Enjoy the beautiful Spring Festival
Know culture
The legend of the year
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.
Spring Festival custom
The Spring Festival is the most important festival for Chinese. During every Spring Festival all the family members get together to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. On the eve of the day,we often sit around the table to have a big dinner,and dumpling or jiaozi is the most traditional food. In many places, people like to set off firecrackers and put up spring couplets on the door. Children like the festival very much,because they will receive lucky money for good fortune. The Spring Festival is also a time Chinese look forward to all year around,because it is the happiest time, when we can enjoy the pure happiness of family reunion.
Reciting poetry
Guessing lantern riddles
It is an activity with traditional Chinese culture characteristics and is usually held during the Lantern Festival. People hang up lanterns with riddles and then guess the riddle. This activity is not only fun, but also can exercise people's intelligence and language skills.
Food culture
During the Spring Festival in China, a time of family gatherings,enjoying tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) is a cherished tradition.These round and sweetdumplings symbolize the warmth of family life and togetherness.Each bite of tangyuan carries heartfelt wishes for happiness and family reunions. As families sit around the table,savoring these delightful treats, it strengthens the bonds of love and unity.Tangyuan is more than just food;it's a cultural emblem of hope and a reminder of the importance of family during this festive season.
Making Dumplings
In the north,there is a custom of mak- ing dumplings for the Spring Festival.Dumplings symbolize "the change of years"andsignify family reunion and a new beginning.On New Year's Eve and the Lantern Festi- val,families will make dumplings to- gether,signifying that the past year has come to a successful conclu-sion and looking forward to starting a new year.
Sugar-coated Haws
Sugar-coated haws, a classic snack in old Beijing,features sweet and sour hawthorn berries on a skewer, coated in transparent rock sugar and a thin,crispy layer. Each bite is filled with nostalgic memories. Strolling through the streets, the bright red sugar-coated haws are irresistibly sweet.It represents a touch of beauty in the flavor of old Beijing, a traditional taste encapsulated in time.
Do culture
Putting Up Paper Cutouts
In the past people pasted paper cutouts on windows facing south and north before the Spring Festival. Paper cutouts are usually diamond-shaped in lucky red, with beautiful and exaggerated patterns. They express hopes of a merry and prosperous life,in line with the Spring Festival theme.
707 郭子祺
