春节英语作文范文（合集19篇）

The Spring Festival is Chinas oldest and one of the most important traditional festival. In weihai, the Spring Festival is also an important holiday. At the beginning of the Spring Festival is New Years day, New Years day is the Gregorian calendar on January 1, although people are to work at that time, but in the evening the family will be beaming to dinner together.

The 23 off-year, everyones more lively. You have dinner in the evening, talking and laughing. Together happy off-year, the in the mind is also very happy.

Better take years, everybody is more busy, the adults to work hard, want to go home to celebrate the holiday with his family. Old people buy food, buy some meat, buy a few couplet, a few pieces of everyone. The couplet and everyone up, thriving.

Turn to the New Years eve. Everyone have a holiday. Everyone at home to pick up the home, the child also help. The old people started to make dumplings, cook in the afternoon. In the evening, we together for the family reunion dinner, watching the Spring Festival evening party. Meal to ancestor worship, back shou sui, no one to sleep, until the arrival of the New Year, it was not until the morning take a rest for a while.

On the first day, we all went out to relatives, some people receive greetings at home. Some people also use vacation time to go out to travel these days, and family travel together, back to work until the end of the holidays. Peoples overjoyed when, at home waiting for the Spring Festival to another climax.

The Lantern Festival is coming, everybody happy again, you go to the supermarket sell dumplings. In the evening, we ate dumplings cook cooked first. To eat meat, food, and finally to eat dumplings. Meal, everyone is watching TV, together with my family, enjoy the festival happiness, the happiness of the day also slowly away.

After the Lantern Festival, Spring Festival is over, the children began to go to school, adults have started to work, and trying to make money, the children study hard again. Although the Spring Festival has been in the past, but the joy of the Spring Festival theyll keep that in mind, never forget.

春节是中国最老、最重要的一个传统节日。春节在威海，也是一项重要的节日。春节的开头曲是元旦，元旦是阳历的一月一日，虽然那时人们都在上班，可是晚上全家也会在一起喜气洋洋的吃饭。

到了二十三过小年，大家都更热闹了。大家晚上在一起吃饭，有说有笑。在一起开开心心的过小年，心里也很舒畅。

过完小年，大家都更忙了，大人们努力工作，想回家与家人一起过年。老人们买点菜、买点肉，买几幅对联，几张福字。把对联和福字贴起来，红红火火。

转眼到除夕了。大家都放假了。大家在家里收拾家，小孩子也帮忙。老人们下午就开始包饺子、做菜。到了晚上，大家在一起吃团圆饭，看春节晚会。吃完饭去祭祖，回来就守岁，没有人睡觉，直到新年的到来，直到凌晨才休息一会儿。

大年初一后，大家都出去走亲戚了，有的人在家里接待来拜年的人。也有的人用这几天假期的时间出去游山玩水，和家人一起旅游，直到假期结束了才回来上班。人们的高兴劲也没了，在家等待着春节的另一个高潮。

元宵节来了，大家又高兴起来了，大家去超市卖汤圆。到了晚上，大家先把汤圆熬熟了吃了。再吃做的肉、菜，最后吃饺子。吃完饭，大家都看电视，和家人一起，享受节日的快乐，这快乐的一天也慢慢走了。

过完元宵节，春节也过去了，孩子们又开始上学，大人们都开始上班了，又努力挣钱，孩子们又努力学习了。虽然春节已经过去，可是春节的快乐他们会记在心里，永远也不会忘记。

The Spring Festival is our Chinese nation an important festival to couplets, firecrackers, etc. staying-up late on new years Eve, pay New Years call. Different nationalities have different customs.

In the year thirty, our family changed new clothes and attached new Spring Festival couplets to welcome the arrival of the new year. In the evening, our family eats dumplings. The dumplings have a moral meaning: the money is rolling. Because dumplings are like a treasure, in ancient times Yuan Bao was money. Not certain staying-up late on new years Eve "spring", not "spring", there is no meaning staying-up late on new years eve. We were sitting on the sofa, laughing and laughing, watching the Spring Festival evening, and it was happy.

On the first day of the year, my father and I were sitting in their own car, walking on the new road. Although the cold wind was sharp, it was still very happy. When I arrived at Grandmas house, I got a big red bag with my grandmother for a year and thought: "Im rich this year!" And then the neighbours of grandmas neighborhood had a year of worship. Then came to the great uncles house, came to the great uncles house, and went to the paradise of the book, with the story, the science, the art... After dinner at the great uncles house, I received a red bag and some books, and I had to digest the books a little bit. Its a pleasure to come to the great uncles house.

