中国传统节日英文介绍

中国传统节日英文介绍中国传统节日英文介绍ChineseNewYearisthemostimportantofthetraditionalChineseholidays.InChina,itisknownas"SpringFestival,"theliteraltranslationoftheChinesename春節,sincethespringseasoninChinesecalendarstartswithlichun,thefirstsolarterminaChinesecalendaryear.Itmarkstheendofthewinterseason,analogoustotheWesternCarnival.Thefestivalbeginsonthefirstdayofthefirstmonth(正月)inthetraditionalChinesecalendarandendswithLanternFestivalwhichisonthe15thday.ChineseNewYear'sEve,adaywhereChinesefamiliesgatherfortheirannualreuniondinner,isknownasChúxī(除夕)or"EveofthePassingYear.”BecausetheChinesecalendarislunisolar,theChineseNewYearisoftenreferredtoasthe"LunarNewYear".ChineseNewYearisthelongestandmostimportantfestivityintheChinesecalendar.TheoriginofChineseNewYearisitselfandcoupletswithpopularthemesof"goodfortune"or"happiness","wealth",and"longevity".OntheEveofChineseNewYear,supperisafeastwithfamilies.Foodwillincludesuchitemsaspigs,ducks,chickenandsweetdelicacies.Thefamilywillendthenightwithfirecrackers.Earlythenextmorning,childrenwillgreettheirparentsbywishingthemahealthyandhappynewyear,andreceivemoneyinredpaperenvelopes.TheChineseNewYeartraditionistoreconcile,forgetallgrudgesandsincerelywishpeaceandhappinessforeveryone.AlthoughtheChinesecalendartraditionallydoesnotusecontinuouslynumberedyears,outsideChinaitsyearsareoftennumberedfromthereignoftheYellowEmperor.Butatleastthreedifferentyearsnumbered1arenowusedbyvariousscholars,makingtheyearbeginninginAD2012the"ChineseYear"4710,4709,or4649。TheLanternFestival（元宵节）isafestivalcelebratedonthefifteenthdayofthefirstmonthinthelunisolaryearintheChinesecalendar,thelastdayofthelunisolarChineseNewYearcelebration.ItisnottobeconfusedwiththeMid-AutumnFestival,whichissometimesalsoknownasthe"LanternFestival"inlocationssuchasSingaporeandMalaysia.DuringtheLanternFestival,childrengooutatnighttotemplescarryingpaperlanternsandsolveriddlesonthelanterns(猜灯谜).ItofficiallyendstheChineseNewYearcelebrations.Inancienttimes,thelanternswerefairlysimple,foronlytheemperorandnoblemenhadlargeornateones;inmoderntimes,lanternshavebeenembellishedwithmanycomplexdesigns.Forexample,lanternsarenowoftenmadeinshapesofanimals.ThefirstmonthoftheChinesecalendariscalledyuanmonth,andinancienttimespeoplecallednightxiao;therefore,thedayiscalledYuanXiaoFestivalinmainlandChinaandTaiwan.Thefifteenthdayisthefirstnightonecanseeafullmooninthatlunaryear.AccordingtoChinesetradition,attheverybeginningofanewyear,whenthereisabrightfullmoonhanginginthesky,thereshouldbethousandsofcolorfullanternshungoutforpeopletoappreciate.Atthistime,peoplewilltrytosolvepuzzlesonlanterns,eatyuanxiao('元宵')(aglutinousriceball,alsoknownassimplifiedChinese:汤圆)andenjoyafamilyreunion.QingmingFestival(清明节)iswhenChinesepeoplevisitthecolumbaria,gravesorburialgroundstopraytotheirancestors.TheQingmingFestivalisanopportunityforcelebrantstorememberandhonourtheirancestorsatgravesites.Youngandoldpraybeforetheancestors,sweepthetombsandofferfood,tea,wine,chopsticks,josspaper,and/orlibationstotheancestors.TheriteshavealongtraditioninAsia,especiallyamongfarmers.SomepeoplecarrywillowbrancheswiththemonQingmingorputwillowbranchesontheirgatesand/orfrontdoors.TheybelievethatwillowbrancheshelpwardofftheevilspiritthatwandersonQingming.OnQingming,peoplegoonfamilyoutings,startthespringplowing,sing,anddance.Qingmingisalsoatimewhenyoungcouplestraditionallystartcourting.AnotherpopularthingtodoistoflykitesintheshapesofanimalsorcharactersfromChineseopera.Anothercommonpracticeistocarryflowersinsteadofburningpaper,incense,orfirecrackers.ColoredpapersplacedonagraveduringQingmingFestival,BukitBrownCemetery,SingaporeDespitehavingnoofficialstatus,theoverseasChinesecommunitiesinSoutheastAsiannations,suchasthoseinSingaporeandMalaysia,takethisfestivalseriouslyandobserveitstraditionsfaithfully.SomeQingmingritualsandancestralvenerationdecorumobservedbytheoverseaChineseinMalaysiaandSingaporecanbedatedbacktoMingandQingdynasties,astheoverseacommunitieswerenotaffectedbytheCulturalRevolutioninMainlandChina.QingminginMalaysiaisanelaboratefamilyfunctionoraclanfeast(usuallyorganizedbytherespectiveclanassociation)tocommemorateandhonourrecentlydeceasedrelativesattheirgravesitesanddistantancestorsfromChinaathomealtars,clantemplesormakeshiftaltarsinBuddhistorTaoisttemples.FortheoverseaChinesecommunity,theQingmingfestivalisverymuchafamilycelebrationand,atthesametime,afamilyobligation.Theyseethisfestivalasatimeofreflectionandtohonourandgivethankstotheirforefathers.OverseasChinesenormallyvisitthegravesoftheirrecentlydeceasedrelativesonthenearestweekendtotheactualdate.Accordingtotheancientcustom,gravesitevenerationisonlyfeasibletendaysbeforeandaftertheQingmingFestival.Ifthevisitisnotontheactualdate,normallyvenerationbeforeQingmingisencouraged.TheQingmingFestivalinMalaysiaandSingaporenormallystartsearlyinthemorningbypayingrespecttodistantancestorsfromChinaathomealtars.Thisisfollowedbyvisitingthegravesofcloserelativesinthecountry.SomefollowtheconceptoffilialpietytotheextentofvisitingthegravesoftheirancestorsinmainlandChina.Traditionally,thefamilywillburnspiritmoneyandpaperreplicasofmaterialgoodssuchascars,homes,phonesandpaperservants.InChineseculture,itisbelievedthatpeoplestillneedallofthosethingsintheafterlife.Thenfamilymemberstaketurnstokowtowthreetoninetimes(dependingonthefamilyadherencetotraditionalvalues)beforethetomboftheancestors.TheKowtowingritualinfrontofthegraveisperformedintheorderofpatriarchalsenioritywithinthefamily.Aftertheancestorworshipatthegravesite,thewholefamilyorthewholeclanfeastonthefoodanddrinktheybroughtfortheworshipeitheratthesiteorinnearbygardensinthememorialpark,signifyingfamilyreunionwiththeancestors.Anotherritualrelatedtothefestivalisthecockfight,aswellasbeingavailablewithinthathistoricandculturalcontextatKaifengMillenniumCityPark(QingmingRiversideLandscapeGarden).TheMid-AutumnFestival(Chinese:中秋節),alsoknownastheMoonFestivalorMooncakeFestivalorZhongqiuFestival,isapopularlunarharvestfestivalcelebratedbyChineseandVietnamesepeople.[1]AdescriptionofthefestivalfirstappearedinRitesofZhou,awrittencollectionofritualsoftheWesternZhouDynastyfrom3,000yearsago.[1]ThecelebrationbecamepopularduringtheearlyTangDynasty.[1]Thefestivalisheldonthe15thdayoftheeighthmonthintheChinesecalendar,whichisinSeptemberorearlyOctoberintheGregoriancalendar,closetotheautumnalequinox.