The Origin of Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year is now popularly known as the Spring Festival because it starts from the Begining of Spring (the first of the twenty-four terms in coodination with the changes of Nature). Its origin is too old to be traced. Several explanations are hanging around. All agree, however, that the word Nian, which in modern Chinese solely means year, was originally the name of a monster beast that started to prey on people the night before the beginning of a new year.
One legend goes that the beast Nian had a very big mouth that would swallow a great many people with one bite. People were very scared. One day, an old man came to their rescue, offering to subdue Nian. To Nian he said, I hear say that you are very capable, but can you swallow the other beasts of prey on earth instead of people who are by no means of your worthy opponents? So, it did swallow many of the beasts of prey on earth that also harrassed people and their domestic animals from time to time.
After that, the old man disappeared riding the beast Nian. He turned out to be an immortal god. Now that Nian is gone and other beasts of prey are also scared into forests, people begin to enjoy their peaceful life. Before the old man left, he had told people to put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors at each year's end to scare away Nian in case it sneaked back again, because red is the color the beast feared the most.
From then on, the tradition of observing the conquest of Nian is carried on from generation to generation. The term Guo Nian, which may mean Survive the Nian becomes today Celebrate the (New) Year as the word guo in Chinese having both the meaning of pass-over and observe. The custom of putting up red paper and firing fire-crackers to scare away Nian should it have a chance to run loose is still around. However, people today have long forgotten why they are doing all this, except that they feel the color and the sound add to the excitement of the celebration.
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The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. All people living away from home go back, becoming the busiest time for transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival. Airports, railway stations and long-distance bus stations are crowded with home returnees.
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 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.
Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today, but others have weakened.
On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, many families make laba porridge, a delicious kind of porridge made with glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Job's tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, longan and gingko.
The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month is called Preliminary Eve. At this time, people offer sacrifice to the kitchen god. Now however, most families make delicious food to enjoy themselves.
After the Preliminary Eve, people begin preparing for the coming New Year. This is called Seeing the New Year in.
Store owners are busy then as everybody goes out to purchase necessities for the New Year. Materials not only include edible oil, rice, flour, chicken, duck, fish and meat, but also fruit, candies and kinds of nuts. What's more, various decorations, new clothes and shoes for the children as well as gifts for the elderly, friends and relatives, are all on the list of purchasing.
Before the New Year comes, the people completely clean the indoors and outdoors of their homes as well as their clothes, bedclothes and all their utensils.
Then people begin decorating their clean rooms featuring an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. All the door panels will be pasted with Spring Festival couplets, highlighting Chinese calligraphy with black characters on red paper. The content varies from house owners' wishes for a bright future to good luck for the New Year. Also, pictures of the god of doors and wealth will be posted on front doors to ward off evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance.
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 being pronounced as fudaole. What's more, two big red lanterns can be raised on both sides of the front door. Red paper-cuttings can be seen on window glass and brightly colored New Year paintings with auspicious meanings may be put on the wall.
People attach great importance to Spring Festival Eve. At that time, all family members eat dinner together. The meal is more luxurious than usual. Dishes such as chicken, fish and bean curd cannot be excluded, for in Chinese, their pronunciations, respectively ji, yu and doufu, mean auspiciousness, abundance and richness. After the dinner, the whole family will sit together, chatting and watching TV. In recent years, the Spring Festival party broadcast on China Central Television Station (CCTV) is essential entertainment for the Chinese both at home and abroad. According to custom, each family will stay up to see the New Year in.
Waking up on New Year, everybody dresses up. First they extend greetings to their parents. Then each child will get money as a New Year gift, wrapped up in red paper. People in northern China will eat jiaozi, or dumplings, for breakfast, as they think jiaozi in sound means bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new. Also, the shape of the dumpling is like gold ingot from ancient China. So people eat them and wish for money and treasure.
Southern Chinese eat niangao (New Year cake made of glutinous rice flour) on this occasion, because as a homophone, niangao means higher and higher, one year after another. The first five days after the Spring Festival are a good time for relatives, friends, and classmates as well as colleagues to exchange greetings, gifts and chat leisurely.
Burning fireworks was once the most typical custom on the Spring Festival. People thought the spluttering sound could help drive away evil spirits. However, such an activity was completely or partially forbidden in big cities once the government took security, noise and pollution factors into consideration. As a replacement, some buy tapes with firecracker sounds to listen to, some break little balloons to get the sound too, while others buy firecracker handicrafts to hang in the living room.
