2015年3月5日          周五         正月十五，元宵节！

             Lantern Festival 元宵节的由来英文介绍

 　　The Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao Jie is a traditional Chinese festival, which is on the 15th of the first month of the Chinese New Year. The festival marks the end of the celebrations of the Chinese New Year.

　　“灯节”或者叫做“元宵节”是中国的传统佳节，在每年的农历正月十五这一天庆祝。元宵节的到来也标志着春节的结束。

　　Chinese started to celebrate the Lantern Festival from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 221 AD). Like most other Chinese festivals, there is also a story behind the Festival. It is also believed that the festival has Taoist origins.

　　元宵节的传统可以追溯到西汉时期，像其他的传统节日一样，关于元宵节也有一个美丽的传说。据说，与道家的传统有关。

　　This is a festival for people having fun. On the night of the festival, people go on streets with a variety of lanterns under the full moon, watching lions or dragon dancing, playing Chinese riddles and games, and lighting up firecrackers. There is really a lot of fun for the young and the old.

　　按中国民间的传统，在这天上皓月高悬的夜晚，人们要点起彩灯万盏，以示庆贺。出门赏月、燃灯放焰、喜猜灯谜、共吃元宵，合家团聚、同庆佳节，其乐融融。

　　Yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) or Tangyuan is the special food for the Lantern Festival. It is believed that Yuanxiao is named after a palace maid, Yuanxiao, of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty. Yuanxiao is a kind of sweet dumpling, which is made with sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing.

　　元宵(黏米团子)或者叫做汤圆是元宵节这一天必吃的食物。相传汉武帝时宫中有一位宫女，名叫“元宵”，长年幽于宫中，思念父母，终日以泪洗面。大臣东方朔决心帮助她，于是对汉武帝谎称，火神奉玉帝之命于正月十五火烧长安，要逃过动难，唯一的办法是让“元宵姑娘”在正月十五这天做很多火神爱吃的汤圆，并由全体臣民张灯供奉。武帝准凑，“元宵姑娘”终于见到家人。此后，便形成了元宵节。元宵这种食物实际上是甜馅 “饺子”的一种，用粘糯米和甜的馅料制成。

     春节，是农历的岁首，也是我国古老的传统节日。古代过“年”不是在腊月二十九日或三十日，而是在“蜡日”，即后来的“腊八”。南北朝以后，把“蜡祭”移至岁末。到了民国时 ，改用阳历，才把阴历年叫“春节”，因为春节一般都在“立春”前后。

　　春节是我国最盛大、最热闹的一个古老传统节日。俗称“过年”。按照我国农历，正月初一古称元日、元辰、元正、元朔、元旦等，俗称年初一，还有上日、正朝、三朔、三朝、三始、三元等别称，意即正月初一是年、月、日三者的开始。

　　春节，顾名思义就是春天的节日。春天来临，万象更新，新一轮播种和收获季节又要开始。 人们有足够的理由载歌载舞来迎接这个节日。于是，节前就在门脸上贴上红纸黄字的新年寄语。

　　春节的另一名称叫过年。“年”是什么呢？是一种为人们带来坏运气的想象中的动物。“年”一来。树木凋蔽，百草不生；“年”一“过”，万物生长，鲜花遍地。“年”如何才能过去呢？需用鞭炮轰 ，于是有了燃鞭炮的习俗。1993年，北京市人民政府颁布了禁放烟花爆竹的法律，使这一沿续了几百年的习俗成为历史。

　　春节是个亲人团聚的节日，这一点和西方的圣诞节很相似。离家的孩子这时要不远千里回到父母家里。真正过年的前一夜叫“除夕”，又叫“团圆夜”，“团年”。传统的庆祝活动则从除夕一直持续到正月十五元宵节。喜庆气氛要持续一个月。 正月初一前有祭灶、祭祖、 扫除污秽。三十日要贴门神、对联、挂旗、吃饺子、放鞭炮，除夕“守岁”等 仪 式；正月初一晚辈向长辈拜年，然后至亲友家贺年。亲友第一次见面时，说些“恭贺新喜”、“恭喜发财”、“恭喜”、“过年好”等话，互相祝贺。

　　1949年12月23日，中华人民共和国中央人民政府规定每年春节放假3天。春节——我国民间最隆重、最热闹的一个古老传统节日。
Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year, living, but also China's oldest traditional festivals. The ancient "," not in the腊月29 30, but in the "wax on," then a "Laba." After the Northern and Southern Dynasties, "wax Festival" moved to the end of the year. To the Republic of China, to switch to solar calendar before the lunar calendar, called the "Spring Festival", as the Spring Festival is generally in the "Beginning" before and after.

China's Spring Festival is the biggest, most popular of an ancient traditional festivals. Commonly known as the "New Year." According to China's Lunar New Year, the end of the day Originally known Yuanri, Yuan Chen, Yuan is, Yuanshuo, New Year's Day, commonly known as the Day, also the previous day, moving three Schomburg, three North Korea, the three before, such as ternary another name, that is, the first month first day is the year, month, day three start.

Spring Festival, the name implies that the spring holiday. The advent of spring, everything looks new and fresh, a new round of planting and harvesting seasons have begun. People have every reason to welcome this singing and dancing festival. Therefore, the pre-affixed to the door faces the Red Canvas Huang word New Year message.

Another named the Spring Festival holiday. "" What? Is a kind of bad luck for people's imagination in animals. "" First. Trees been languishing, not Baicao Health "," one "the" and everything is growing, flowers everywhere. "" How can the past? Preparing whip shelling, there was the custom of burning firecrackers. 1993, the Beijing Municipal People's Government promulgated a law to ban fireworks, so that this followed several hundred years of practices become history.

Spring Festival is a family reunion holiday, and this is very similar to the Western Christmas. Home when the children returned to their parents to Buyuanqianli home. The night before New Year's really called "New Year's Eve," is known as the "reunion night," "Mission in." The traditional New Year's Eve celebrations from the 15th day of the first month has been continued until the Lantern Festival. Mood to continued for a month. Jizao before the end of the day, the ancestors, wiping filthy. On the 30th to paste the door god, couplet, flags, eating dumplings, setting off firecrackers, the New Year's Eve "detainees" ceremony; the end of the day New Year's elders to younger people, and then to the family and friends of Chinese New Year. Relatives and friends that first meeting, saying "to congratulate the new-hi," "Kung Hei Fat Choy", "Congratulations" and "Happy New Year", congratulating each other.

December 23, 1949, the People's Republic of the Central People's Government provides an annual three-day Lunar New Year holiday. Spring Festival - China's civil grandest, the most boisterous of an ancient traditional festivals.