Im really happy this year. Its a happy Spring Festival!

Dear John,

How time flies! Four moths have passed since we saw each other last time. I cannot help but miss you. You asked me about Chinese Spring Festival. Now I would like to tell you something about it。

The Spring Festival is a Chinese traditional festival. It is the most important and enjoyable one. A few days before the festival, houses are cleaned and red couplets are put up on the doors of every household. They are said to frighten away the ghosts. On that day, people are dressed up. Firecrackers ring out in the air, which adds to the atmosphere of the festival. People after a year’s hard work begin to relax and visit one another. Presents and dinners are given to celebrate the happy reunionof friends and relatives. Families get together. They have jiaozi and enjoy the New Year TV show. Customs may vary from place to place, but the same happy atmosphere is to be found everywhere in the country。

Now, I hope you have some idea of Chinese Spring Festival。

Best wishes,

Yours,

Li Hua

Spring festival is the most important festival in China. During Spring festival, people visit their relatives, sending their best wishes for a new year. Children are the happiest in spring festival. They will receive red envelopes that contain money as new year presents. They can also play crackers and fireworks. Whats more, they are given a lot of freedom, which they have dreammed of for a whole year. During Spring festival, there will be plenty of foods. Thats why many people put on "holiday weight" after Spring festival. When it comes to food, there are many festival specialties. The world famous Jiaozi and Chunjuan(spring roll) have even been accepted by foreigners as fast foods. Spring festival usually comes in Feburary, sometimes earlier. Its a festival full of hope and good wishes. Its a symbol of Chinese culture.

春节是中国最重要的节日。春节里，人们走亲访友，把新年的祝福送给彼此。孩子们在春节期间是最高兴的了。他们通常都会接到装着钱的红包作为新年礼物。他们还可以玩烟花爆竹。他们甚至会得到他们梦想了一整年的自由。春节期间，到处都是各种各样的食物。这就是为什么很多人在春节过后都得上“假期综合症”的原因了。说道食物，有很多带有节日特色的东西。闻名世界的饺子和春卷现在也被外国人作为速食而广泛接受。春节通常都在二月，有时候也会早点儿。春节是一个充满了美好祝愿和愿望的节日。它是中国文化的象征。

today is the first day of the chinese new year. i wear a new sweater and shoes. some one always take the presents and smile at every one. they wear red clothes.

you can play the firework but don’t play in the room. we can eat many chinese food ,zong-zi,jiao-zi…. today may be a good day,because many marry—cars running in the street.

older people always say today we must eat many good luck food.

今天是中国新年的第一天。我穿着新毛衣和鞋子。一些人总是把礼物,对每个人微笑。他们穿着红色的衣服。

你可以玩烟花,但不要玩在房间里。我们可以吃很多中国菜,啊粽子、饺子…。今天可能是一个美好的一天,因为许多marry-cars在街上跑步。

年长的人总是说今天我们必须吃许多好运的食物。

春节一般指正月初一，是一年的第一天，又叫阴历年，俗称“过年”;但在民间，传统意义上的春节是指从腊月的腊祭或腊月二十三或二十四的祭灶，一直到正月十九，其中以除夕和正月初一为高潮。在春节期间，中国的汉族和一些少数民族都要举行各种活动以示庆祝。

圣诞节(Christmas)又称耶诞节，译名为“基督弥撒”，西方传统节日，在每年12月25日。弥撒是教会的一种礼拜仪式。圣诞节是一个宗教节，因为把它当作耶稣的诞辰来庆祝，故名“耶诞节”。

大部分的天主教教堂都会先在24日的平安夜，亦即12月25日凌晨举行子夜弥撒，而一些基督教会则会举行报佳音，然后在12月25日庆祝圣诞节;基督教的另一大分支——东正教的圣诞节庆则在每年的1月7日。

圣诞节也是西方世界以及其他很多地区的公共假日，例如：在亚洲的香港、澳门、马来西亚和新加坡。圣经实际上并无记载耶稣诞生日期，圣诞节是后人公定的。

The chinese spring festival and the western christmas-中国的春节和西方的圣诞节

evely nation has its own folk festivals. Those festivals give people a chance to be away from their regular work and everyday worries to enjoy themselves and to develop kindship and fiiendship. The spring festival is the chief holiday in china while christmas is the most important redletter day in the western world.

the spring festival and christmas have much in common. Both are prepared hefiorehand to create a joyous atmosphere; both offer a family reunion with a square feast: and both satisfy the children with new clothes, lovely presents and delicious food. However, the chinese spring festival has no religious background while christmas has something to do with god and there is santa claus with white heard to bring children presents. The westerners send each other christmas cards for greetings while the chinese people pay a call on each other.

nowadays, some of the chinese youth has begun to celebrate christmas, following the example of the westerners. Perhaps they do so just for fun and out of curiosity.

