My Spring Festival
2016-02-14
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.
When the Spring Festival comes,I visit my friends and relatives.We talk together and play together,and as u know,we will visit some relatives who was passed away in this day .We have to respect them to hope they give us a good luck in next year.Its a custom in China.Then,we will make dumplings together,which means we will get much money in next year.Because the dumplings like sycees.At night,we will kotow to elders and say bless words,they also send a red packet（压岁钱） to us.At last,family members will watch the Spring Festival Gala（CCTV) together.
In this winter vacation,I see some friends,we have not met for 5 years.In that meeting,everyone is still the original appearance,we comeback our stories and laugh the old things.Time's flying by moving so fast,fortunately, we still remember each other,and We have not lived up to the youth.
In the last,I want to say “Mom and Dad: Thank you for everything this holiday season!”.
(PS:过年 Guo-nian; have the Spring Festival 对联 poetic couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry 春联 Spring Festival couplets 剪纸 paper-cuts 年画 New Year paintings 买年货 special purchases for the Spring Festival ; do Spring Festival shopping 敬酒 propose a toast 灯笼 lantern: a portable light 灯会 exhibit of lanterns 守岁 staying-up 拜年 pay New Year's call; give New Year's greetings; New Year's visit 禁忌 taboo 去晦气 get rid of the ill- fortune 祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to one's ancestors 压岁钱 gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift 辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year 扫房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning 八宝饭 eight treasures rice pudding 糖果盘 candy tray 什锦糖 assorted candies - sweet and fortune 蜜冬瓜 candied winter melon - growth and good health 西瓜子 red melon seed - joy, happiness, truth and sincerity 金桔 cumquat - prosperity 糖莲子 candied lotus seed - many descendents to come 糖藕 candied lotus root - fulfilling love relationship 红枣 red dates - prosperity 花生糖 peanut candy - sweet)
I am sorry to hear that you cant go home,but hope you have a great vacation.
What a great way to spend Spring Festival. you are lucky to go to China, I could not leave.
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