介绍:
The Spring Festival
Spring Festival , also called Chinese New Year , has more than 4,000 years of history . And it is the most important festival in China .It’s to celebrate the lunar calendar’s new year . The festival lasts for 15 days from the 1st to 15th day of the first lunar month , it is the longest public holidays and most people will have seven days off.
The beginning of the Chinese New Year started with the monster Nian . Nian liked to eat people , especially children. To protect themselves , people would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn't hurt people any more. One day, a man decided to fight against on the Nian. A god visited him and told him to put red paper on his house and to set firecrackers. The man then understood that the Nian was afraid of the color red. When the New Year was about to come, the man and his neighbors would wear red clothes, hang red lanterns, and paste up red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came again.
Nowadays , the Spring Festival is an important time for family reunion . In the evening before the Spring Festival , families get together and have a big meal. The New Year’s Eve dinner is very large . And fish is very important , it can’t be eaten up completely because there is a Chinese phrase “nian nian you yu” . The leftover fish means having more than just a basic need each year . And Jiaozi are the most traditional food . On New Year’s Eve , the whole family sit together to make Jiaozi . The shape of Jiaozi is like gold ingot from ancient China . So people eat them and wish good fortune . The tradition of having Jiaozi is very important during the Spring Festival . You can’t have a complete Spring Festival without having Jiaozi .
In many places people like to set off firecrackers . Children like the festival very much , because they can have delicious food and wear new clothes .They can also get some money from their parents. This money is given to children for good luck .People visit relatives and friends with the words “Have all your wishes ”. People enjoy the Spring Festival , during this time they can have a good rest .
