一、什么是春节

中国的新年有另一个名称，叫春节。因为中国年历的一年分有24个节气，而每一年的开始，都在立春前后，意寓春天开始的日子。春天开始，万物复苏，农耕喜庆，所以人们开始叫它春节，春天的节日。

每一年春节的日期，与往年相比都会不同。2019年的春节在2月5日。

Does anyone know what the other name of Chinese New Year is?

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festival in China. It is also known as the ‘Spring Festival’ - a holiday celebrating the beginning of a New Year, every year starts from the spring, hence we call it Spring Festival.

Every year, the date of Spring Festival would be on a different date comparing to the last one. For 2019, the Spring Festival will fall on February 5.

二、为什么每年的春节都不在同一天

中国年历的每一年是按照地球围绕太阳转一周的时间来定，与西方的历法是一致的，一年约365天。

而中国的年历的每个月，是按照月亮围绕地球转一周的时间而定，月亮每绕地球一周是大约29.5天，所以中国年历的月有大月(30天)跟小月(29天)之分。这样一来一个月亮年12个月就比太阳年相差11天。于是每19年，就会有7年中被加上闰月，俗称闰年。闰年的一年会有13个月，而哪一个闰年的闰月被加在哪一个月份之后，则根据二十四节气而定。所以每年的春节在公历上的日期都会有不同。

Why would Chinese New Year always on a different date?

That is because western calendar is based on solar calendar whilst the Chinese calendar is based on lunisolar calendar.

This means Chinese calendar’s year is decided by Earth’s revolution, while the month is decided by lunar phase.

三、生肖 – Chinese Zodiac

既然讲到了中国的年历，就必须再讲一讲生肖了。

关于生肖来源的传说有很多版本，但几乎所有版本都无法查证其来源，以下是其中一个被认为流传得最广的版本：

话说上古时代，人类知识有限，连年、月的计算与区分都不知道。于是，玉皇大帝应人类的请求，想出以十二种动物来做各年的名字，让一般平民百姓方便记忆。但选什么动物呢?经过左思右想，玉帝决定在自己生日当天办个动物渡河比赛，取前十二名的动物作为十二生肖，以为纪年。

消息传开后，所有动物无不卯足劲，跃跃欲试，想在十二个生肖里取得一席之地。其中，感情很好的小老鼠和小猫咪也想赴会，却苦于体形小又不会游泳。于是便商请平日早起又脾气温和的水牛帮忙载它们一程。

玉帝生日当天一大早，小老鼠去叫醒睡眼惺忪的小猫咪。可是小猫咪醒不来，水牛就叫老鼠不要理会他，赶快启程。就在他们快到达终点时，水牛心里想着“得第一”的念头，于是利用牛角把老鼠甩落到后面，水牛心情愉快地笑着。

可是，小老鼠却刚好掉在竹技上，将小老鼠反弹向终点方向，因此超越了水牛，成为第一。

水牛气呼呼地对着老鼠“哞、哞”叫，得到第二名。老虎全身湿答答的赶来，得到第三。兔子透过别的动物帮忙渡河，再飞快的蹦到玉帝面前，取得第四。因为职责所在，降了场雨才赶来赴会的巨龙，错过第一，只排到第五。而后依序是蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗。最后一个名额，由平日好吃懒做的小猪取得。

正当玉皇大帝郑重宣布：“十二生肖经由比赛结果，排名是：鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡……”时，落水的小猫咪狼狈的赶到：“我呢?我呢?我得第几名?”

玉皇大帝告诉它来晚了，比赛已经结束。这时，小猫咪气到极点，以为小老鼠故意不叫它，因此伸出了利爪，往小老鼠抓去。原本是好朋友的小老鼠，虽然在十二生肖中拔得了头筹，从此却过著提心吊胆的日子，生怕猫咪随时找它报仇。所以每当遇上了猫咪，只有死命地窜逃，甚至躲在墙洞里或天花板上，不敢随意到处自由活动。

经过这场比赛，十二生肖各有其生理缺陷。依明叶世杰“草木子”：鼠无牙(《说文》段注:两旁曰牙，鼠缺犬牙)，牛无齿(《说文》段注：当中曰齿)，即门牙)，虎无脾，兔无唇，龙无耳，蛇无足，马无胆，羊无瞳，猴无臀，鸡无肾，犬无胃，猪无筋，人则无不足也。

Apart from the date of each year would be on a different date, what else is different compare to the year before?　- Chinese Zodiac

Now let’s listen to the story of the legend of Chinese Zodiac:

Once upon a time,the Jade Emperor (The Emperor in Heaven in Chinese folklore) ordered that animals would be designated as calendar signs and the twelve that arrived first would be selected.

