About the Spring Festival 春节简介

春节在中国大约有四千多年的历史，位居中国四大传统节日之首，是中国民间最热闹、最隆重的节日。
With more than 4,000 years history, the Spring Festival is the most important festival among four traditional Chinese festivals. It is the most grand and busiest festival in China.
春节，古时又叫元日，即农历新年，俗称过大年，春节一般指除夕和正月初一。但在民间，传统意义上的春节是指从腊月初八的腊祭或腊月二十三的祭灶，一直到正月十五元宵节，其中以除夕和正月初一为高潮。
The Spring Festival, also called Yuanri in ancient times, is the lunar New Year, popularly known as Guo Da Nian (passing a year). Spring Festival generally refers to New Year Eve and the First Day of New Year. However, the traditional Spring Festival starts from the 8th day of the 12th lunar month—the Laba Festival or the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month for worshipping for kitchen god, to the 15th day of the first lunar month. During this period, the New Year Eve and the First Day of New Year are the climax to celebrate.
春节是一种综合性的民俗文化，其中包括崇尚、仪式、节日装饰、饮食和相关的娱乐活动。春节期间的主要活动有：腊月初八喝腊八粥；二十三日祭灶，吃关东糖和糖粥等；除夕夜以家庭为单位包饺子、包汤圆、做年糕，吃团圆饭守岁，另外还贴春联、年画、剪纸和放爆竹；正月初一迎神、拜年；初五开小市；十五日元宵节开大市、迎财神、吃元宵、游灯会、猜灯谜等。
As a comprehensive folk culture, there are many celebrating activities during the Spring Festival, such as worship, ceremony, holiday decoration, food and related entertainment activities. The main activities include eating porridge on the Laba festival, worshiping kitchen god on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, eating candies featured in Northeast flavor and sweet porridge, making dumplings, rice dumplings and rice cakes and having family reunio dinner on the New Year Eve, as well as pasting spring festival couplets, new year paintings, paper cutting and setting off fireworks, new year greetings and god worship on the first day of new year, starting business, welcoming fortunate gods, eating sweet dumplings, visiting lantern shows and guessing lantern riddles on the Lantern Festival.
在漫长悠久的历史岁月中，春节从萌芽到定型，不断发展，形成独具中华民族特色、丰富多彩的习俗。春节是汉族最重要的节日，但是满、蒙古，瑶、壮、白、高山、赫哲、哈尼、达斡尔、侗、黎等十几个少数民族也有过春节的习俗，只是过节的形式更有自己的民族特色，更蕴味无穷。
In the long history, Spring Festival has continuously developed, experiencing a development from the beginning to maturity. Various customs have been formed with unique Chinese national characteristics. The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Han nationality. Other minority ethnical groups such as Manchu, Mongolia, Yao, Zhuang, Bai, Gaoshan, Hezhe, Hani, Dawoer, Dong and Li have their own customs to celebrate the New Year. Their celebrations are more colorful with distinctive ethnical characteristics.