过年习俗：从小年到元宵

小孩小孩你别馋，过了腊八就是年。腊八粥，喝几天？沥沥拉拉二十三。二十三糖瓜儿粘，二十四扫房日，二十五糊窗户，二十六炖大肉，二十七杀公鸡，二十八白面发，二十九蒸馒头，三十晚上熬一宿，大年初一扭一扭。

初一早，初二早，初三困到饱；初四接神，初五隔开，初六挹肥；初七七完，初八完全；初九天公生，初十有食食；十一请子婿，十二查某子返来拜，十三食暗糜配芥菜，十四结灯棚，十五上元暝。

从二十三已经开始进入过年时间段了，一直到正月十五，每天都有不同的过年习俗。 December 23 of the Lunar Calendar (Little New Year)腊月二十三——小年

Custom: Worshiping the Kitchen God习俗：祭灶

As the legend goes, there is a kitchen god in each house who is responsible for the kitchen and oversees the conduct of the family. On this day, the kitchen god returns to Heaven to report the conducts of the family to the Emperor of Heaven. Therefore, worshipping the kitchen god aims to "please him." People put out some sweet and sticky foods, such as rice dumplings and malted sugar. In this way, the lips of the kitchen god will stuck together, and he cannot report any wrong doings of the family. Thus the family can lead an auspicious life.

民俗传说中，每家都有一位灶神掌管饮食，也记录一家人的言行。今天，灶神就要返回天庭汇报这一户人一年的大小事，所以祭灶的主题就是“拉拢灶神”。在厨房内摆放些甜而粘牙的如汤圆、麦芽糖等食物，灶神的嘴被粘住，就少汇报些坏事，才能天降吉祥。 December 24 of the Lunar Calendar腊月二十四

Custom: Dusting习俗：扫尘

After worshipping the kitchen god, people begin to thoroughly clean their houses to sweep away bad luck and welcome good luck. Dusting shows the good wish of putting away old things and welcoming a new life, making everything look fresh in the new year.

祭灶后，人们便开始大扫除，扫尘除灾，以迎祥纳福。扫尘也是辞旧迎新，求的是万象更新的新年新气象。

December 25 of the Lunar Calendar腊月二十五

Custom: Pasting Window Paper and Making Tofu习俗：糊窗户、磨豆腐

The times for pasting window paper are gone. Nowadays, the tradition is replaced by cleaning windows. Tofu is homophonic with "Toufu (first fortune of the year)", so it is considered as a good food which brings happiness. In order to prepare it for the Spring Festival, people should begin to grind beans and make tofu today.

纸糊窗户的时代已经过去，所以如今这习俗已经被擦玻璃取代。而豆腐音同“头福”，被视为能够为新年带来福气的好食材，要为过年做准备，今天就要开始磨豆自制豆腐了。

December 26 of the Lunar Calendar腊月二十六

Custom: Preparation of Meat and Shopping for the Spring Festival习俗：割年肉、置年货

When there was insufficient food in the past, the majority of ordinary people could enjoy a comparatively lavish feast only during the Spring Festival can be started on the day. Besides meat and fish, people also purchase cigarettes, wines, fruits, gifts and festive ornaments.

在物质不丰富的年代，大多寻常人家要到年节期间才能吃得丰富一些。割年肉主要指准备春节的肉食，实际上也代表各种年货可以从这一天开始置办，除了鱼、肉，还有烟酒瓜果以及礼品、装饰等。

December 27 of the Lunar Calendar腊月二十七

Custom: Bating and Going to the Market习俗：洗浴、赶集

According to the traditional folk customs of the Han ethnic group, people should take a bath and do their washings to get rid of bad luck from the past year and welcome the new year. Besides the purpose of purchasing goods, people also go shopping to enjoy the exciting atmosphere of the Spring Festival in advance.

汉族传统民俗中，在这天要洗澡、洗衣，以除去一年的晦气，准备迎接来年的新春。赶集，除了担负置办年货的任务，也能提前感受过年的热闹气息。

December 28 of the Lunar Calendar腊月二十八

Custom: Leaving Dough and Pasting Spring Couplets习俗：发面、贴春联

Besides meat and side dishes, people also prepare cooked wheaten food for the Spring Festival. People in north China mainly eat noodles. They leaven dough, steam buns or cook noodles during the Spring Festival. Today, people also paste spring couplets and pictures. With concise texts and festive patterns, people show their welcome for the Spring Festival. In addition, these activities indicate that the Spring Festival begins.