春节到了！春节到了！

春节是我们中国最传统的节日。过春节之前，人们都喜欢将自己屋子打扫得干干净净，并在门上贴起“福”字，再挂上一幅对联，准备好美味佳肴，以慰劳自己一年来的辛苦；每个大街小巷，都张灯结彩，到处是红灯笼，中国节，真是一片热闹的、喜气洋洋的景象。

从年初一开始，中国人就会看望长辈，拜访亲朋好友，并送出精美的礼物和美好的祝福，表示自己的一片心意。除了拜访亲朋好友，看望长辈，送礼物和祝福以外，中国人还有一个传统的习俗，就是长辈要给比自己小一辈的人的儿子或女儿给压岁钱，这个习俗到现在都没有改变，只是面值变化了一下而已，像现在有的是100元的，有的是500元的，有的是600元的，有的是1000元的……

一般到了大年初一爸爸妈妈就去长辈家拜年；过了初一这个日子还可以去亲朋好友家拜年，也可以出去旅游或呆在家里。当然除了拜年和拿压岁钱以外，小孩子们最喜欢的“新年项目”就是放鞭炮、放烟花了。每到过春节，爸爸就给我买很多鞭炮和烟花，放在两个大箱子里，准备在年三十和年初一（年三十的十二点正）放。随着时代的变化，虽然鞭炮没变，但是烟花却变得形状各异，放出来的烟花也一年比一年更美丽。每当我想起那段放烟花的过程，我就觉得我的胆子大了。我每次都是点燃了火心，就马上跑得老远老远，因为我怕被烟花给炸伤了。当然我从来都没有被炸到过。特别是年三十十二点整，是最壮观的时候了，那个场景真可以用火树银花来形容，各种各样烟花争奇斗艳，在空中飞得高高，而且一个比一个高，一个比一个响。在午夜的十二点，显得极为壮观，每到了此时，我就会异常兴奋，异常开心，整个人都沉浸在夜色中，毫无睡意。

可到了春节后，中国又恢复了平静。

我想趁新年还没过完，祝大家新年快乐，万事如意！

The Spring Festival is coming! The Spring Festival is coming!

The Spring Festival is our most traditional festival in China. The Spring Festival, people will love their own room clean, and posted on the door of "happiness", and then hang a ready meal, antithetical couplet, treat yourself to years of hard work; each is decorated, everywhere is the high streets and back lanes, red lanterns, Chinese knots, it is a lively scene, bursting with happiness.

From the beginning of the year, Chinese people will visit their elders, visit relatives and friends, and send beautiful gifts and good blessings to express their own heart. In addition to visit relatives and friends, visit their elders, gifts and blessings, Chinese there is a traditional custom, is the elders to give younger people than their son or daughter to gift money, this custom to now have not changed, just change the value just like now, some 100 yuan, some 500 yuan, some 600 yuan, or 1000 yuan......

Usually in the new years day, mom and dad go to the elders to pay New Years call. When they pass the first day, they can visit new friends or relatives, and they can also go out to travel or stay at home. Of course, in addition to the new year and the money, childrens favorite "New Years new year program" is to set off firecrackers and fireworks. Every Spring Festival, my father buys me a lot of firecrackers and fireworks, and put them in two big boxes, ready for the first thirty of the year (thirty twelve in the year). With the change of the time, although the firecrackers did not change, but the fireworks have become different shapes, and the fireworks are more beautiful than the year. Whenever I think of the process of the fireworks, I think my courage is big. Every time I lit my heart, I ran far away, because I was afraid of being hurt by the fireworks. Of course Ive never been bombed. Especially the thirty years time is twelve oclock, the most spectacular, the scene really can be used to describe all kinds of fireworks, fireworks contests, flying in the sky high, and a more than a high, a more than a ring. At twelve oclock at midnight, it looks very spectacular. Every time I get there, I will be very excited and happy. The whole person will be drowning in the night without sleep.

