中国春节（三）：除夕之夜 Chinese Spring Festival （III）

春节的前一天人们俗称为“大年三十”，这一天的晚上，称作除夕，也叫“大年夜”。大年三十这一天在过年的过程中是最最重要的，若是有谁没有赶上在这一天与家人一起吃年夜饭，会感到非常遗憾。

The Spring Festival Eve is called the 30th of the year. This evening is called Chuxi, or the night of the year. The last day of the last lunar month is the most important day in the whole Spring Festival. If one missed the dinner with his or her family in this day, he or she would feel very sorry.

特别是年三十，这一定要合家团聚

Especially on the last day of the last lunar month, the whole family must get together.

跟父母一块儿团聚吃团圆饭

I am having a get reunio dinner with my parents.

这一天，所有的准备工作必须完成。这是大人孩子都兴奋的时刻，准备了大半个月，为的就是这一天的到来。

On this day, all the preparation must be completed. It is the moment of joy for all adults and children. The more than half month preparation is for this day.

哎哟，我小时候，盼着过年

Ouch, in my childhood, I was always looking forward to the Spring Festival.

喜欢能放炮，吃好东西什么的

I like to fire crackers, eat delicious food and so on.

除夕最重要的仪式，就是祭祖和吃年夜饭，然后一家人团团圆圆的在一起“守岁”，守岁，就是一晚上不睡，这种习俗，有对逝去岁月的留恋，也有对新年的美好希望。

The most important ceremonies in the eve of the Spring Festival are the ceremony of ancestor worship and the Spring Festival eve dinner. According to custom, each family will stay up to “guard the year”, which means to stay up to see the New Year in. This custom contains the nostalgic feelings for the past days and also good hopes for the new year.

我对春节印象最深厚感情的就是年三十晚上供饭，祭祀祖先。

The most impressive thing for me during the Spring festival is to provide sacrifices in the Spring Festival eve to worship our ancestors.

第一个就是祭祖的仪式，不忘记祖先的意思。祖先在家里面一年四季都供着的，但是在过春节的这个时候，我们要准备贡献的东西，比如说吃的东西什么都在摆在祖先的这个牌位面前。

The first is a ceremony to worship ancestors, which means not to forget ancestors. Ancestors are worshipped at the home all around the year. But during the Spring Festival, we will prepare something to sacrifice. For example, we will place some food in front of the name boards of our ancestors.

大多数人在家中将祖先牌位摆在房内，供上食物供品，然后由长至幼依序上香跪拜。

Most people place the name boards of ancestors at home. After placing food and other sacrifices, they will kneel down to worship ancestors according to their position in the family hierarchy.

把祖先的牌位都供和祖先的那个，我爷爷奶有的相片什么的，都供在那儿。然后给他们上上菜，什么的，完了我们这才能够吃团圆饭。

We will place the name boards of ancestors, and photos from my grandparents there. Then we will place dishes and other sacrifices for them. After that, we can enjoy the family unio dinner.

团圆饭就是人们常说的年夜饭，这一餐无论如何都一定是丰盛的，在每一种饭里都融进了人们对幸福和吉祥的憧憬。

The reunio dinner is the Spring Festival Eve dinner, which is luxurious anyway. Every dish contains people’s wishes for auspiciousness and happiness

传统上说，一般的必须得有饺子，有的家讲究点的还得有年糕啊什么的。

A traditional reunio dinner normally must have jiaozi. Some families which pay more attention to tradition also have niangao (New Year cake made of glutinous rice flour) on this occasion.

这个饺子呢，做出来像个元宝形，那么也预示着发财

The shape the shape of jiaozi is like a gold ingot from ancient China. So people eat them and wish for money and treasure.

过年的时候，晚上包那个饺子呀，其中有一个两个饺子里头包上那个，北京叫钢蹦，实际上硬币，哪个小孩大人吃到了一咬，咬到了，今年他就有钱了，他有福。

In the Spring Festival, we make jiaozi in the evening and put coins into one or two of them. Whoever gets one of these special pieces will be especially lucky.

而在中国南方的有些地方，年夜饭多是吃汤圆，这是用糯米粉做成皮儿，里面包上各种馅，或糖的，或芝麻的，或豆沙的。

In Southern China, people have Tangyuan for the dinner at the eve of Spring Festival. Tangyuan are glutinous rice balls. It has different stuffing, such as sugar, sesame or sweetened bean paste.

这个春节，它求吉祥，你比如说年糕，这年糕什么意思呢，是年年高。这年年高啊，不仅仅是指这个孩子一年比一年长得高，运也高，运气好。

The Spring Festival is also a time for people to pray for happiness and auspiciousness. For example, as a homophone, niangao means higher and higher, one year after another. To be higher does not only refer that a child will grow higher each year. It also refers to better luck.

除了这几样，年夜饭还要有鱼，有肉，也差不多是一年中最丰盛的。

Except the above mentioned food, there are also fish and meat dishes in the dinner. It might be the most sumptuous dinner in the whole year.

守岁就是从吃年夜饭开始的。这顿饭要慢慢地吃，从掌灯时分入席，有的人家一直要吃到深夜。然后，全家人围坐在一起，茶点瓜果放满一桌，一家老小，边吃边乐，说说笑笑。也有的人家聚在一起打扑克，搓麻将，喧哗笑闹之声持续整晚。

To guard the year starts with the Spring Festival eve dinner. This dinner need to be enjoyed slowly. People start to take a seat in the evening. Some people even eat till midnight. Then the whole family will sit together. The whole table is full of refreshments and fruits. The whole family will eat, talk and enjoy the time together. Some families like to play poker or majiang and chat the whole night.

当除夕夜的午夜12点，新年钟声敲响，孩子们纷纷跟随着大人跑出屋子，或到楼下空旷处或在自家院子里放着爆竹烟花，高兴地活蹦乱跳，用爆竹声迎接新的一年的到来。顿时，整个中华大地上空，爆竹声声，烟花灿烂。这时屋内是通明的灯火，庭前是灿烂的火花，屋外是震天的响声，夜空亮如白昼，把除夕的热闹气氛推向了最高潮。

At the midnight of the Spring Festival eve, when the new year bell rings. Children will follow adults and run out of their home. They will fire fireworks and crackers in an empty ground near their residence or in their own yards. They are so happy. They want to welcome the new year with the sounds of fireworks. Suddenly, thousands of fireworks give a beautiful performance in the sky. The night looks like daytime. The atmosphere of the Spring Festival reaches its climax.