At that time, the cat and the rat were good friends and neighbours. When they heard of this news, the cat said to the rat: 'We should arrive early to sign up, but I usually get up late.' The rat then promised to awaken his friend and go together. However, on the morning when he got up, he was too excited to recall his promise, and went directly to the gathering place.

On the way, he encountered the tiger, ox, horse, and other animals that ran much faster. In order not to fall behind them, he thought up a good idea. He made the straightforward ox carry him on condition that he sang for the ox. At last, the ox and he arrived first. The ox was happy thinking that he would be the first sign of the years, but the rat had already slid in front, and became the first lucky animal of the Chinese Zodiac.

Meanwhile his neighbour the cat was too late so when it finally arrived, the selection was over. That's why other animals appear behind the little rat and why the cat hates the rat so much that every time they meet, the cat will chase and kill it.

四、春节大家做什么 – 年的故事

庆祝春节，又被称作过年。在新年之前，家家户户都会把家里里里外外做一个大扫除，以便把前一年的坏运气都打扫干净，让自己的家做好迎接新的一年的好运气的准备。到了除夕那天，每家每户又都会在门上贴春联，倒福字，在窗上贴窗花，晚上放焰火，放鞭炮。

为什么大家过年要做这些事情呢?

相传，中国古时候有一种叫“年”的怪兽，头长触角，凶猛异常。“年”长年深居海底，每到除夕才爬上岸，吞食牲畜伤害人命。因此，每到除夕这天，村村寨寨的人们扶老携幼逃往深山，以躲避“年”兽的伤害。

这年除夕，桃花村的人们正扶老携幼上山避难，从村外来了个乞讨的老人，只见他手拄拐杖，臂搭袋囊，银须飘逸，目若朗星。乡亲们有的封窗锁门，有的收拾行装，有的牵牛赶羊，到处人喊马嘶，一片匆忙恐慌景象。这时，谁还有心关照这位乞讨的老人。只有村东头一位老婆婆给了老人些食物，并劝他快上山躲避“年”兽，那老人捋髯笑道：“婆婆若让我在家呆一夜，我一定把‘年’兽撵走。”老婆婆惊目细看，见他鹤发童颜、精神矍铄，气宇不凡。可她仍然继续劝说，乞讨老人笑而不语。婆婆无奈，只好撇下家，上山避难去了。

半夜时分，“年”兽闯进村。它发现村里气氛与往年不同：村东头老婆婆家，门贴大红纸，屋内烛火通明。“年”兽浑身一抖，怪叫了一声。“年”朝婆婆家怒视片刻，随即狂叫着扑过去。将近门口时，院内突然传来“砰砰啪啪”的炸响声，“年”浑身战栗，再不敢往前凑了。

原来，“年”最怕红色、火光和炸响。这时，婆婆的家门大开，只见院内一位身披红袍的老人在哈哈大笑。“年”大惊失色，狼狈逃蹿了。

第二天是正月初一，避难回来的人们见村里安然无恙十分惊奇。这时，老婆婆才恍然大悟，赶忙向乡亲们述说了乞讨老人的许诺。乡亲们一齐拥向老婆婆家，只见婆婆家门上贴着红纸，院里一堆未燃尽的竹子仍在“啪啪”炸响，屋内几根红腊烛还发着余光……

欣喜若狂的乡亲们为庆贺吉祥的来临，纷纷换新衣戴新帽，到亲友家道喜问好。这件事很快在周围村里传开了，人们都知道了驱赶“年”兽的办法。

从此每年除夕，家家贴红对联、燃放爆竹;户户烛火通明、守更待岁。初一一大早，还要走亲串友道喜问好。这风俗越传越广，成了中国民间最隆重的传统节日。

What do Chinese people do for Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) and why? --- Legend of Nian

Before the first day of Chinese New Year, Chinese families clean their homes from top to bottom to clear out any bad luck from last year and to get the house ready for welcoming good luck for the New Year. All the cleaning has to be finished before New Year's Day so there's no chance of accidentally throwing out the good fortune of the New Year.