[1]TheGovernmentofthePeople'sRepublicofChinalistedthefestivalasan"intangibleculturalheritage"in2006,anditwasmadeaChinesepublicholidayin2008.ItisalsoaTaiwanesepublicholiday.TheMid-AutumnFestivalisoneofthefewmostimportantholidaysintheChinesecalendar,theothersbeingSpringFestivalandWinterSolstice.Accompanyingthecelebration,thereareadditionalculturalorregionalcustoms,suchas:eatingmooncakes,matchmaking.InsomepartsofChina,dancesareheldforyoungmenandwomentofindpartners."Onebyone,youngwomenareencouragedtothrowtheirhandkerchiefstothecrowd.Theyoungmanwhocatchesandreturnsthehandkerchiefhasachanceofromance."Carryingbrightlylitlanterns,lightinglanternsontowers,floatingskylanterns.BurningincenseinreverencetodeitiesincludingChang'eFireDragonDances.Moonrabbitisatraditionalicon.TheChinesecalendar(中国农历)isalunisolarcalendar,incorporatingelementsofalunarcalendarwiththoseofasolarcalendar.ItisnotexclusivetoChina,butfollowedbymanyotherAsianculturesaswell.[1]InmostofEastAsiatoday,theGregoriancalendarisusedforday-to-dayactivities,buttheChinesecalendarisstillusedformarkingtraditionalEastAsianholidayssuchastheChineseNewYear(theSpringFestival-春節),theDuanWufestival,andtheMid-AutumnFestival,andinastrology,suchaschoosingthemostauspiciousdateforaweddingortheopeningofabuilding.Becauseeachmonthfollowsonecycleofthemoon,itisalsousedtodeterminethephasesofthemoon.InChina,thetraditionalcalendarisknownasthe"agriculturalcalendar"whiletheGregoriancalendarisknownasthe"commoncalendar".AnothernamefortheChinesecalendaristhe"YinCalendar"inreferencetothelunaraspectofthecalendar,whereastheGregoriancalendaristhe"YangCalendar"inreferencetoitssolarproperties.TheChinesecalendarwasalsocalledthe"oldcalendar"afterthe"newcalendar",i.e.,theGregoriancalendar,wasadoptedastheofficialcalendar.Formorethantwothousandyears,sincethetimeofEmperorWuofHanthemonthcontainingthewintersolsticehasalmostalwaysbeenthe11thmonth.(Thismeansthenewyearstartsonthesecondnewmoonafterthewintersolsticeunlessthereisan11thor12thintercalarymonth,inwhichcaseitstartsonthethirdnewmoon.)Acalendarusingthisnewyearisoftenreferredtoas"theXiaCalendar",followingacommentintheShijiwhichstatesthatundertheXiaDynasty,theyearbeganonthesecondnewmoonafterthewintersolstice.AttimesundersomeotherdynastiesinancientChina,themonthwiththewintersolsticewasthe12thorthe1stmonth.DuanwuFestival（端午节）,alsoknownasDragonBoatFestivalandtheDoubleFifth,isatraditionalandstatutoryholidayoriginatinginChinaandassociatedwithanumberofEastAsianandSoutheastAsiansocieties.InMandarin,itisknownbythenameDuānwǔJié.In2008,itwasrecognisedasapublicholidayinmainlandChinaforthefirsttimesincethe1940s.ThefestivalhasalsolongbeencelebratedinTaiwan,Singapore,andMalaysia.EquivalentandrelatedfestivalsinAsiaincludetheKodomonohiinJapan,DanoinKorea,andTếtĐoanNgọinVietnam.Thefestivaloccursonthe5thdayofthe5thmonthofthelunarcalendaronwhichtheChinesecalendarisbased.ThisisthesourceofthealternativenameofDoubleFifth.Thefocusofthecelebrationsincludeseatingthericedumplingzongzi(Chinese:粽子;pinyin:zòngzi),drinkingrealgarwinexionghuangjiu(雄黃酒),andracingdragonboats.Likeallothertraditionalfestivals,Duanwuisreckonedinaccordancewiththelunarcalendarconsistingof29or30days.Forthisreason,Duanwu—thefifthdayofthefifthmoon,ordoublefifth—driftsfromyeartoyearontheGregorian(solar)calendar.Themoonisconsideredtobeatitsstrongestaroundthetimeofsummersolstice("mid-summer"intraditionalJapan,but"beginning"ofsummerelsewhere)whenthedaylightinthenorthernhemisphereisthelongest.Thesun(yang),likethedragon(long),traditionallyrepresentsmasculineenergy,whereasthemoon(yue),likethephoenix(orfirebird,fenghuang),traditionallyrepresentsfeminineenergy.Summersolsticeisconsideredthepeakannualmomentofmaleenergy[5]whilethewintersolstice,thelongestnightoftheyear,representsthepeakannualmomentoffeminineenergy.Themasculineimageofthedragonisthusnaturallyassociat