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Since Feb.8th to Feb 17th, we spend a long holiday. That’s the Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year. Spring Festival is the most important festivals in China. Of course, all the ethnic Chinese and overseas Chinese will also celebrate it. In the Spring Festival, we get together with our families and share the big meal. Then what we do in the Spring Festival? Let me show you next.
First of all, prepare various foods for the festival
According to the tradition, Chinese people will prepare different kinds of food in the twelfth month of the lunar year. That’s because in the ancient times, people lived a poor life. Thus they can only eat some meat or fish in the Spring Festival. With time goes on, Chinese people are rich now. But the tradition that prepare food earlier has been reserved. In this month, Chinese people will prepare many kinds of meat, fish, sugar, nut, etc. Some of these are for the family members, while some are prepared for friends and relatives.
As for the most important foods, it’s the dumpling in the north and the sweet dumpling in the north. In the north part of China, dumpling has special means. First, it is the symbol of the replacement of year. Second, it has the same shape with shoe-shaped gold ingot. Thus Chinese people believe that it will bring wealth. While from the reality, dumpling is the most suitable food for balanced diet. Because there are vegetable, meat and flour in it. Thus there is full of vitamin, dietary fiber, protein and many micro elements that human body needs.
But in the south part of China, people prefer the sweet dumpling. It’s called sweet dumpling because that the stuffings of it are sweet foods like sweetened bean paste, Semen sesami nigrum, etc. Sweet dumpling has a standard round shape, that means the reunion of the family. Besides, people eat sweet dumpling to wish a sweet life in the future. At the same time, they expect the next reunion.
Second, paste spring couplets
Spring couplet is also called gatepost couplet and poetic couplet. Because it is pasted on the wall in the both sides of the gate. Couplet is a kind of celebration factors of the festival. It shows the best wishes of people with antithesis words. Couplet is the unique literary form in China.
There are mainly 2 descriptions that show the source of couplet. The first one thinks that the couplet comes from the Tao Fu. Tao Fu appeared in Han dynasty and people engraved the deity’s name on it. While this is to keep away the ghost and demon. Then in the Qing dynasty, spring couplet is the Tao Fu.
Then the second one thinks that the couplet comes from the spring sticker. In ancient time, people often paste the word “spring” on the walls. With the time goes on, it becomes the spring couplet. This shows the wish of Chinese people to keep away the hazard and exorcise evil spirits. At the same time, people paste the couplet to pray for a life of ease and comfort.
Third, clean the house up
Several days earlier the Spring Festival, Chinese people will clean up the house. It has 2 names “sweep dust day”, or “welcome spring day”. In general, it is on Dec. 24th of the lunar year. This is to clean up the house to welcome the Spring Festival and the new year. Besides, by this activity, people hope to dispel the disease and pray for a good health in the new year. In mandarin, the dust and old has the same pronunciation. Thus sweep dust also means dispel the old things and welcome the new ones.
Fourth, hang lanterns and make some decoration
After the cleaning, people will decorate their houses. While the most typical decoration is the red lantern. People will hang 2 red lanterns on the wall above the gate. Then why people hang lanterns in the Spring Festival. In fact, there are mainly 4 reasons. First, it is to drive away the monster. In the ancient, there is a monster called “Nian”. It comes several days before the new year. When Nian comes, it will attack human and livestock. Besides, it will bring disaster. Therefore, people take measures to drive the monster. With the practice, people find that Nian fears red things, fire and huge sound. Then people create the lantern. The lantern is made from red paper with fire inside. In the night the lantern will be bright. When the monster enter the country, it will see the red lantern and fire. Then it will not dare to attack people and will run away.
Besides driving away the monster, lantern has other means. First, the pronunciation of lantern is similar to Ding. While Ding is the other name of people. Thus people hang lanterns to wish there will be more family members. At the same time, the elder people hope their families can continue generationally. In addition, lantern has the symbol of reunion, vitality and happy. Thus people will hang lanterns to show their expectation for a good life.
With the development of the society, there are more and more kinds of decorations now. Besides the traditional lantern and window paper cut, people decorate the house with colored lights and flowers.
New Year’s Eve Dinner
During the 8-day holiday, the most important thing is the New Year’s Eve Dinner. At new year’s eve, all of the family member will get together and share the delicious food. In this day, no matter where is the people, they will go home and stay with their family. Therefore, there is the Spring Festival travel season, which is the biggest migration in the world. While the traffic volume is over 14 billion person-time.
