Spring Festival: The Chinese New Year中国的新年：春节

As the most traditional and celebrated holiday in Chinese culture， the lunar new year （also known as the Spring Festival） is not only a time to celebrate the beginning of spring but also an occasion for family reunion. In China， a wide range of celebration activities will be staged for two weeks： fireworks， firecrackers， festival decorations and a variety of shows.

农历新年（也称春节）作为中国文化里最传统且庆祝最为隆重的节日，不仅是庆祝春天开始的时间节点，也是家庭团聚的时候。在中国，形形色色的庆祝活动会在两周的时间里一一展开：燃放烟花爆竹、布置节庆装饰，以及举办各种各样的表演。

Family time is of utmost importance in Chinese culture. The run-up to new year’s eve is usually spent travelling， with everybody heading to their hometowns for family reunion. Houses and flats will get a deep clean in readiness for a fresh year ahead （having to sweep the floor on new year’s day is taboo and associated with sweeping good luck and wealth away）.

在中国文化里，阖家共度的时光最为重要。除夕前的时间通常花在路上：每个人都要赶回家乡与家人团聚。房子和公寓要做大扫除，准备好迎接新的一年（新年第一天扫地可是禁忌，被认为会扫走好运和财富）。

Every family will have a long list of festival necessities to buy for Chinese new year， including lots of red decorations， new year outfits and gifts. Festival decorations will be hung up， such as red paper-cuts on windows， and spring couplets and banners on doors. Guarding gods posters will be pasted on entrance gates for safeguarding. Fireworks and firecrackers will be set off to scare away evil spirits and to signal the start of a safe and prosperous new year.

每个家庭都会列出长长的春节购物清单，必买的物品包括大量的红色装饰、过年的衣装和礼物。节日装饰要贴挂起来，比如窗花（窗户上贴的红色剪纸）和春联（门上贴的对联加横批）。大门要张贴门神的画像以祈求平安。人们要燃放烟花和爆竹以驱逐邪祟，昭示一个安全又富足的新年伊始。

Red is considered the colour of luck. Once the new year arrives， new red outfits are worn to visit relatives and friends， to exchange blessings and gifts. During these visits， children will get red paper envelopes filled with cash notes， symbolising that bad luck is driven away and good fortune is passed on. Apart from visiting loved ones， people also visit temples to worship ancestors and pray for health， success， fortune and a better year.

红色被认为是幸运色。过年那几天，人们会穿红色的新衣走亲访友，相互拜年和交换礼物。孩子们会在拜年时得到红包（装有现钞的红色信封），象征驱逐噩运、传递好运。除了拜访亲朋好友，人们也会去寺庙祭祀祖先并祈求健康、成功、财富和更上层楼的一年。

What do people eat？

过年吃什么？

Food also plays a crucial part in these celebrations and some dishes believed to bring luck will always be prepared—what they are varies greatly across China.

在这些庆祝活动中，食物也是不可或缺的部分，人们总会准备一些被认为带来好运的菜肴——这些菜肴的品类在中国各地差异很大。

Fish is a must as it is often seen as an “extra”， symbolising abundance. Sticky rice cake will also be a favourite， and this is because the word in Chinese sounds like “year high”， meaning higher income and promotion. Oranges are considered lucky as the word sounds like “lucky” in Chinese.

鱼必不可少，因其谐音“余”，象征丰足。年糕也很受欢迎，因其中文发音与“年高”一样，意味着收入更高和职位晋升。桔子被认为吉利，因其发音类似中文的“吉”。

There are， however， some differences depending on where you are. In northern China， people like to eat dumplings as they are thought to resemble gold ingots. Whereas in southern China， you are more likely to have ping-pong shaped sticky rice balls with sweet fillings as it sounds like the word for “togetherness”. It’s also common to have a tray of sweets or a platter of bite-sized treats symbolising reunion and togetherness.

不同地方也存在差异。在中国北方，人们喜欢吃饺子，因为饺子的形状被认为像金元宝。而在中国南方，你更可能吃到汤圆（乒乓球状的甜馅糯米球），因其发音像“团圆”。象征重聚和团圆的一盘糖果或一口一块的点心拼盘也很常见。

On new year’s eve， waiting for midnight， family and relatives will enjoy eating together， playing games like mahjong， and watching the Spring Festival Gala on TV. Whether at home or overseas， this tends to be a must-do for many Chinese families.

除夕之夜，守岁时，家人和亲戚会开心聚餐、玩游戏（比如打麻将）、看电视台的春节联欢晚会。对很多中国家庭来说，无论是在家乡还是海外，这些都是习惯上过年必做的事情。

Traditions are changing

传统在变化

Like all customs and traditions， things change over time. Today， red envelopes are often sent via apps such as WeChat， a messaging app that allows people to make mobile payments. Although the reunion dinner is still important， many Chinese families now prefer to eat out rather than cook together at home. Fireworks and firecrackers are often banned in respect of the environment， and it is not unusual to hear the cacophony of firecrackers played from recordings through speakers instead.

就像所有的习俗和传统一样，事情总会随着时间变化。当今，红包往往通过微信（一种可让人们实现移动支付的即时通讯应用程序）发出。尽管团圆饭仍然重要，但很多中国家庭现在会选择在外面就餐，而不是在家一起做饭。烟花和爆竹往往为了保护环境而禁放，取而代之听音箱里放出的爆竹炸响声——这也不是啥稀罕事了。

But， no matter how much Chinese new year celebrations have changed over time， the heart of the Spring Festival remains the people， a strong sense of togetherness， and the idea that the year to come will be the chance for a new start that is brighter and more prosperous.

但是，不管中国新年的庆祝活动随着时间发生了多少变化，春节的核心仍然是人，是团圆的强烈幸福感，也是对来年的想往——相信来年是个全新开始的机会，将更加光明、更加繁荣。