Mark下春节习俗，过年和学英语同时进行！新年快乐！"

铛铛铛——过年了！过年啦！大家都知道春节是我们中国农历的新年，所以过年是我组重要的时刻，家家户户都忙着贴春联，剃头发，做年夜饭，甚至忙得比上班还忙。因为过年“习俗”实在是太多了。

于是，贴心的小库就带着大家了解下我们春节里的习俗，让过年和学英语之间两不误！

过年啦

春节是从农历新年第一天开始，几乎要持续半个月。但在民间传统中，这一节日从腊月23日就开始了，一直到正月十五（元宵节）。

It comes on the first day of Chinese lunar calendar and lasts for almost half of a month. But in folk custom, this traditional holiday lasts from the 23rd day of the twelfth month to the 15th day of the first month (The Lantern Festival) on the lunar calendar.

大年三十（除夕夜）：吃团圆饭

就除夕夜而言，无论身在何处，也不管路途多么遥远，人们都会设法赶回家，所以除夕夜的盛大晚餐也叫做“团圆饭”。每个家庭的团圆饭都是一年中精心准备的最华丽和隆重的家宴。女主人在餐桌上摆满精心准备的食物，全家人围坐一起分享美味佳肴，然后一起乐融融地包饺子。午夜12点，每个家庭都会放鞭炮，辞旧迎新。

December 30th (lunar calendar),

New Year"s Eve Family Reunion Dinner

On New Year"s Eve, people who work far away will manage to come home, regardless of long-distance travel, so the "Grand Dinner on New Year"s Eve" is also called "Family Reunion Dinner". Every family will make the dinner the most sumptuous and ceremonious one in the year. Hostesses will fetch out prepared food and all family members will sit together and make dumplings in harmony. At twelve o"clock, every family will shoot off firecrackers to greet new days and send off old ones.

正月初一：拜新年

除夕过后就是正月初一，人们都会外出拜年。这一天人们忙得不亦乐乎，彼此表达美好的祝福。据说，正月初一这天人们不能扔东西，这样他们就可以把财富留在自个的家里，来年就会福星高照，幸福满满。

January 1st (lunar calendar),

Paying a New Year"s vist

Following the New Year"s Eve is the first day of the Spring Festival, a day for paying a New Year"s vist, during which people will be busy in giving best wishes to one another. It is said that people shouldn"t dump things on the first day of the new year, so that they would be able to keep whatever worth of fortune they will be in possession of in the next year.

正月初二：嫁出去的女儿回娘家

人们常说在祭祀之后，财神爷正月初二这天要上天。为了向神表达敬意，人们这天要吃馄饨，这是一种形状类似银锭的食物。传统上，已婚妇女要回娘家（回门儿），拜见亲生父母。第二天，中国人还要拜祖先和众神。

People say that after being offered sacrifices, Tsai Shen, the God of Wealth, leaves for heaven on the second day of the lunar New Year. In honour of the deity, people will eat wonton, resembling the shape of an ingot.

Traditionally married women will visit and pay respect to their birth parents. On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods.

正月初三：老鼠嫁女儿

正月初三又称小年朝，也称赤狗日，作为古老的中国传统节日，相传这一天女娲娘娘创造出了猪。中国民间传说初三晚上是老鼠娶亲的日子，所以一般人家都早早熄灯睡觉，以免骚乱了鼠辈，并在屋角洒落一些米粒、糕饼，供老鼠食用，称为老鼠分钱，表示和老鼠共享一年的丰收。中国民间以正月初三为谷子生日，这一天祝祭祈年，且禁食米饭。

Today is the 3rd day of the 1st month in Lunar Calendar. After being busy visiting and receiving guests for two days, Chinese people can rest for a while.

Actually, it is considered an unlucky day to have guests or go visiting. People will go to rest earlier at night and get up late in the morning.

The folklore is the 3rd day is for rat marriage day (老鼠娶亲). So people will restrict night activities in order to give rats time for their wedding.

正月初四：迎接灶王爷

农历正月初四，又称为羊日。是中国民间迎神的日子。在老皇历中占羊，故常说的“三羊（阳）开泰”乃是吉祥的象征，也是恭迎灶神回民间的日子。初四这一天全家在一起吃折罗，所谓折罗，就是把几天剩下的饭菜合在一起的大杂烩，打扫年货；清扫室内，把垃圾收集堆到一处，这也是中国民俗中说的“扔穷”。

Today is the 4th day of the 1st month in Lunar Calendar. According to folklore, it is a god-send-off day on the 23rd of the 12th lunar month, and it is also a god welcoming day on the 4th day of the Chinese New Year.

The Kitchen God (灶王爷) is said to report to his work to the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) commenting on human good and evil, until the 4th day of New Year to return back to the earth.

Chinese folk saying goes: “Send-off early, welcome late" (送神早，接神迟) so that the Kitchen God needs to be sent off in the morning, while to welcome at about four o"clock in the afternoon.

正月初五：迎财神

人们认为这天是财神爷的生日，所以要拜财神。早上燃放爆竹，迎接财神的到来。商家在这一天又开始营业。人们认为这天扫地不会再算是不吉利了。在北方，人们通常在这天吃饺子，同时会去拜访朋友和同学。

Fifth day, Birthday of Ox/Cattle

Welcoming the God of Wealth

The day is regarded as the birthday of the God of Wealth and hence respect is paid to the god. In the morning, firecrackers are exploded as a sign of welcoming the God of Wealth. All businesses will be reopened on that day. Sweeping the floor is not considered bad luck anymore. In northern China, people usually eat Jiǎozi (dumplings) on that day. Friends and classmates will be visited.

说了这么多的习俗，不如让小库带你了解下“年的传说”吧~

年的传说

在传统文化中，春节亦被称为“过年”。传说“年”是一种凶猛异常的怪物，每天都会吃一种动物（包括人）。人们非常惧怕他，当“年”夜间出来活动时，人们会找地方躲起来。后来，人们发现“年”非常害怕红色和爆竹，于是，人们用红色和鞭炮来驱赶“年”。久而久之，春节用大红色和放鞭炮的习俗就保留了下来。

In folk culture, celebrating the Lunar New Year is also called “guonian” (literally meaning “passing a year”). It is said that the “nian” (year) was a fierce and cruel monster, and every day, it ate one kind of animal including human beings. Human beings were naturally scared and had to hide on the evening when the “nian” came out. Later, people found that the monster was afraid of the red color and fireworks. So after that, people used the red color and fireworks or firecrackers to drive away “nian”. As a result, the custom has remained to this day.

说完“年的传说”，就不得不说一下我国的十二生肖啦！大家知道生肖的单词都怎么拼嘛。

十二生肖

十二生肖也称十二属相。每个人在其出生年都有一种动物作为生肖。我国农历用鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪这12种动物按顺序轮流代表各年的生肖。

2018年是狗年。

The traditional Chinese zodiac attaches one of 12 animal signs to each lunar year in a cycle. 2017 is the year of the Rooster.

最后的最后，就让小库给大家送上几句比较实用的英语祝福吧！

祝大家新年快乐，万事胜意呦~

恭

贺

新

春

I would like to wish you a joyous new year and express my hope for your happiness and good future.

祝新年快乐，并愿你幸福吉祥，前程似锦。

May the New Year bring many good things and rich blessings to you and all those you love!

愿新年带给你和你所爱的人许多美好的事物和无尽的祝福！

Rich blessings for health and longevity is my special wish for you in the coming year.

祝你在新的一年里身体健康，多福多寿。