The lively atmosphere not only fills every household, but permeates to streets and lanes. A series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs will be held for days. The Spring Festival then comes to an end when the Lantern Festival is finished.
China has 56 ethnic groups. Minorities celebrate their Spring Festival almost the same day as the Han people, and they have different customs.
起源农历新年
农历新年是现在俗称春节，因为它是从春天开始的（第一个04年计算， coodination与大自然的变化） 。其来源是太老进行追踪。若干解释游逛。大家都同意，但是，这个字念，而这仅仅是指现代汉语“一年” ，最初的名称怪物猛兽开始掠夺人民的前一天晚上进入了一个新的一年。
一个传奇的野兽不用念了非常大嘴巴，将吞噬了许多人一咬。人很害怕。有一天，一位老人来到他们的救援，提供制服念。要念他说， “我听到说，你很能干，但是你能接受的其他动物的捕食而不是地球上的人谁绝不是你值得的对手？ ”因此，没有吞下许多动物在地球上的猎物，也骚扰人民和他们的家畜不时。
在这之后，老人消失骑马野兽念。他原来是一个不朽的神。现在念走了和其他野兽的猎物，也害怕到森林，人们开始享受和平的生活。在老人离开，他告诉人们要忍受红纸装饰他们的窗户和门在每年的年底吓跑念的情况下，悄悄地回来了，因为红色是颜色野兽最担心的。
从那时起，传统的观测征服念是进行代代相传。所谓“过妮安” ，这可能意味着“生存念”变成今日“庆祝（新）年”改为“国”在中国有两个意义上的“传递了”和“观察” 。自定义的张贴红纸和射击消防饼干吓跑念应该有机会运行松散仍然存在。然而，今天人们早已忘记了为什么他们在做这一切，除非他们认为的颜色和声音添加到兴奋的庆祝活动。
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春节是最重要的节日，中华民族是在所有家庭成员聚在一起，就像西方的圣诞节。所有生活远离家乡回去，成为最繁忙的交通系统的时间约半个月的春节。机场，火车站和长途客车站，挤满了主页返回。
严格地说，春节开始，每年发展的初期，月球的第12个月，将持续到1月中期月份到下一年。其中，最重要的日子是春节除夕前三天。我国政府现在规定人民有7天假的农历新年。
许多海关伴随春节。有些人仍然遵循今天，但其他人削弱。
第8天的第12正月，使许多家庭腊八粥，美味种粥用糯米，小米，种子工作的眼泪，红枣浆果，莲子，豆类，龙眼，银杏。
23日12日是农历正月称为初步除夕。在这个时候，人们祀灶君。但是现在，大多数家庭做出美味享受。
经过初步除夕，人们开始准备为即将到来的新年。这就是所谓的“看到新的一年” 。
店主正忙着然后大家出门购买必需品的新年。材料不仅包括食用油，大米，面粉，鸡肉，鸭，鱼，肉，而且水果，糖果和各种坚果。更重要的是，各种装饰品，新衣服和鞋子的儿童以及老人的礼物，朋友和亲戚，都在名单上的购买力。
在新年到来时，人们彻底清洁室内和室外的家园以及他们的衣服，床上用品和所有的器皿。
然后人们开始装修自己的特色洁净室的气氛中进行的喜悦和欢庆。所有门板将贴有春联，强调书法与黑色字符的红纸上。不同的内容房屋业主祝愿一个光明的未来，以好运气的新年。此外，照片，神门和财富将张贴在前门抵挡邪灵，并欢迎和平与丰富。
汉字“赋” （意思是祝福或幸福）是必须的。字符写在纸面上，通常可以粘贴或上下颠倒，因为在中国的“反富”的谐音为“福来” ，都被宣布为“ fudaole 。 ”更重要的是，两个大的红灯笼可以提高双方的前门。红纸，剪报中可以看出在窗户玻璃和鲜艳新年吉祥画的含义可能是放在墙上。
人民高度重视春节前夕。在那个时候，所有家庭成员一起吃晚饭。吃饭更豪华比平常多。食品，如鸡，鱼和豆腐不能排除，因为在中国，他们的发音，分别为“冀” ， “玉”和“豆腐” ，意味着吉祥，丰度和丰富度。晚餐后，全家人会坐在一起，聊天和看电视。近年来，春节晚会播出的中央电视台（中央电视台）是必不可少的娱乐为中国在国内和国外。按照惯例，每个家庭将保持看到新年英寸
