The origin of the Chinese New Year is itself centuries old - in fact,too old to actually be traced.It is popularly recognised as the Spring Festival and celebrations last 15 days.
Preparations tend to begin a month from the date of the Chinese New Year (similar to a Western Christmas),when people start buying presents,decoration materials,food and clothing.
A huge clean-up gets underway days before the New Year,when Chinese houses are cleaned from top to bottom,to sweep away any traces of bad luck,and doors and windowpanes are given a new coat of paint,usually red.The doors and windows are then decorated with paper cuts and couplets with themes such as happiness,wealth and longevity printed on them.
The eve of the New Year is perhaps the most exciting part of the event,as anticipation creeps in.Here,traditions and rituals are very carefully observed in everything from food to clothing.
Dinner is usually a feast of seafood and dumplings,signifying different good wishes.Delicacies include prawns,for liveliness and happiness,dried oysters (or ho xi),for all things good,raw fish salad or yu sheng to bring good luck and prosperity,Fai-hai (Angel Hair),an edible hair-like seaweed to bring prosperity,and dumplings boiled in water (Jiaozi) signifying a long-lost good wish for a family.
It's usual to wear something red as this colour is meant to ward off evil spirits - but black and white are out,as these are associated with mourning.After dinner,the family sit up for the night playing cards,board games or watching TV programmes dedicated to the occasion.At midnight,the sky is lit up by fireworks.
On the day itself,an ancient custom called Hong Bao,meaning Red Packet,takes place.This involves married couples giving children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes.Then the family begins to say greetings from door to door,first to their relatives and then their neighbours.Like the Western saying "let bygones be bygones," at Chinese New Year,grudges are very easily cast aside.
The end of the New Year is marked by the Festival of Lanterns,which is a celebration with singing,dancing and lantern shows.
Although celebrations of the Chinese New Year vary,the underlying message is one of peace and happiness for family members and friends.
我自己做的翻译
农历新年的起源是它几个世纪的历史岁月,事实上,这由于年代过于久远而无法被准确的追溯.人们通常称之为春节并庆祝长达15天的时间.
准备的工作通常在农历新年（类似于西方的圣诞节）之前的一个月就已经展开,也就是人们开始购买礼物,装饰品,材料,衣服和食物.
大扫除会在新年之前展开,华人的房屋会被彻底的打扫,扫去厄运,给门和窗子上新漆,通常都是红色的.在门和窗子上贴上剪纸和印有喜气,长寿,发财主体的对联.年三十夜或许是最激动人心的部分,如预期般的悄悄接近.这里,服装和食物上都体现着族传统礼仪的遵从.
晚餐,通常都是饺子和海鲜酒席.象征着不同的美好祝愿,微妙的东西包括有虾来祝愿幸福快乐,干贝祝愿完事顺利,生鱼来祝愿好运和繁荣.Fai-hai 一种像头发般的可食用海藻带来繁荣的祝愿,水饺意味着对家庭的美好祝愿.
通常穿上红色的衣服,认为这种颜色可以避邪.但是绝不穿黑色和白色的.那些颜色通常和悲痛相联系.饭后家人们不睡,玩棋牌,看电视节目都融入于这种气氛.深夜,天空被烟花所点亮.
在农历新年当天,有一个古老的传统叫做红包,意思就是红色的小包.就是已婚的夫妇给小孩和未婚的成年人装在红信封里的钱.而后一家人开始串门问候,先去他们的亲戚家,而后是邻居.就如西方所说的,让过去的就成为过去吧.在农历新年,过去的过劫非常容易就被抛开了.
新年的最后一天被称为灯笼节,以唱歌跳舞观灯笼的方式来庆祝.
虽然庆祝农历新年的方式很多,但其根本意义是,家庭和朋友的幸福快乐.