But after the Spring Festival, China has returned to peace.

I want to take advantage of the new year. I wish you a happy new year and all the best.

my  plan  of  next  year

A new year ，a new start，when I stand on the edge of  a new year，I cant help thinking about my plan of next year.

Just as the old saying：“Well began is the half of the success.”So I decide that I should be at work while the others are still relaxing ，and then ，at the beginning ，Im quicker than the others and of course I will get better result than the others.

But ，what I really decide to do is that I must make good of anytime I can spare though it seems impossible. While，I will do my best to live up with what I have planned，and the result will prove it.

Again, the Spring Festival in the cheers of the children, the ringing of firecrackers in the morning, it quietly again.

For many children, the arrival of the Spring Festival is happy, they sing, they dance, to celebrate their festival day yue. But for me, the Spring Festival is not so good, the arrival of the Spring Festival, but cant bring me joy. Because, I am a child of the poor. I wake up in the morning, when the Spring Festival just think: "if I can get parents accident in the morning of New Years money, can have a lot of snacks to eat, that it would be great! When thought of here cant help jumped out of bed, but the cruel fact had to let me out of the fire of hope in my heart. Im a telling myself: dont be wishful thinking, you are children of the poor, and then, I only sitting silently in the doorway, looking at other children happy smiling face.

Is a series of firecrackers, put me back from the past. Yes, I its time to get up, though not parents money, and the wide variety of snacks, but bed.

I finished at very fast speed wash and dress, when I step out the door, hall scene caught my eye, thats right! That is my mom and dad put out snacks, thats right! When I think of this, mother walked to come over, the hand also took a new 50 yuan, with infinite care, said: "lili, happy New Year, this is your lucky money this year, with good, dont lost!" I was stunned. Asked: "mom, family situation is bad, we get lucky money stem what?" Mom smiled: "silly child, reform and opening up so long, my situation is much better, is mom and dad Im sorry you before, but later, dont have to be poor, you can rest assured with good." "There are snack, eat more." Im bouncing, ran to the front of the dim sum, caught a handful, happily pigged out.

I lean against the door, in one hand and a snack, a hand holding mother gave me money, then looked at the group of children playing nearby broke, listening to the adults said bless "get rich" in the New Year, and is that a proliferation of firecrackers, heart feel carefree!

春节又到了，在孩子们的欢呼声中，在清晨那清脆的爆竹声中，它再一次悄然而至。

对于众多孩子来说，春节的到来是令人高兴的，他们唱歌，他们跳舞，以庆祝他们的喜庆节曰。但对于我来说，春节没有这么好，春节的到来，却不能给我带来喜悦。因为，我是穷人家的孩子。每当春节早上我一醒来，就在想：“要是我早上能意外得到父母的压岁钱，能有好多的点心吃，那该有多好呀!每当想到这里便情不自禁地跳下床，可是，无情的事实不得不让我熄灭了心中的希望之火。我不得不再一次告诫自己：别再痴心妄想了，你是穷人家的孩子，然后，我只有默默地坐在门口，望着别家孩子们欢乐的笑脸。

又是一阵清脆的爆竹声，把我从往事中拉了回来。是啊，我该起床了，尽管得不到父母的压岁钱，还有那琳琅满目的点心，可床还是得起的。

我以极快的速度梳洗完毕，当我跨出房门时，厅堂里的一幕吸引了我的目光，没错!那是我爸妈摆放出来的点心，没错的!当我想到这时，妈妈走了过来，手里还拿了一张崭新的50元人民币，带着无限关爱说：“丽，新年快乐，这是你今年的压岁钱，拿好，别丢了!”我顿时惊呆了。问道：“妈，我们家庭状况不好，拿压岁钱干啥?”妈笑了笑：“傻孩子，改革开放这么久了，我家状况也好多了，以前是爸妈对不起你，但是以后，不用再受穷了，你就放心拿着好了。”“那边还有点心，多吃点。”我一蹦一跳，跑到点心前，抓了一大把，开心地吃了个痛快。

我靠着门边，一手拿着点心，一手捏着妈妈给我的压岁钱，再望着不远处那群孩子打闹的情景，听着大人们说着“新年发财”的祝语，耳畔是那此起彼伏的爆竹声，心中不觉畅快无比!

