVuntiltheclockstrickestwelve.Theneveryfamilysetsofflongstringsofsmallfirecrackersandotherfireworkstowelcomethenewyear.Onthefirstdayofthenewyear,almosteveryoneisdressedinhisorherbest.Whenpeoplemeetontheway,theysaytoeachother"HappyNewYear".Friendsandrelativespaynewyearcallsandgivespresentstoeachother.Childrenindulgethemselvesingames.
Then,therepresentativeofthebedroomZhuGuozhangaskedustoguessalineofapoemrelatedtotheabovesituation.HeaddedthatLiXinminalonewasbornintheyearofthedogandtheotherthreewereallbornintheyearofthechicken.Theyleftusallinconfusion.Anditwasourmonitorwhowasquick-witted(机智的).Heshoutedour,"Thedaybreaksasthecockcrowsthreetimesatdawn."ThehallAfterthat,theyhadanotheritem.ThistimeLiXinminwasplacedinthemiddleofthecircle.Whilehewasstandingthere,theotherthreestoodaroundhim,eachbowingdowntohimatanangleof120degrees.Itwasanidiom.ThistimeIgotitright:"Thedogstandsoutamongagroupofchickens."
IntheSpringFestival,bothmenandwomenandyoungmenandwomenwearbeautifulnewclothes,withsimplesmilesontheirfacestowelcomethecomingofthenewyear.RedredcoupletsandNewYearpictureswerepostedineachfamily.Alldrums.Thechildrengotothenewyearandsendthecards.Atnight,everywheredecorated.Famousshops,tohangouthundredsoflights,lantern,lamp,whatsice......Everykindof。Oneside,thesoundoffirecrackers,cleaningguns,ringing,rockets,fireworks,fire.Intheoutsideperson,willprefertodrivehome,eatfamilyreuniondinner,thisnight,peoplewillstaying-uplateonnewyearsEve!
How,thecustomofSpringFestivalinmyhometownismore,doyouthinkofmyhometownforthenewyear?
TotheordinaryChinese,thefestivalactuallybeginsontheeveofthelunarNewYearsDayandendsonthefifthdayofthefirstmonthofthelunarcalendar.Butthe15thofthefirstmonth,whichnormallyiscalledtheLanternFestival,meanstheofficialendoftheSpringFestivalinmanypartsofthecountry.
TheSpringFestivalisaveryimportantfestivalinChina.Itsonthefirstdayofthefirstlunarmonth.BeforetheSpringFestival,peoplehaveboughtpresents,like,meat,fruit,flowersdrinksandsomethingsforthemselves.
ThechildrenareveryhappybecausetheSpringFestivaliscoming.Mothershaveboughtclothesforthemchild.Theclothesareverybeautiful.
AttheSpringFestivalnighttwelveoclock,peopleeatdumplingswithmoney,standforsafe.
Itisreallyahappyfestival.
Onthefirstearlymoringofoneyear,manyseniorcitizengetupearlyandtheystickthereversedFuorhangsomecoupletsonthefrontdoor.Somehouseswindowsarestickedonredpapercuttings.
TheChineseNewYearlastsfifteendays.Soduringthefifteendays,wealwaysvisitourrelativesfromdoortodoor.Atthattime,childrenarethehappiestbecausetheycangetmanyredpacketsformtheirparents,grandparents,uncles,auntsandsoon.ThelastdayoftheChineseNewYearisanotherfestival.ItnamestheLanternFestival.
SotheChineseNewYearcomestotheend.
StoreownersarebusythenaseverybodygoesouttopurchasenecessitiesfortheNewYear.Materialsnotonlyincludeedibleoil,rice,flour,chicken,duck,fishandmeat,butalsofruit,candiesandkindsofnuts.Whatsmore,variousdecorations,newclothesandshoesforthechildrenaswellasgiftsfortheelderly,friendsandrelatives,areallonthelistofpurchasing.
BeforetheNewYearcomes,thepeoplecompletelycleantheindoorsandoutdoorsoftheirhomesaswellastheirclothes,bedclothesandalltheirutensils.
Thenpeoplebegindecoratingtheircleanroomsfeaturinganatmosphereofrejoicingandfestivity.AllthedoorpanelswillbepastedwithSpringFestivalcouplets,highlightingChinesecalligraphywithblackcharactersonredpaper.ThecontentvariesfromhouseownerswishesforabrightfuturetogoodluckfortheNewYear.Also,picturesofthegodofdoorsandwealthwillbepostedonfrontdoorstowardoffevilspiritsandwelcomepeaceandabundance.
OntheeveofSpringFestival,parentsgetfood,clothesandSpringFestivalsgoodsprepared.Thepeoplewhoworkoutsidecomeback,andthewholefamilygetstogethertohavemealsandsaygoodbyetothelastyear,andwelcometheNewYear.Afterthemeal,theywaituntilmidnightcomes.Theysetofffireworksthen.
OnthefirstmorningoftheSpringFestival,everyonewearstheirnewclothesandthengotoothershomestocelebratetheNewYear.Eachfamilysetsofffireworkswhentheirguestscome,andtheytakeoutsweetsandpeanutstoshare.Onthefollowingdays,theygoaroundtotheirrelativesandfriends.TheSpringFestivalhasseveralmeanings.Itmeanspeopleworkingoutsidecancomebacktorelaxthemselves,anewyearbegins.Whenspringcomes,farmersbegintoplantcropsandpeoplemakeaplanfortheNewYear.
Allthepeoplethroughouttheworldpaymuchattentiontoit.Ourcountryofcourseholdssomenationalcelebrationstocelebrateit.ThismosttraditionalfestivalinChinawillgoonbeingcelebratedinthefuture.
Inthepast,peoplecouldnotoftenhavemeat,riceorotherdeliciousfood.TheycouldonlyeattheseduringtheSpringfestival.SoeveryyeartheyhopedthattheSpringFestivalwouldcomesoon.Now,althoughpeopleslifeismuchbetter,andwecaneatthedeliciousfoodseveryday.Peoplestilllikethefestival.Becausemostpeoplecanhavealongholiday,andwearefreetogoonatriporvisitourfriendsorhavepartieswithourfamily.Intheevenings,wecanhaveabigmealintherestaurantorstayathomewithfamilyandwatchtheTVprogrammes.
IliketheSpringFestivalverymuch.HowwonderfultheSpringFestivalis!