Chinese Spring Festival, also called Lunar New Year, has more than 4,000 years of history. Being one of the traditional Chinese festivals, it is the grandest and the most important festival for Chinese people. It is also the time for the whole families to get together, which is similar with Christmas Day to the westerners. Originating during the Shang Dynasty (about 17th - 11th century BC)， Spring Festival, which celebrates family reunion, is full of rich and colorful activities, and hopes with the advent of spring and flowers blossoming. People from different regions and different ethnic groups celebrate it in their unique ways。
我国的新年，也被称为阴历新年，迄今已有四千多年的前史。关于我国人来说，这是规划最大，最重要的传统节日。就好像西方的圣诞节相同，新年是聚会的日子。新年起源于商朝(公元前11-17世纪)，为了庆祝全家团圆和表达对春暖花开的期盼，节日期间会预备五光十色的活动。不同区域和不同少数民族人们会用自己共同的方法庆祝这一传统节日。
Festival Time 节日时长
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 (Lantern Festival) in the lunar calendar. Among these days, the New Year’s Eve and the first day of the New Year is the peak time. The exact days are different in every year according to the lunar calendar。
新年从阴历新年第一天开端，简直要继续一整个月。但在民间传统中，这一节日从腊月23日就开端了，直到正月十五(元宵节)。在这些天里，岁除和新年第一天是最热烈的时分。依据阴历，每年岁除和新年地点的公历日期都不相同。
History 新年由来
It is said that the custom of Spring Festival started in when people offered sacrifice to ancestors in the last month of Chinese lunar calendar. At that time, people prepared the sacrifice by doing thorough cleaning, having bathes and so on. Later, people began to worship different deities as well on that day. It is the time that almost all the farm works were done and people have free time. The sacrificing time changed according to the farming schedule and was not fixed until the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD). The customs of worshipping deities and ancestors remains even though the ceremonies are not as grand as before. It is also the time that spring is coming, so people held all kinds of ceremonies to welcome it。
听说，新年起先源于人们在阴历腊月祭祀先祖，在那期间，人们为了祭祀会做大打扫，沐浴换衣等等。后来人们开端在那一天敬奉神明。新年期间正好各种农耕活动完毕，人们有空余时刻。最开端的祭祀日期由于农耕活动并不固定，直到汉朝(公元前202年-公元220年)才固定下来。祭祀神明和先祖的传统连续下来，但并不像曾经那样浩大。新年也是春天的开端，所以人们会举行各种典礼迎候春天的到来。
Customs and Practices 传统习俗
Every family does a thorough house cleaning and purchases enough food, including fish, meat, roasted nuts and seeds, all kinds of candies and fruits, etc, for the festival period. Also, new clothes must be bought, especially for children. Red scrolls with complementary poetic couplets, one line on each side of the gate, are pasted at every gate. The Chinese character 'Fu' is pasted on the center of the door and paper-cut pictures adorn windows。
新年期间，每家每户都会做大打扫，购买丰厚的食物，包含鱼肉坚果，生果糖块等。别的，新年有必要买新衣服，尤其是给小孩子购买。门上贴上新对联和福字，窗户上还要贴上窗花。
Taboos 新年忌讳
The Spring Festival is a start for a new year, so it is regarded as the omen of a year. People have many taboos during this period. Many bad words related to “death”， “broken”， “killing”， “ghost” and “illness” or “sickness” are forbidden during conversations. In some places, there are more specific details. They consider it unlucky if the barrel of rice is empty, because they think they will have nothing to eat in the next year. Taking medicine is forbidden on this day, otherwise, people will have sick for the whole year and take medicine constantly。
新年是新的一年的开端，预示着一年的命运，所以新年期间有许多忌讳，比方“死”“破”“杀”“鬼”“病”这类字眼是谈话中要防止的。在某些当地还有一些特别的忌讳，比方新年米缸空了不是好征兆，由于这预示着新的一年将没东西吃，新年那天也不能吃药，这会预示着新的一年疾病发生，医药不断。