On New Year’s Eve,decorations made from red and gold paper are hung on the doors, for instance, Spring Festival Couplets. Every family also put some Chinese Window Grilles (red papercutting) to decorate the window or door to bring good luck, happiness and long life for the coming year.

Does anyone know why?

In ancient times,there was a monster called "Nian" ("year") that would come out to eat people and animals on the eve of every New Year. To avoid the monster's attack, people would flee to the depth of the mountains and call this day"Nian Guan" (meaning "the Pass of Nian").

On one New Year's Eve, there came an old beggar in Peach Blossom Village, where an old lady gave him some food and asked him to hide himself in the mountain to avoid the monster Nian.The old man promised that he could drive the monster away as long as he was put up for the night at the old lady's home. Being unable to persuade the old man into hiding in the mountain, the old lady went alone.

In the middle of the night, the monster Nian dashed into the village. He trembled and cried when he saw the red paper on the door of the old lady's house, which was brightly lit. Just as the monster reached the entrance, there came blasting sounds that prevented him from moving any further. At that time, the old man, wearing a red robe, opened the door and the monster was scared away. Actually, the colourred, fire light and blasting sounds were the things the monster feared most.

After that, on every New Year's Eve, every household would paste red couplets, let off firecrackers and light candles as well as staying up the whole night to avoid being attacked by the monster. This is how these customs came into being.

五、春节吃什么

春节前夜的年夜饭是传统中，对于一个家庭最重要的一顿晚餐。每一个家庭成员，无论有多忙，在这一天，都要赶回家，与家人一起吃一顿年夜饭。年夜饭一般吃什么呢?

饺子是最为传统的一项年夜饭内容，在中国的北方，12点吃饺子是定例。为什么北方人要在年夜吃饺子呢?

相传东汉末年，“医圣”张仲景曾任长沙太守，不久瘟疫流行，后辞官回乡。正值数九隆冬，他看见南洋的老百姓饥寒交迫，两只耳朵冻伤，病死的人很多。便在当地搭了一个医棚，支起一面大锅，他把羊肉、辣椒和去寒的药材放在锅里，熬到火候时再把羊肉和药材捞出来切碎，用面皮包成耳朵形状，煮熟之后连汤带食赠送给穷人。老百姓从冬至吃到除夕，抵御了伤寒，治好了冻耳。从此乡里人与后人就模仿制作，称之为“饺耳”。

从此以后，每到冬至，人们就模仿张大夫做饺耳的办法，做起了食品。因叫着别嘴，后来人们就叫它“饺子”了，也有一些地方称“扁食”或“烫面饺”。天长日久，形成了习俗，每到冬至这天，家家都吃饺子。1400多年的历史让饺子在老百姓心目中扎下了根。饺子渐渐成为中国饮食的代言词。

Family Dinner

The dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve is the most important dinner for the whole family. All family members would come back home to join it. Dumpling is one of the traditional dishes for this occasion.

Why Chinese people eat dumpling on New Year's Eve?

Jiaozi is invented by a Chinese medicine-holy as the legend. On one winter, Zhang – the doctor returned to his hometown and found many poor people suffering from hunger and cold, even someone’s ears have frozen bad, many have frozen to death.

Zhang cooks Chinese medicine on the pot and cuts them into pieces, wrapping with flour as ear-shaped“jiao’er”. He dispatched this “jiao’er” to poor people to warm up and cure the badly frozen ears, dispelling cold. His medicine was so good that healed a lot of people, soto remember the good doctor as well as helping people to got hrough the cold winter, Chinese people started to eat dumpling in winter especially on the New Year’s Eve.

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