In the dinner, there will be many kinds of delicious food. Even some are expensive that people will not consume in the daily life. Because it’s the most important day in the whole year. And it worth spending much money. During the dinner, the family members will watch the Spring Festival Gala Evening held by the national TV.
After that, people will ignite the candles and turn on all the lights. The candle will cover each corner of the house and the light will illuminate each piece of the house. Then all the family members will get together around the fire to keep it lighting. On that day, people will not sleep. They keep the fire lighting until the next day.
Then why people stay up on the Spring Festival Eve?
In fact, the custom has lasted over 2000 years. While from the beginning, this activity is to pray for a long life. And the young people stay up on this day is to pray a long life for the elder people in the family. Besides, there is another meaning for this. That is to farewell the last year and welcome the new year.
At the moment that the new year comes, there is an big activity, that is the firework.
When the pointer point to 0 o’clock, all the people will let off firecrackers. This also refers to the monster Nian. As I mentioned earlier, monster Nian fears red, huge sound and fire. Thus people will let off the firecrackers to drive away it. The firecrackers are made into red in color. When they crack, there will be loud noise, flame and fire. Then this can scare away the monster and keep the country safe.
But now, people set off fireworks is just for the celebration. When hundreds of firecrackers and fireworks crack together, there will be a grand screen in the sky. While all the people enjoy such an event with their families and friends.
After the Spring Festival Eve, there comes the Lunar New Year’s Day
In the earlier morning, in general it is 5 o’clock, people will go out and pay the new year calls to family members and the elders. During that, people will say some greetings to elder people to blessing them to be healthy and longevous. While for the people with the same generation, people will wish them rich and healthy. As for the student, people wish them study well in the school and become the elite in their fields.
Besides the new year calls, how can the red envelope be absent
On the first day of the Chinese New Year, elder people will give red envelopes to the young generation. Red envelop is one of the most important section in the Chinese New Year. In the countdown to the new year, the elders will give red envelopes to the young generations. In the envelope, there will be money in different amount. Because of the time that give the red envelope, it is also called lucky money.
In the ancient time, there is a monster called Sui (the same pronunciation with year in mandarin). Before the new year, it will come out and hurt the children who sleep in deep. Thus people will put an amulet into a red envelope and put it under the pillow of the child. Then this can drive away the monster.
But now, people gradually give new morals to the red envelope. By giving this, the elders wish their children to be safe and lucky in the future. Besides, the children can buy some toys and firecrackers with the money inside the red envelope. In another hand, the new term will begin after the Spring Festival and students will back to school. Then they can buy some stationery with these money. This shows that the elders wish their children can study well in the school.
Wonderful celebration activities in the Spring Festival
In the Chinese New Year, there are various activities to celebrate the greatest festival. In the south part of China, there will be loong dance and lion dance. People dress in lion and parade across the streets. Besides, there will be show and interaction with the people in the street.
In addition, there will be light show in the scenic areas. In the night, thousands of lights and lanterns shine the whole area. Together with different kinds of fireworks, the sky is lighted. Then all of the people enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Besides above activities, worship is a necessary part. Chinese theology contains both Buddhism and Taoism. Therefore, there are both Buddhism deities and Taoism deities. In the new year, people will worship the god of land to thank him for protecting the farmland and house. Then people will worship the god of crops to appreciate the harvest and beg for a better harvest in the next year. Besides, people will worship the Jade Emperor for his bleassing to the whole family. During that, people will worship delicious food. After the gods eating, people can eat.
What Orientflex members do to celebrate the holiday
In order to make our staff can stay more longer with their families, we decide to prolong 2 days of the holiday. Thus we can go home 2 days earlier before the Spring Festival. During the festival, we reunion with our families and share the stories in the whole year. Besides, we decoration the house together and bring the best wishes to the families. What’s more, we cook delicious foods for our parents and share them together.
Besides spending the holiday, we did not forget the work. During the holiday, our sales still contact with our clients to discuss about the order. Because of their hard work, we received dozens of orders during the Spring Festival. Here we Orientflex want to say thank you to all of our members, especially the sales. It’s your hard work that bring us performance. Because of your hard work and contribution, we can grow up and catch our annual goal. Of course, in order to show our thanks, we send red envelope to the sales who catch orders.
On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, wish all of you be healthy and wealthy in the new year. At the same time, hope you step forward and make progress every day. Last, wish you all the best. Orientflex will always be with you.
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