中国春节介绍All About Chinese New Year

ThecountryofChinaisinnortheastAsia.Chinaisthefourthbiggestcountryintheworld.Chinahasthelargestpopulationintheworldwithover1.3billionpeople!Chinaisdividedintoprovinces.ThecapitalcityofChinaisBeijing.WhereIsChina?China’sLandscapeandClimateChinahasverydiversegeographyincludingdeserts,mountains,andfertileriverbasins.InthenorthofChina,therearemountains,whereitsnowsmuchoftheyear.ThesouthofChinaisfilledwithjungles,and

itisveryhotandhumid.CentralChinaconsistsmostlyof

mountainousregions.MostofWesternChinaismountainous–itishometotheHimalayas.RiversareveryimportanttoChina,bothfortransportationandirrigation.ThewheatandricefieldsinChinarelyonirrigation.PhotocourtesyofFriar’sBalsam,eutrophication&hypoxia(@)-grantedundercreativecommonslicence-attributionChineseCultureChinaishometoavarietyofethnicities

andcultures.Chinesecultureisveryunique.TheChinesecalendar,architecture,food,handicrafts,dance,festivals,andmartialartsareverypopularacrosstheworld.MandarinistheofficiallanguageinChina.AfewotherlanguagesspokeninChinaincludeCantonese,Hakka,andSwatow,dependingonthelocation.ThestaplefoodinChinaisrice,anditiseatenwithnearlyeverymeal.Photocourtesyofcoolinsights,jadis1958(@)-grantedundercreativecommonslicence-attributionWhenIsChineseNewYear?Photocourtesyoftanakawho(@)-grantedundercreativecommonslicence-attributionChineseNewYearstartssomewherebetweenlateJanuaryandearlyFebruary.Thedatechangesfromyear-to-year.Itfollowsanancientfarmercalendarbasedonthephasesofthemoon.PreparingfortheNewYearPhotocourtesyof(@)-grantedundercreativecommonslicence-attributionSomeChinesepeoplespringcleantheirhomesandgardenstosweepawayanybadluck.Homesaredecoratedwithpaperscrollsandlanternswithgoodluckphrasessuchas“happiness”and“wealth”onthem.Allunfinishedbusinessissettledsothereisafreshstartforthenewyear.Debtsarepaid,quarrelsareresolved,andanyworkisbroughtuptodate.NewYear’sEvePhotocourtesyofPrinceRoy,(@)-grantedundercreativecommonslicence-attributionFamiliesgathertogetherandhave

alarge,traditionalfeastoffish

andchicken.IntheNorth,peopleeatdijiaozi–asteameddumpling.IntheSouth,peopleeatniangao–astickysweetricepudding.Peoplestayupuntilmidnight,settingofffireworktoscareawayevilspirits.NewYear’sDayPhotocourtesyofDaMongMan,oldandsolo(@)-grantedundercreativecommonslicence-attributionChildrenwakeuptofindredenvelopesfilledwithmoneyandsweetsundertheirpillows,leftbytheirparentsorgrandparents.Eachfamilymemberstartsthedaywithbrandnewclothesfromheadtotoe.Redisaverypopularcolorforclothingasitisconsideredlucky.ThefirststopofthedayisthetempletoworshipthegodsandtowelcometheNewYear.MostChinesefamiliesgathertogetherforaNewYear’sbanquet.Eachfamilyhastheirownspecialdishtheyprepareforthistime.TheSecondDayPhotocourtesyofBobJagendorf,heypatrick(@)-grantedundercreativecommonslicence-attributionThebirthdayoftheChineseGodofWealth,CaiShen,iscelebrated.Chinesepeoplepraytotheirancestorsaswellasthegods.Itisbelievedtobethebirthdayofalldogs,sodogsaretreatedwithspecialfoods.Itisalsoatimeforvisitingfamilies.The3rdand4thDaysPhotocourtesyoflyng883(@)-grantedundercreativecommonslicence-attributionThethirdday:Traditionsayspeopleshouldnotvisitfriendsandrelativesonthisday.Instead,theyvisittheTempleofWealthandhavetheirfuturestold.Thefourthday:Mostpeoplegobacktowork.ItisalsothedayofSpringDinners.Businesseshavedepartmentsdinnersorsocialeventsfortheiremployees.The5th,6th,7th,8th,and9thDaysPhotocourtesyofitjournalist,PrinceRoy(@)-grantedundercreativecommonslicence-attributionThe5thDay–DumplingsareeatenforgoodluckandsomepeopleshootfirecrackerstoworshiptheGodofWar.The6thDay–FirecrackersarethrowntokeepawaybadspiritstoworshiptheGodofWar.The7thDay–Day7isconsideredeveryone’sbirthday.The8thDay–ThisistheeveoftheJadeEmperor’sbirthday.Specialfamilydinnersareheld.The9thDay–TheJadeEmperor’sbirthday.TheEmperorisworshippedbylightingincenseandofferingprayers.The10th,11th,12th,13th,and14thDaysPhotocourtesyofPrinceRoy,Azchael(@)-grantedundercreativecommonslicence-attributionThe10thDay–RecognitionandofferingscontinuetowardstheJadeEmperor.The11th/12thDay–Familydinners.The13thDay–Peopleeatvegetarianfoodonthethirteenthdaytogivetheirstomachs

arest!The14thDay–ThisdayisspentrestingandpreparingfortheLanternFestival,thelastdayofChineseNewYear.The15thDayisalsoknownastheLanternFestival.Crowdsofpeoplewatchdragondancingandliondancingparades.Familieswalkthestreetswiththeirglowinglanterns.Candlesarelitoutsidehomestoguidewaywardspiritshome.InMalaysiaandSingapore,singlewome