SpringFestival第2页SpringFestivalTheNewMoononthefirstdayofthenewyear--thefullmoon15dayslaterChineseNewYearstartswiththeNewMoon（新月）onthefirstdayofthenewyearandendsonthefullmoon（满月）15dayslater.The15thdayofthenewyeariscalledtheLanternFestival（元宵节）,whichiscelebratedatnightwithlanterndisplaysandchildrencarryinglanternsinaparade.TheChinesecalendarisbasedonacombinationoflunarandsolarmovements.Thelunarcycle（月运周期）isabout29.5days.Inorderto"catchup"withthesolarcalendartheChineseinsertanextramonthonceeveryfewyears(sevenyearsoutofa19-yearcycle).Thisisthesameasaddinganextradayonleapyear（闰年）.Thisiswhy,accordingtothesolarcalendar,theChineseNewYearfallsonadifferentdateeachyear.NewYear'sEveandNewYear'sDayarecelebratedasafamilyaffair,atimeofreunion第4页TheChineseNewYearisnowpopularlyknownastheSpringFestivalbecauseitstartsfromtheBeginingofSpring(thefirstofthetwenty-fourtermsincoodinationwiththechangesofNature).Itsoriginistoooldtobetraced.Severalexplanationsarehangingaround.Allagree,however,thatthewordNian,whichinmodernChinesesolelymeans"year",wasoriginallythenameofamonsterbeastthatstartedtopreyonpeoplethenightbeforethebeginningofanewyear.OnelegendgoesthatthebeastNianhadaverybigmouththatwouldswallowagreatmanypeoplewithonebite.Peoplewereveryscared.Oneday,anoldmancametotheirrescue,offeringtosubdueNian.ToNianhesaid,"Ihearsaythatyouareverycapable,butcanyouswallowtheotherbeastsofpreyonearthinsteadofpeoplewhoarebynomeansofyourworthyopponents?"So,itdidswallowmanyofthebeastsofpreyonearththatalsoharrassed第5页peopleandtheirdomesticanimalsfromtimetotime.Afterthat,theoldmandisappearedridingthebeastNian.Heturnedouttobeanimmortalgod.NowthatNianisgoneandotherbeastsofpreyarealsoscaredintoforests,peoplebegintoenjoytheirpeacefullife.Beforetheoldmanleft,hehadtoldpeopletoputupredpaperdecorationsontheirwindowsanddoorsateachyear'sendtoscareawayNianincaseitsneakedbackagain,becauseredisthecolorthebeastfearedthemost.Fromthenon,thetraditionofobservingtheconquestofNianiscarriedonfromgenerationtogeneration.Theterm"GuoNian",whichmaymean"SurvivetheNian"becomestoday"Celebratethe(New)Year"astheword"guo"inChinesehavingboththemeaningof"pass-over"and"observe".Thecustomofputtingupredpaperandfiringfire-crackerstoscareawayNianshouldithaveachancetorunlooseisstillaround.However,peopletodayhave第6页longforgottenwhytheyaredoingallthis,exceptthattheyfeelthecolorandthesoundaddtotheexcitementofthecelebration.TraditionalNewYearFoodsProbablymorefoodisconsumedduringtheNewYearcelebrationsthananyothertimeoftheyear.Vastamountsoftraditionalfoodispreparedforfamilyandfriends,aswellasthoseclosetouswhohavedied.OnNewYear'sDay,theChinesefamilywilleatavegetariandishcalledjai.Althoughthevariousingredientsinjaiarerootvegetablesorfibrousvegetables,manypeopleattributevarioussuperstitiousaspectstothem.Otherfoodsincludeawholefish,torepresenttogethernessandabundance,andachickenforprosperity.Thechickenmustbepresentedwithahead,tailandfeettosymbolizecompleteness.Noodlesshouldbeuncut,astheyrepresentlonglife.InsouthChina,thefavoriteandmosttypicaldisheswereniangao,sweetsteamedglutinous第7页rice（糯米）puddingandzongzi(glutinousricewrappedupinreed（芦苇）leaves),anotherpopulardelicacy.Inthenorth,steamed-wheatbread(mantou)andsmallmeatdumplingswerethepreferredfood.Thetremendousamountoffoodpreparedatthistimewasmeanttosymbolizeabundanceandwea...