准备了肉食配菜后，也要准备主食。北方以面为主食，发好面，可以在春节期间蒸馒头或者做面条等食物。这一天也是将春联、年画贴出来的日子。以简洁的文字和喜庆的图案迎接春节、抒发愿望，也意味着春节正式拉开帷幕。

December 29 of the Lunar Calendar腊月二十九——小除夕

Custom: Paying Tribute to Ancestors习俗：祭祖

Preparation for the Spring Festival should be completed today, the day before New Year's Eve. Worshipping ancestors is also a major event on this day, by which people express their gratitude and yearning for their ancestors during the important festival.

过年的准备工作将在除夕前一天的今天全部完成。除此之外，祭祖也是这天的重要活动，以在春节这最重要的节日表达感恩与思念。

December 30 of lunar calendar, also called "Chuxi" (New Year's Eve), is the last day of the year according to lunar calendar. It means saying goodbye to the last year and welcoming the new year. Chuxi is to Chinese people what Christmas Eve is to Westerners. And it's also the climax of the whole Spring Festival. There are many customs in every period of time on this special day and those customs have been well observed for thousands of years.

大年三十，中国农历的最后一天，又称“除夕”——告别旧日，迎来新年。这一天对每一个中国人来说意义非凡，如同平安夜在圣诞假期中的重要地位一般，整个春节的高潮也在这一天到达顶峰。这一天中，每一个时间段都有约定俗成的讲究，几千年来，延续至今。 7:00-11:30 Preparing for the Reunion Dinner 团年饭准备

In the morning, every family begins killing chicken and fishes as well as cutting meat and vegetables to prepare for the Reunion Dinner.

清晨开始，各家各户就忙着宰鸡、剖鱼、剁肉、切菜„„为团年大餐做着最后的筹备工作。 11:30-11:50 Praying to Ancestors拜敬祖先

Although different regions have different custom, many will pray to their ancestors before the dinner on this day. All the family members hosed by their patriarch offer incense and kowtow to

the memorial tablets or the pictures of their ancestors, then they burn paper money and pray one by one. They also present the main dishes of the Reunion Dinner including pork as offerings to their respect to the ancestors.

虽各地都有不同的习俗，但大多会在今日正式的宴席前拜敬祖先。全家人在家长的主持下，对祖先的牌位、人像烧香叩拜，并逐一烧纸祈福。也会提前将宴席上的主菜如猪肉等作为贡品呈放，以示对先辈的尊敬。

12:00-18:00 Enjoying the Reunion Dinner & Giving Lucky Money团年饭开席、发压岁钱

The two wonderful meals at this day are called "Reunion Dinners", among which the New Year's Eve Dinner is much more important.

除夕日的两顿大餐称为“团年饭”，其中尤以晚餐“年夜饭”为重头戏。

There are abundant dishes for the New Year's Eve Dinner. The dishes are of a wide variety and they all imply the meaning of good luck. Fore example, "fish" shares a similar pronunciation with "Yu" which stands for "abundance"; beetroot sounds like "Cai Tou" that means one can have good luck in the new year. Besides, there are chicken, duck, fish, pork and beef in the dinner, which symbolize a rich new year. While is Sichuan, every family has home-made sausage and cured meat as well as Chinese liquor.

年夜饭的餐桌上总是丰盛异常，菜色虽然五花八门，但宗旨都要有开福纳吉的好寓意。如“鱼”和“余”谐音，象征“年年有余”; “菜头”与“菜头”谐音，象征来年有好彩头，鸡鸭鱼猪牛肉都备齐，则表明来年丰裕。在四川地区，还少不了自家酿制的香肠、腊肉，当然，还有白酒。

During dinner time, Chinese people do not just eat and drink although the food and drinks are very delicious. They also say some "best wishes" such as "I wish you good health and a long life", "may all go well with you", etc. to the elders, and then hope to get lucky money from those happy elders. It is said that the lucky money can drive out evil spirits because it shares the same pronunciation with "Sui" in Chinese (meaning evil spirits), thus children who get lucky money will be safe in the new year. Surely, receiving lucky money is the favorite "event" of every child during the Spring Festival.

热闹的年夜饭进行到中段，酒菜正酣，可别只顾着吃喝，晚辈们此时只须给长辈献上几句如“健康长寿”、“万事如意”的吉祥话，就只等长辈乐呵呵发送压岁钱了。相传压岁钱可以压住邪祟，因为“岁”与“祟”谐音，得到压岁钱的小辈就可以平平安安度过一岁。当然，这也是小辈们无可争议最喜欢的过年“节目”。

20:00Watching Spring Festival Gala看春节联欢晚会

Shown during the Chinese New Year's Eve, the Spring Festival Gala is a large variety show produced by China Central Television. Although it has been criticized for many times because of its outdated contents and forms, the Gala is still an important program for Chinese families to sit together, enjoy family love and share happiness in the Spring Festival.

