春节，也被称为农历新年。对于中国人来说，这是规模最大，最重要的传统节日。就如同西方的圣诞节一样，春节是一家团聚的日子。

The Spring Festival is also called Chinese Lunar New Year. Being one of the traditional Chinese festivals, it is the grandest and most important festival for Chinese people. It is also the time for whole families to get together, which is similar to Christmas for Westerners.

春节从农历新年第一天开始，几乎要持续半个月。但在民间传统中，这一节日从腊月23日就开始了，一直到正月十五(元宵节)。

It comes on the first day of Chinese lunar calendar and lasts for almost half of a month. But in folk custom, this traditional holiday lasts from the 23rd day of the twelfth month to the 15th day of the first month (The Lantern Festival) on the lunar calendar.

大年三十(除夕夜)：团圆饭

就除夕夜而言，无论身在何处，也不管路途多么遥远，人们都会设法赶回家，所以除夕夜的盛大晚餐也叫做“团圆饭”。每个家庭的团圆饭都是一年中精心准备的最华丽和隆重的家宴。女主人在餐桌上摆满精心准备的食物，全家人围坐一起分享美味佳肴，然后一起乐融融地包饺子。午夜12点，每个家庭都会放鞭炮，辞旧迎新。

December 30th (lunar calendar), New Year's Eve

Family Reunion Dinner

On New Year's Eve, people who work far away will manage to come home, regardless of long-distance travel, so the "Grand Dinner on New Year's Eve" is also called "Family Reunion Dinner". Every family will make the dinner the most sumptuous and ceremonious one in the year. Hostesses will fetch out prepared food and all family members will sit together and make dumplings in harmony. At twelve o'clock, every family will shoot off firecrackers to greet new days and send off old ones.

正月初一：拜年

除夕过后就是正月初一，人们都会外出拜年。这一天人们忙得不亦乐乎，彼此表达美好的祝福。据说，正月初一这天人们不能扔东西，这样他们就可以把财富留在自个的家里，来年就会福星高照，幸福满满。

January 1st (lunar calendar)

Paying a New Year's vist

Following the New Year's Eve is the first day of the Spring Festival, a day for paying a New Year's vist, during which people will be busy in giving best wishes to one another. It is said that people shouldn't dump things on the first day of the new year, so that they would be able to keep whatever worth of fortune they will be in possession of in the next year.

正月初二：已婚妇女回门儿，给狗狗吃的好

人们常说在祭祀之后，财神爷正月初二这天要上天。为了向神表达敬意，人们这天要吃馄饨，这是一种形状类似银锭的食物。传统上，已婚妇女要回娘家(回门儿)，拜见亲生父母。第二天，中国人还要拜祖先和众神。由于这天是狗的生日，所以宠物和流浪狗都会有好吃的。

Second day, Birthday of Dog

People say that after being offered sacrifices, Tsai Shen, the God of Wealth, leaves for heaven on the second day of the lunar New Year. In honour of the deity, people will eat wonton, resembling the shape of an ingot.

Traditionally married women will visit and pay respect to their birth parents. On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. Since the day is characterized by the birthday of the dogs, pets and strays will be fed well.

正月初三：扫墓，不上门拜访别人

过去三年间，家里有至亲过世的人是不能登门拜访别人的，这样可以表示敬意。人们在正月初三这天会去扫墓。有些人就说这天登门拜访别人是不吉利的，因为人们认为妖精这天会四处漫游，因此待在户外会倒霉的。

Third day, Birthday of Pig

Families who had an immediate relative deceased in the past 3 years will not go house-visiting as a form of respect to the dead. The third day of the New Year is allocated to grave-visiting instead. Some people conclude it is inauspicious to do any house visiting at all, as it is believed that evil spirits roam the earth this day and hence it would be bad luck to be outdoors.

正月初五(破五)：拜财神爷

人们认为这天是财神爷的生日，所以要拜财神。早上燃放爆竹，迎接财神的到来。商家在这一天又开始营业。人们认为这天扫地不会再算是不吉利了。在北方，人们通常在这天吃饺子，同时会去拜访朋友和同学。

Fifth day, Birthday of Ox/Cattle

Welcoming the God of Wealth

The day is regarded as the birthday of the God of Wealth and hence respect is paid to the god. In the morning, firecrackers are exploded as a sign of welcoming the God of Wealth. All businesses will be reopened on that day. Sweeping the floor is not considered bad luck anymore. In northern China, people usually eat Jiǎozi (dumplings) on that day. Friends and classmates will be visited.

正月初七(人日)

农历正月初七这天叫做“人日”，传说女娲初创世，在造出了鸡狗猪牛马等动物后，于第七天造出了人，所以这一天是人类的生日。同时，人们也将这一天叫做“人胜节”、“人七日”、“人庆节”及“人口日”。

Seventh day, Birthday of Men

The seventh day of the first lunar month is named renri (人日), literally meaning Human Day. It is considered to be the birthday of ordinary, or common men. The day is also called Day of Men or Men Day.

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正月十五(元宵节)：吃元宵，赏花灯

元宵节，也叫做“上元节”，人们在农历正月十五这天庆祝这个节日。这是一年中出现的第一个满月，象征着春天来临。元宵节也被认为是春节的最后一天，同时这天也是家人团圆的好日子。根据中国民俗，元宵节夜里，人们点着漂亮的灯笼到户外赏月、燃放烟花、猜灯谜、吃元宵，共同欢庆元宵节。

Fifteenth day, The Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival, also called Yuanxiao Festival, is celebrated on January 15th of the lunar calendar. It is the first full moon night in the Chinese lunar year, symbolizing the coming back of the spring. The Lantern Festival may be regarded as the last day of the Spring Festival period. It is a good day for family get-togethers.

According to the folk custom of China, people on that night will light up fancy lanterns and go out to appreciate the moon, set off fireworks, guess riddles written on lanterns, and eat rice glue balls to celebrate the festival.

“年”的传说

在传统文化中，春节亦被称为“过年”。传说“年”是一种凶猛异常的怪物，每天都会吃一种动物(包括人)。人们非常惧怕他，当“年”夜间出来活动时，人们会找地方躲起来。后来，人们发现“年”非常害怕红色和爆竹，于是，人们用红色和鞭炮来驱赶“年”。久而久之，春节用大红色和放鞭炮的习俗就保留了下来。

In folk culture, celebrating the Lunar New Year is also called “guonian” (literally meaning “passing a year”). It is said that the “nian” (year) was a fierce and cruel monster, and every day, it ate one kind of animal including human beings. Human beings were naturally scared and had to hide on the evening when the “nian” came out. Later, people found that the monster was afraid of the red color and fireworks. So after that, people used the red color and fireworks or firecrackers to drive away “nian”. As a result, the custom has remained to this day.

十二生肖

十二生肖也称十二属相。每个人在其出生年都有一种动物作为生肖。我国农历用鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪这12种动物按顺序轮流代表各年的生肖。2015年是羊年。

The traditional Chinese zodiac attaches one of 12 animal signs to each lunar year in a cycle. 2015 is the year of the Goat.