1、,Spring Festival,目录,Time,Origin,Celebration,Content,Time,The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC-c. 1100 BC) from the peoples sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an ol
2、d year and the beginning of a new one. （春节落在正月的第一天，往往比公历晚一个月。它起源于商朝（公元前1600年公元前1100年）从人民祭祀神灵和祖先，在旧的一年结束和一个新的开始。）,Strictly speaking, the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid-1st lunar month of the next year. Of them, the most important
3、 days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year. 严格地说，春节是指从腊月初开始一直到第二年中旬的一个月。其中，最重要的日子是除夕和一年的前三天。现在中国政府规定，人民在中国农历新年有七天的休假。,On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, many families make laba porridge,
4、 a delicious kind of porridge made with glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Jobs tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, longan and gingko. （腊月的第8天，许多家庭做腊八粥，糯米，小米，薏苡种子，红枣浆果，莲子，豆类，龙眼，银杏制成美味的粥样。）,The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month is called Preliminary Eve（小年）. At this time, people offer sacrifice t
5、o the kitchen god. Now however, most families make delicious food to enjoy themselves. （腊月23日，被称为小年。在这个时候，人们祭祀灶神。但是现在，大多数家庭做出美味的食物来过节。,Origin of Spring Festival,The origin of spring festival is too old to be traced. One legend goes that there was a beast named Nian , which had a very big mouth that
6、would swallow a great many people with one bit. People were very scared.,One day, an old man told them to put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors at each years end to scare away Nian, because red is the color the beast feared the most. To combat the beast, the Chinese hang good luck
7、wishes on red paper on the door and use fireworks at every years end.,Celebrations,Putting up Spring Couplet,Burning Firecrackers,Clothing,Eating,New Years Visit and Gift Money,The CCTV Spring Festival Gala,Others,1、Putting up Spring Couplet (贴春联),On the Spring Festival, every household will put on
8、doors a spring couplet written on red paper to give a happy and prosperous feeling of the Festival.,The Chinese character fu (meaning blessing or happiness) is a must. The character put on paper can be pasted normally or upside down, for in Chinese the reversed fu is homophonic with fu comes, both b
9、eing pronounced as fudaole.,2. Burning firecrackers The first thing every Chinese household does is to burn firecrackers and fireworks, which means saying goodbye to the old year and usher in the new,3、Clothing,Red cloth is worn throughout the Spring Festival, because red will scare away evil spirit
10、s and bad fortune. People typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize starting a new in the new year.,4、Eating There are different main courses everyday during the New Year, such as Jiao Zi (dumplings), the spring rolls, the sticky rice cakes, Tang Yuan, and so on.,Jiao zi is the most i
11、mportant course in every family. The shape of Jiao Zi is like gold nuggets (Jing Yuanbao), so people eat them to wish for money and treasure. You cannot have a complete Spring Festival without having jiaozi.,5、New Years Visit and Gift Money On the first day of the Chinese lunar year, people pay form
12、al calls on their relatives and friends, wishing them all the luck in the coming year. Juniors will greet seniors, wishing them health and longevity, while seniors will give juniors some gift money as a wish for their safety in the coming year.,6、The CCTV Spring Festival GalaThe Spring Festival Gala
13、 is a variety show held by China Central Television (CCTV) since 1983. It brings laughter to billions of people and creates many popular words. For over twenty years, its value has gone far beyond a variety show. It is an essential entertainment for the Chinese both at home and abroad.,Besides what mentioned above, Lion dances and dragon dances are performed in many places.,
