新年快乐 Happy new year

        春节，顾名思义就是春天的节日。春天来临，万象更新。春节是个亲人团聚的节日。过年的前一夜叫“除夕”，又叫“团圆夜”，“团年”，家家户户阖家欢聚。

        Everyone looks forward to celebrating the noisiest, most joyous and longest festival of the year. Chinese

        Before the eve of the New Year, everyone tries to come back home from every corner of the country to join the entire family, just like Americans' practice for Christmas, to greet the New Year. A New Year big dinner is served. After the meal, the table is cleared, dishes washed and put away. Then it is time to undertake final preparations to meet the New Year.

        New dishes and new chopsticks were brought out. The beds were made up with new sheets, new pillow cases and blanket covers. The sweetmeat and melon seed dishes were filled.

        At midnight following a nice family banquet on the New Year's Eve, the young members of the family would bow and pay their respects to the parents and elders.

        In the morning, people put on their new clothes and shoes. call on relatives and friends to wish them a "Happy and Prosperous New Year " . The caller is served tea with sweet-meats; melon seeds, both red and black; and fruits and delicacies such as puffed rice cakes, dump-lings and deep-fried round doughnuts. In addition, liquor and tobacco are offered. Before leaving, the well-wisher present gifts of money wrapped in red paper to all the unmarried children of the family.

        On New Year's Day, to retain good fortune and wealth in the home, the house is not swept for fear of weeping out the good fortune. Quarrels are to be avoided. Words with bad connotations such as defeat, illness, surgical operations, a coffin or death are not to be used. Dishes are handled carefully, for breaking a dish on New Year's Day indicate bad luck for the coming year.

        The burning of long strings of firecrackers accompanies the Eve of the New Year.

        The New Year celebration lasts for fifteen days, allowing time for various entertainments to be enjoyed, including games of mahjong and dominos at home or at clubs. There are also animal shows featuring trained dogs and monkeys , theatrical plays staged by amateur and professional troupes, acrobatic performances , magic shows, puppet shows, storytelling and lion and dragon dances, especially in the country.