Chinese Spring Festival - Part 3 Event

1.What's Eaten on the Eve of the Spring Festival

除夕夜吃什么？

• Northern China

People in northern China usually eat dumplings (jiaozi，饺子) on Spring Festival Eve. Because dumplings look like silver or gold ingots (yuanbao) used as currency during the Ming dynasty, and as the name sounds like the word for the earliest paper money (jiaozi,交子) that emerged in Song dynasty, serving them is believed to bring wealth and prosperity. For luck, people put candy in dumplings. The ones who eat dumplings with candy are believed to have a sweet life in the coming new year.

A clean coin will also be put into some of the dumplings.

It's said that the one who eats the dumpling with a coin in it will become wealthy in the next year.

• 北方：

北方人在除夕夜通常吃饺子，因为饺子看起来像明朝时流通的货币金银元宝，而且饺子这个名字听起来和宋朝出现的最早的纸币“交子”同音，人们相信吃饺子可以带来财富和繁荣。为了好运，饺子里被放入糖果，人们相信吃到有糖果的饺子的人新的一年里的生活会像糖果一样甜蜜。一些饺子里还会放入干净的硬币，吃到饺子里有硬币的人来年会很富有。

• Southern China

People in southern China commonly eat 'year cake' (niangao) or 'rice balls'(tangyuan,汤圆) on Spring Festival Eve . Niangao means 'increasing prosperity' because the name of it sounds the same as the word for 'year high' (niangao, 年高). Similarly, tangyuan means family reunion. Eating these two kinds of food are believed to bring good luck for the coming  year.

• 南方：

南方人在除夕夜通常吃年糕和汤圆。因为“年糕”与“年高”同音，所以年糕被赋予“日益繁荣”的寓意。同样，汤圆意味着家庭团聚。人们认为吃这两样食物会给他们来年的生活带来好运。

2. Chinese Spring Festival Activities

春节活动

• Northern China

On Spring Festival Eve, family members are reunited at home and wait for the New Year bell to ring by playing poker or mahjong. In the northeast, there is a traditional outdoor Spring Festival activity, called Yangkou dance(niuyangge, 扭秧歌).  Yangkou dance can be seen on almost every main street, which adds a sense of excitement and joy to the Spring Festival.

• 北方：

除夕夜全家人团聚在家一边玩扑克和麻将一边等待新年钟声的敲响。在东北，有一种传统的户外春节活动，叫扭秧歌。春节期间几乎在每条主街上都能看到秧歌舞，这给春节增添了一份热闹和喜悦的气氛。

• Southern China

Compared with northern China, southern China has lantern displays, for example in Shanghai's City God Temple. In Guangdong province, many flower fairs can be seen in cities during the Spring Festival. People go there to buy flowers for relatives and friends to express their Spring Festival best wishes. Other than flower fairs, Guangdong will perform a dragon and lion dance, which is a traditional outdoor activity in Guangdong celebrating the Spring Festival. This activity has now become a major Spring Festival celebration overseas.

• 南方：

与北方相比，南方有灯展，比如上海的城隍庙。在广东省，春节期间会有很多城市举办花会，人们去花市买花送给亲朋好友来表达他们最诚挚的春节祝福。除了花会，广东还有传统的春节庆祝活动——舞龙舞狮表演。这项活动已经成为海外春节的主要庆祝活动。

3. Worshiping Ancestors

祭祖

• Northern China

People in the north worship ancestors in their own home or on a nearby street. On the eve of the Spring Festival, family members put tributes on altars, burn incense and 'paper money' and set off firecrackers.

北方：

北方人在自己家或附近街道上进行祭祖。除夕前夜，家人会在祭台上供奉祭品，烧香，烧纸钱和放鞭炮。

• Southern China

The Spring Festival ancestor worship in the south is more ceremonious. The whole family  commemorate their ancestors in memorial temples, where they put tributes on altars and set off firecrackers. The longer the firecrackers, the more  the family will prosper.

南方：

南方的春节祭祖会更隆重些。全家人会在自家的祠堂供奉祭品和放鞭炮来纪念他们的祖先。鞭炮越长预示着家族越兴旺。