春节习俗 Customs of the Spring Festival （二）
放鞭炮 Setting off Firecrackers
The firecracker is a unique product in China. In ancient China, the sound of burning bamboo tubes was used to scare away wild animals and evil spirits. With the invention of the gunpowder, “firecracker” is also called “鞭炮biānpào” (“炮” in Chinese means gun) and used to foster a joyful atmosphere. The first thing every Chinese household does is to set off firecrackers and fireworks, which are meant to bid farewell to the old year and usher in the new. In the past few years, such an activity was completely or partially forbidden in big cities including Beijing due to fire and personal casualty caused by burning firecrackers. However, some Chinese thought that a Spring Festival without firecrackers was not lively enough and they burned firecrackers by stealth. So in recent years, the ban was canceled again. This shows that burning firecrackers is a very important activity during the Spring Festival.
拜年和压岁钱 New Year's Visit and Gift Money
On the first day of the Chinese lunar year, everybody puts on their best clothes and pays ceremonial calls on their relatives and friends, wishing them all the luck in the coming year. Juniors will greet seniors, wishing them health and longevity, while seniors will give juniors some gift money as a wish for their safety in the coming year. When friends meet, they will wish each other happiness and prosperity with a big smile. With the development of the new technology, there is a change on the way of giving New Years greetings. In recent year, it is common to send New Years greetings by such modern means of communication as telephones, emails and text messages.
逛庙会 Temple Fair
Temple fair, usually held outside temples, is a kind of folk custom in China. During the Spring Festival, temple fair is one of the most important activities, in which there are such performances as acrobatics and Wushu, numerous kinds of local snacks and many kinds of things for everyday life . In recent years, the temple fair has become a place for people to appreciate the traditional art and experience the traditional life .
新年问候Festival Greetings
Traditional Festival Greetings:
恭贺新禧 | Happy New Year
吉祥如意 | Everything Goes Well
恭喜发财 | Wishing You Prosperity
年年有余 | Surplus Year after Year
岁岁平安 | Peace All Year Round
新春大吉 | Good Luck in the New Year
In the past two years, it has become a vogue for relatives and friends to send short messages to greet each other during the Spring Festival. With best wishes, the warm greetings of text messages give a happy and joyful atmosphere of the Festival.
新年短信问候Festival Greetings via Text Message
①送你一件外套，前面是平安，后面是幸福，领子是吉祥，袖子是如意，扣子是快乐，口袋里满是温暖，穿上吧，让它伴你每一天！新春快乐！
I will give you a coat as a present. The front is safety, the back happiness , the collar auspiciousness, the sleeves satisfaction, the buttons enjoyment and the pockets warmness. Wear every day. Wish you a happy New Year.
②新年到了，不打算送给你太多，只给你五千万：千万要快乐！千万要健康！千万要平安！千万要知足！千万不要忘记我！
As the New Year comes, I will only give you five “do’s” as a present. Do be merry! Do be healthy ! Do be safe! Do be satisfied! Do remember me!