起床的新年，每个人都打扮。首先，他们延长问候他们的父母。然后每个儿童将得到钱作为新年礼物，结束了在红纸上。人民将在北方吃饺子，或饺子，吃早餐，因为他们认为“饺子”的声音的意思是“告别旧的，迎接新的” 。此外，饺子形状像金元宝从我国古代。所以，人们吃，并祝愿金钱和财富。
南中国吃niangao （新年蛋糕的糯米粉）在这一时刻，因为作为一个同音字， niangao的意思是“高，一年后是另一套。 ”头五天后，春节是一个很好的时间，亲戚，朋友和同学以及同事们互致问候，馈赠和聊天悠闲。
燃烧的烟花曾经是最典型的自定义的春节。人们认为spluttering声音可以帮助驱除邪灵。然而，这样的活动是完全或部分禁止在大城市，一旦政府采取了安全，噪音和污染的因素考虑在内。作为替代，一些购买磁带的鞭炮声听，有些打破小气球，以获得良好的太多，而另一些购买爆竹手工艺品挂在客厅。
在活泼的气氛不仅填补每家每户，而且贯穿到街道和小巷。一系列的活动，如舞狮，舞龙，花灯歌舞，花灯节和庙会将举行两天。然后在春节即将结束时，灯节已完成。
我国56个民族。少数庆祝他们春节几乎同一天，汉族人，他们有不同的习俗
中国特色菜：Aubergine(茄子)、DwarfBean(刀豆)、Chillies(辣椒)、Eddoes(小芋头)、Spinach(菠菜)、Beansprots(绿豆芽)、Springonions(葱)、Leeks(大葱)、Garlic(大蒜)、Ginger(生姜)、Co�riander(香菜)、Greenbean(绿豆)、RedBean(红豆)、Driedblackmushroom(冬菇)、Tigerlilybuds(金针菜)、Mu-er(木耳)、Cashewnuts(腰果)、Silknoodles(粉丝)、SeavegetableorSeaweed(海带)、Tofu(豆腐)、Driedfish(鱼干)。
调料：Soysauce(酱油)、Vinger(醋)、Cornstarch(淀粉)、Sesameoil(麻油)、Oys�tersauce(蚝油)、Pepper(胡椒)、Redchillipowder(辣椒粉)、Sesamepaste(芝麻酱)、Monosidumglutanate(味精)、Chineseredpepper(花椒)、Saltblackbean(豆鼓)、Staranise(八角)、Brownsugar(砂糖，专用于泡奶茶或咖啡)、darkBrownSugar(红糖)、Custersugar(白砂糖)、RockSugar(冰糖)。面食：Longrice(长米，较硬，煮前需先浸泡1个小时)、Puddingriceorshortrice(短米，较软)、Brownrice(糙米)、THAIFragrantrice(泰国香米)、Glutinousrice(糯米)、flou(面粉)、Wholemealflour(小麦面粉)、Noodles(面条)、Instantnoodles(方便面)、Wantunskin(馄饨皮)。
FreshGradeBreast(鸡胸肉)、ChickenWings(鸡翅膀)、MincedSteak(碎肉)、SmokedBacon(熏肉)、PorkFillet(里脊肉)、SpareRibofPork(小排骨)、BlackPudding(黑香肠)、Hock(肘子)、StewingBeef(小块瘦肉)、RumpSteak(大块牛排)、TenderisedSteak(半成品牛排)、Cowhells(牛筋)。
在美国、加拿大以及北欧国家，海产品也是当地人饭桌上的主菜，下面是较符合东方人口味的海产品：Prawn(虾)、PeeledPrawns(虾仁)、KingPrawns(大虾)、Shrimps(虾米)、Labster(龙虾)、Crab(螃蟹)、Crabstick(蟹肉条)、Squid(目鱼)、Dressedsquid(目鱼片)、Salmon(鲑鱼)、Cod(鳕鱼)、Plaice(比目鱼)、Carp(鲤鱼)、Oyster(牡蛎)。
维生素对健康非常重要，因此蔬菜在留学生的一日三餐中必不可少：Potato(马铃薯)、Carrot(胡萝卜)、Mooli(白萝卜)、Onion(洋葱)、Celery(西芹)、WhiteCabbage(包心菜)、Cucumber(大黄瓜)、Tomato(蕃茄)、Sweetcorn(玉米)、GreenPepper(青椒)、Redpepper(红辣椒)。
（你还可以到网上去凑一点）