今天無憂的白人同事，請無憂給她的一個七歲的小男孩，介紹一下中國的春節，這樣他也好向的他的小同伴們，炫耀一番。
無憂這樣回答的，朋友們有沒有什麽的補充，無憂洗耳恭聽。
謝謝
How does the Chinese New Year tie into the culture of China?
Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday in China. Usually Chinese do not call it Chinese New Year. They call it Chinese Spring Festival. The celebrations of Chinese Spring Festival last more than two weeks. Traditionally, right after Chinese Spring Festival, winter is over. Spring is coming. It is getting warmer and warmer. People, especially farmers are getting busy with their farm work.
Chinese celebrate Chinese Spring Festival in many different ways. One of the most important and popular activities is, the whole family including Grandma, Grandpa, grandson , grant daughter , father and mother, brothers and sisters, brother and sister-in-laws are gathering together to eat, especially the last dinner of the last day of the last year of 12/31 by Chinese calendar. It is called New Year Eve Dinner. Chinese call it Da Nian San Shi. Chinese tires very best to be home together with their family to celebrate Chinese Spring Festival.
For instance, since I came to America, it is twenty seven years that I have not have Chinese New Year Eve Dinner together with my family members back in China. This year, I will be back to China to celebrate Chinese Spring Festival with my family members like my mom, my brothers, my sister-in laws, my nephews, all together about thirty some family members to eat together and celebrate Chinese New Year. This year, the Chinese New Year Eve is 02/09. I will be my mom’s home in China about 7 o’clock in the evening 02/09, right on time for the Chinese New Year Eve Dinner. Yes, it would be very special for me and my family back in China.
At New Year Eve Dinner, people have rice, meat, noodles, cakes, and almost most everything eatable, that you can think of which make this dinner so delicious and so special. One dish is very special and popular is in Chinese “Da Fen Dun Rou”. Without Chinese dish of “Da Fen Dun Rou”, it is not a Chinese New Year Eve Dinner. It is the most delicious Chinese New Year Eve Dinner dish. Every family must have it at the New Year even dinner.
After the New Year Eve Dinner, the first day of the New Year, together people eat dumplings, and then the 15th of that moth, people eat Yuan Xiao, and all are traditional Chinese special food at Chinese Spring Festival. It is kind of like Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey here in American. Chinese enjoy the food at Chinese Spring Festival.
Like American New Year, people would like to make some resolutions. Quite often they go to temples and ask Chinese Gods to help them to realize their resolutions. Chinese would dream in the New Year to get a baby boy, get a good job, improve their grades, get into good college, and be healthy.
Chinese New year is also the time for sons and daughters to show their appreciation and thanks to their parents. They bring some gifts, especially to their father and mother. They also visit the grave sites of their loved ones who are dead. They knee down and KOUTOU to the old ones like grandparents, parent and even uncles and aunts.
At Chinese Spring Festival, it is also time for Chinese to thank those who are kind and generous to them. They would visit and thank those who helped them during the past year with some gifts. They may also invite those kind and generous people to a dinner.
Another thing that kids like most are that kids run around to the neighbors, especially to senior neighbors and say” Happy Chinese New Year!” In turn, kids get some nice gifts or money from these seniors, like trick and treat candies at Halloween here is America.
Of course, there are many fire crackers, you can hears sounds of fire crackers every day and night.
Chinese prepare Chinese Spring Festival a couple of month and celebrate it in two week. Over these two weeks, there are many activities like parties, visiting temples, and local dances like lion dance and dragon dance.
So Chinese New year or Chinese Festival is really like a celebration of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year all together.
This year is year of Snake. Chinese name twelve different animals for different year. Twelve years later, it will be the year of the same animal. Chinese believe each year can bring them different luck according to that year’s animal character.
Chinese Spring Festival starts from China. But Japanese, Korean, and most of Southeast Asians are celebrating it as well. It is a great and popular holiday tradition.