In our China, every household has to celebrate the Spring Festival in both urban and rural areas.

On the eve of the New Year, my mother took me to the market to buy New Years goods. There are a lot of people in the market. My mother and I bought a lot of New Years goods including melon seeds, peanuts, chickens, ducks, fish, meat, ham, cola and all kinds of famous tobacco. We also bought a lot of fireworks. Haha, we are so happy. At home, my mother swept the floor, my father wiped the floor, and my brother put the Spring Festival couplets on it. The Spring Festival couplets are written to congratulate you on your fortune and good luck. The sister posted the window flowers. My mother even brushed the wall white for the Spring Festival. Then grandpa came up and said, "lets celebrate this year." Then mother went to buy us red clothes, red clothes means auspicious red fire.

Listen to grandmother say "ancient times have a monster" year "often come out to do strange, destroy the farm, still eat children! But "year" is not afraid of nothing. It is said that "nian" has three fears, the fear of fire, the fear of guns, and the sound. So during the Spring Festival, we must shoot and wear red clothes.

On the day of Spring Festival, we happily dressed in beautiful red clothes. Shoot the gun, eat reunion dinner, together tuan tuan round the big year.

Similar to the importance of the Christmas Day for the westerners， the Spring Festival is the most important celebration for Chinese people. Although the meaning and the methods of celebration of the Spring Festival are changing with the time， the important status of the Spring Festival is incomparable.

Chinese Spring Festival has a long history， which is nearly four thousand years old. Initially， the festival had no name or fixed date However， people called Spring Festival “the age” according to the revolution period of Jupiter by B.C. 2100. Before B.C. 1000， people used “the year”， which means “Great Harvest” representing the Spring Festival.

According to the traditional custom， the Spring Festival lasts from the 23rd day of 12th lunar month to the 15th day of 1st lunar month， and the climax should be the New Year Eve and the first day of first lunar month.

类似于圣诞节对于西方人的重要性，春节是中国人最重要的节日。虽然庆祝春节的意义和方法随着时间的变化，春节的地位是无与伦比。

中国的春节有着悠久的历史，这是近四千岁。最初，该节没有名称或固定日期，然而，人们称为“春节”根据公元前2100年木星的革命时期的时代”。在公元前1000年，人们用“年”，这意味着“大丰收”代表的春节。

按照传统习俗，春节是从第十二月第二十三日至第一月第十五日，高潮应该是除夕和正月初一。

There is also a huge difference between Chinese and Western people. Chinese people use chopsticks and western people use fork and knife. Usually people who use fork and knife will use fork to hold the meat and cut it by knife and use fork to help to get that piece of meat into mouse. Chinese just use chopstick to pick things and pass it into your mouse.

Chinese people only have three meals during a day. But western people will have more, they have afternoon tea. Usually they would have fruits, homemade cake, tea (black tea) or biscuit with cheese. If you are a housewife and have a lot of time, you may have morning tea as well.

New Year Party

On New Year#39;s Eve，our class had a party. The atmosphere was good. It was out of the ordinary from the very begining. The boy student from one bedroom gave an unusual performance. We saw a boy named Li Xinmin turn off all the lights in a sudden snap. Then with three resounding(响亮的) crow of a cock echoing in the hall，the hall was again brightly lit in a snap.

Then，the representative of the bedroom Zhu Guozhang asked us to guess a line of a poem related to the above situation. He added that Li Xinmin alone was born in the year of the dog and the other three were all born in the year of the chicken. They left us all in confusion. And it was our monitor who was quickwitted(机智的). He shouted our， "The day breaks as the cock crows three times at dawn." The hall After that，they had another item. This time Li Xinmin was placed in the middle of the circle. While he was standing there，the other three stood around him，each bowing down to him at an angle of 120 degrees. It was an idiom. This time I got it right："The dog stands out among a group of chickens."

Before the Chinese Spring Festival,everyone is very busy.They want the Spring Festival to be a new beginning,so everyone is busy cleaning the room.They keep the room tidy.This is the first thing to welcome the Spring Festival.

The elderly take children to buy snacks and fireworks.But parents just stay at home to make tasty meals for dinner.On the evening of New Year’s Eve,my parents and my sister have dinner with me.We have a good time.After dinner,Oh!Yeah!My father is ready to give us red pockets.Oh,how nice the red pockets are!My sister and I both all say,“Peace all year round to my parents!Now,give us red pockets.” My parents give us the red pockets at once with a smile on their faces.

