Words

春节  Spring Festival                 除夕  New Year’s Eve

元宵节 the Lantern Festival           春联  Spring Festival couplets

剪纸   paper-cuts                   年画  New Year paintings

农历  lunar                         买年货 do Spring Festival shopping

红包  red packets                   舞龙/狮 Lion/Dragon dance

灯谜  riddles written on the lantern    守岁    staying up

拜年  pay New Year’s call            禁忌    taboo

去晦气get rid of the ill-fortune         进贡offer sacrifices to one’s ancestors

压岁钱 gift money                   辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year

扫房   spring cleaning               灶王爷 Kitchen God

家谱   Genealogy                   字辈   Generation Name

腊肉   bacon                     

1.Lunar New Year's Eve, the last day of the old year, is one of China's most important traditional holidays.

2.Homes are spotless in and out, doors and windows are decorated with brand new Spring Festival couplets, New Year's pictures, hangings, and images of the Door God.

农历除夕，旧年的最后一天，是中国最重要的传统节日之一。Homes are spotless in and out, doors and windows are decorated with brand new Spring Festival couplets, New Year's pictures, hangings, and images of the Door God, and everyone dresses up in new holiday clothes that are decorated with lucky patterns and auspicious colors.屋内外一层不染，门和窗户上都是全新的春联，年画，挂饰装饰，以及门神的形象。

3. To the Chinese, New Year's Eve dinner is more than just enjoying a grand feast. On this day, all Chinese all over the world, no matter how far away from home they are or how busy at work, will be home for dinner.

对于中国，除夕晚宴不仅仅是享受了隆重的盛宴。 On this day, all Chinese all over the world, no matter how far away from home they are or how busy at work, will be home for dinner.在这一天，所有的华人在世界各地，无论怎样远离家园，他们或在工作多么繁忙，将回家吃饭。

4.Everyone dresses up in new holiday clothes that are decorated with lucky patterns and auspicious colors.

人人在新年里都盛装打扮，穿着带有吉祥图案和颜色的衣服。

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5.These guardian deities, the door gods, were thought to protect the household from evil influences and repel demons.

这些守护神是被请来帮助家庭远离邪恶和击退恶魔。

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6.New Year pictures, as their name implies, are made especially to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday.

年画，正如它的名字所寓意的那样，是用来庆祝春节的。

7.New Year pictures, like Spring Festival couplets, trace their origins to China's ancient door gods.

年画如同春联一样都可以追溯到古老的门神。

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8.The character "福" fu means happiness and good fortune.

“福”字意为幸福和好运。

9.In order to emphasize the significance of this character, it is often pasted on the door upside down. This is meant to cause visitors to remark, "Your fu is upside down," which in Chinese means  "good fortune has arrived."

为了强调这个字的意义，往往将它倒着贴。这是为了引出参观者的话，“你的福，

是倒了”，中文里意思是说，“好运到来了。”

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10.Paper images of money were burned, the smoke carrying the household's prayers and salutations to Heaven.

人们烧纸钱，期望通过纸钱的烟将家人的祈福和（对祖先的）问候带到天堂。

11.It (making sacrifices to the ancestors)  was considered imperative to honor the ancestors during Spring Festival, both to remember previous generations and to ensure the continuation of the family line.

在春节期间给祖先进贡表示敬意是必须的。这不仅是为了记住先前的祖先，也是为了确保族根的延续。

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