春节联欢晚会，是中国中央电视台在每年除夕晚上举办的大型文艺晚会。如今虽然饱受形式内容老套的诟病，但依然是大年夜一大家子围坐在沙发上，感受亲情、分享喜乐的重要过年项目。

23:00-24:00Offering Incense and Praying上香祈福

Near the midnight, the sound of the Gala has been already covered by the thunder of fireworks outside. At the moment, all the family members go to toll New Year bells and offer incense at 24:00 in a nearby temple. Every year, large temples in different regions hold grand Spring Ritual for Blessings on New Year's Eve. People put their palms together devoutly and pray for a

wonderful new year at the crowded temple. Such activity will last to the end of the first day of the year.

临近午夜，电视机里的声音早已被窗外震耳的炮竹声盖过，人们便扶老携幼全家出动，到附近的寺庙撞新年钟、上子时(零点) 香。每年除夕夜，各地大型的寺庙都将举行盛大的新春祈福法会，在人头窜动的寺庙中，人们虔诚地双手合十，祈愿来年的美好。这样的活动也将跨过零点，持续大年初一整日。

Custom: New-Year Visits and Collecting Fortune习俗：拜年聚财

Visiting relatives is still considered a major event on the first day of the first Lunar month. Also, it is the birthday of "broom", so it is taboo to use broom or take out trash, otherwise, you might sweep away good fortunes and suffer financial losses.

延续自大年夜，拜年依然是大年初一的重要活动。另外由于这天是“扫把星”的生日，正月初一要注意不能动用扫帚，也不要丢垃圾，否则就会扫走运气、破财。

January 2 of the Lunar Calendar正月初二

Custom: Married Daughters Return to Parents' Home习俗：回娘家

Married daughters visit their parents with their husbands on this day, so this day is also called "welcome son-in-law day". The couple must bring some gifts and red envelopes along with them, and give them to children from the wife's side of the family. They have to return husband's family before dinner.

出嫁的女儿回娘家，要与丈夫同行，所以也称“迎婿日”。这一天，回娘家的女儿必须携带一些礼品和红包，分给娘家的小孩，并且在娘家吃午饭，但要在晚饭前赶回婆家。

January 3 of the Lunar Calendar正月初三

Custom: Staying at Home习俗：忌出门

According to custom, people should not pay visits to others on the third day of the first lunar month as it is very likely to quarrel with others on this day. However, this has already become obsolete. It is a rare opportunity for people to get reunited during the Spring Festival, so less and less people follow this tradition.

按照习俗，人们在初三通常不会外出拜年，传说这天容易与人发生争执。不过这个习俗早已过时，现在人们难得春节团聚，对此已经淡化许多。

January 4 of the Lunar Calendar正月初四

Custom: Worshiping the God of Wealth习俗：祭财神

It is the day for worshipping the God of Wealth. In the past, if an employee was not invited to worship the God of Wealth with the boss, he/she had to resign according to the unwritten rule. 今天是及财神的日子，过去，老板想将某人“炒鱿鱼”，这天就不请他来拜神，对方也就心知肚明，自己收拾走人。

January 5 of the Lunar Calendar正月初五

Custom: Breaking Five习俗：破五

It is the day to "drive away five ghosts of poverty" (Poverty in intelligence, knowledge, literacy, fate, and friendship). People light firecrackers in the morning form inside to outside of their

houses to scare away all the "ghosts".

俗称破五，要“赶走五穷”，包括“智穷、学穷、文穷、命穷、交穷（结交“损友”）”。旧时人们在清晨放鞭炮，边放边往门外走，传说如此便可将一切不吉利的东西都轰出门外。

January 6 of the Lunar Calendar正月初六

Custom: Opening for Business习俗：宜开业

After lighting firecrackers, shops reopen for business on this day. It is said that boys of the age of 12 are the most welcomed as the number of "12" us double "6", which means "everything will go well smoothly".

商户可选择在这天开张营业，而且要大放鞭炮。另外传说这一天最受欢迎的是当年满12岁的男孩，因为12是6的二倍，这叫“六六大顺”。

January 15 of the Lunar Calendar正月十五

Custom: Dumplings and Lighting Sky Lanterns习俗：吃元宵、放天灯

As the first full moon night in the new year, the fifteenth day is also called Lantern Festival, named after the long-time tradition of appreciating lanterns. One should not miss Yuanxiao, glutinous rice dumplings, often stuffed with white sugar, rose petals, sesames and so on. The stuffing and round shape symbolize sweet life and reunion. Lantern Festival draws the curtain of the entire Chinese New Year celebration.

作为新年第一个月圆之夜，正月十五又称“上元节”，因历代这一节日有观灯习俗。故又称灯节。元宵节必吃的美食即元宵——汤圆，以白糖、玫瑰、芝麻等为馅，用糯米粉包成圆形，有甜甜蜜蜜、团圆美满之意。过完元宵节，春节正式落下帷幕。