What a wonderful time we have!

I think “Everything goes well” this year!

the lunar new year is a great occasion to the chinese people. it lasts about the first four days of the year， during which people do not work except for the workers on duty. students do not go to school， and shops are closed.

several days before the new year， people begin to prepare. farmers kill pigs， sheep， cocks and hens. city dwellers buy meat fish and vegetables. houses are cleaned; coupletsare posted on the doors. colourful lanterns are hung at the gate.

on the eve of the new year， each family has its members gatherd together and eats a family reunion dinner. after the meal they watch tv until the clock strickes twelve. then every family sets off long strings of small firecrackers and other fire works to welcome the new year. on the first day of the new year， almost everyone is dressed in his or her best. when people meet on the way， they say to each other "happy new year". friends and relatives pay new year calls and gives presents to each other. children indulge themselves in games.

In china,the spring festivai is a special day,because it leave peoples hopes.The Spring Festival is the first month by lunar calendar and the beginning of new year.on spring festival eve,people can special purchase for The Spring Festival ,do spring festival shopping,light fireworks and paper cuts .on spring festival,children dress new clothes and eat delicious food ,they can put the smork flower.on the eveving ,people eat dumplings and watch post spring festival couplets.on the beginning of new year,children go to pay new years call and get gift money people wishes their relativas happy.

For example"wishing you prosperity ,everything is well,wishing youevery susses".lets happy Lunar New Year .

I had a great time in the Spring Festival this year. I put on my new clothes, got the age money, ate the reunion dinner, saw the Spring Festival evening, played the colorful fireworks...

Since I went to buy fireworks, I was looking forward to the thirty of the year. Finally, we were looking forward to the eve of the new years Eve. After the dinner, I could not wait to take the fireworks and mother to the downstairs. All of a sudden, a loud noise made me jump. It turned out that the uncle in the next door was putting fireworks. In a moment, the sound of firecrackers came in and out. "Its beautiful!" the colorful fireworks broke the sky and illuminated the earth. All kinds of fireworks in the sky for shine!

I quickly picked up the fireworks and ignited the "revolving gun", and I saw it shot a golden flame. When the flame was blown out, I began to put the "rocket". My mother lit the fuse, all of a sudden, 25, with the continuous sound to fly in the sky, the beautiful flowers blooming in the air. Dad came, he lit the "The heavenly maids scatter blossoms". The lead was squeaking, but it didnt happen for a long time. I crept forward to explore it. My mother pulled me: "dont go! Its dangerous." Mothers words havent finished, rubs the fireworks fly on the sky, startled me. "Close!" I fear the murmured. The fireworks exploded in the air, and really scattered like countless fairies of flowers in the sky like fairies. In the twinkling of an eye, small petals turned into a small parachute and landed in the air, which was beautiful.

This day is the happiest day of my Spring Festival.

Although the fireworks are good, the beauty and lack of beauty is to make the environment of our city affected.

I like spring festival because we are very happy on that day.Last festival we had a good time and I will never forget it.In the morning all my family were busy preparing for it.I helped to clean the house and my parents were cooking some delicious food.On that afternoon we had a big dinner.At night we made jiaozi and set off fireworks to celebrate the festival.In the meanwhile we watched TV.My parents gave me much lucky money.The next morning we said happy new year to everybody from door to door.

Waking up on New Year， everybody dresses up。 First they extend greetings to their parents。 Then each child will get money as a New Year gift， wrapped up in red paper。 People in northern China will eat jiaozi， or dumplings， for breakfast， as they think "jiaozi" in sound means "bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new"。 Also， the shape of the dumpling is like gold ingot from ancient China。 So people eat them and wish for money and treasure。

Southern Chinese eat niangao (New Year cake made of glutinous rice flour) on this occasion， because as a homophone， niangao means "higher and higher， one year after another。" The first five days after the Spring Festival are a good time for relatives， friends， and classmates as well as colleagues to exchange greetings， gifts and chat leisurely。

China has 56 ethnic groups。 Minorities celebrate their Spring Festival almost the same day as the Han people， and they have different customs。

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon（新月）on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon（满月）15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival（元宵节）, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.?

The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle（月运周期）is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year （闰年）. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth（万物）, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.?

The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals（仪式）, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.?

The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year’s Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the stove" or Weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.