1 大年初一danian chuyi; Chinese New Year’s Day
正月初一，农历新年的第一天，是中国最隆重的传统节日。大年初一早晨，家家户户开门第一件事便是燃放红皮爆竹，象征新一年的日子红红火火。接下来会贴春联、走亲访友相互拜年、长辈还会给晚辈发压岁钱，祈求新年大吉大利。民间认为人们在大年初一做的事情会影响一整年的运气，因此有许多禁忌，如不扫地、不倒垃圾、不往外倒水以免好运气流失。
The Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the first lunar month. This is the most important traditional festival in China. On the morning of New Year’s Day, Chinese people open their doors and set off red firecrackers, symbolizing hopes for good luck in the New Year. Next, people paste Spring Festival couplets and visit relatives and friends. Elders also give red envelopes filled with money to their children as a symbol of good fortune in the coming new year. It is believed that what one does on New Year’s Day will affect one’s luck throughout the rest of the year. Therefore, there are many taboos during this time. For example, one should not sweep the floor, dump out garbage, or pour out water on this day to avoid losing out on good luck.
2 爆竹baozhu; firecracker
节庆用品，亦称“炮仗”“鞭炮”。放鞭炮庆贺新春这一传统民俗在我国已有两千多年的历史，相传最初是为了在除夕驱赶山臊恶鬼。最早的爆竹是把竹节丢进火堆，使之在火堆中爆烈发出很响的声音。随着火药的发明，唐时人们开始把火药装在竹筒里燃放，响声更大。北宋民间出现了用纸包卷火药制成的“爆竹”和专门生产爆仗的作坊，后来出现了连响、双响等各式各样的花炮。放鞭炮如今已成为一种有民族特色的庆祝节日的娱乐活动，也是民间举行婚礼等庆典仪式的重要组成部分。
An item used during festivals, also called “paozhang” or “bianpao” in Chinese. The traditional custom of setting off firecrackers to celebrate the Lunar New Year has a history of over 2,000 years. These firecrackers are said to drive away a monster on New Year's Eve.
The earliest firecrackers were created by throwing bamboo into a bonfire to produce a large noise like a loud bang. With the invention of gunpowder during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), people began putting gunpowder into thick bamboo tubes to produce a louder noise. Later in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), special workshops emerged that produced firecrackers by wrapping gunpowder with paper. Later on, various continuous-bang and double-bang firecrackers were created.
Setting off firecrackers has become a unique way of celebrating festivals. This important national custom is an important component of weddings and other folk celebrations.
3 年夜饭nianye fan; New Year's Eve dinner; Chinese New Year reunion dinner
中国传统年节习俗之一，指除夕夜阖家团圆，共进丰盛晚餐。年夜饭一般包括鸡、鱼、饺子及各种肉类、瓜果蔬菜。“鸡”和“吉”谐音，象征“吉利、吉祥”；“鱼”和“余”谐音，象征年年有余。吃饭前需先祭神拜祖，吃饭时多说吉祥语以讨吉利。年夜饭是中国人最重要的一顿晚餐，是家庭和睦的象征，充分体现了中华民族对于家庭的重视。
Traditional family reunion dinner held at the Chinese New Year's Eve. Dishes commonly served include chicken, fish, dumplings, meat, fruits, and vegetables. Chicken, which is pronounced ji in Chinese, is a homophone for “auspiciousness” and fish (yu) is a homophone for “surplus” indicating abundance for each year. Before dinner, family members worship the gods and their ancestors. When they begin to eat, they say lots of auspicious things, hoping for good luck.
Family reunion dinners mark the most important gatherings for Chinese people. They also symbolize family harmony and fully demonstrate that Chinese people highly value their families.
4 年糕niangao; Chinese New Year cake; Spring Festival cake
中国农历春节传统食品，是一种用有黏性的米或米粉做成的糕点。有红、白、黄三色，口味因地区而异。北方的年糕以甜为主，南方则甜咸兼具。在做法上，有蒸、炸、炒或煮汤，各地制法不一。年糕谐音“年高”，有一年更比一年好、年年高升的吉祥含义，几乎我国各地都有春节吃年糕的风俗。
Traditional food served during the Spring Festival. Niangao is a kind of cake made of glutinous rice or rice flour. It comes in three different decorative colors, namely red, white, and yellow. Its taste varies in different regions. It is mainly sweet in northern China while it is both sweet and salty in southern China. It is produced in different ways according to the regions. Generally speaking, it is prepared by steaming, deep-frying, stir-frying, or boiling in a soup.
Niangao indicates that one will be “higher” in the New Year (this is the result of a homonym in Chinese). This implies that one may, for example, be promoted to a better or higher post in the coming new year, which is undoubtedly an auspicious event. Accordingly, people eat niangao all over China.
5 饺子jiaozi; Chinese dumpling
中国传统特色面食，有馅，半圆形。中国北方地区，除夕夜有全家人围坐在一起包饺子过年的传统。包饺子首先要和面做成饺子皮，再用皮包上馅，用清水煮熟，捞起后可蘸着醋、蒜末、香油一起吃。饺子馅可荤可素，可咸可甜，各种肉、蛋、海鲜、蔬菜均可入馅。同时还有炸饺子、烙饺子（锅贴）等吃法。饺子的形状像元宝，因此饺子具有团圆相聚、招财进宝的吉祥含义。过年人们包饺子时还会在其中一两个内放糖、枣、硬币等，寓意吃到这些饺子的人来年会有好运气。现在，饺子已是中国人的日常食物，不只是在春节时才吃。
Traditional Chinese food that is shaped in a half-circle and filled with stuffing. It is customary for family members to get together and make dumplings on Chinese New Year's Eve in northern China.
Common ingredients include meat, eggs, seafood, and vegetables. After the stuffing is prepared, the dough is kneaded to form the dumpling skin. Then, small circles of skin are laid out and small amounts of stuffing are placed in each circle. They are then rolled over and bound to form the dumplings. When they are all prepared, they are usually boiled though they can also be fried (called pot stickers). After they are cooked, people eat them by first dipping them into a sauce consisting of vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic, and sesame oil.
Dumplings are shaped like ancient Chinese gold ingots, symbolizing auspicious reunion and good fortune. People may also put sugar, dates, and coins in one or two of the dumplings as a game, believed that whoever chooses to eat these dumplings will have good luck in the coming year.
Dumplings have since become a common food in China, and are not exclusively eaten during the Spring Festival.
6 守岁shousui; staying up all night on Chinese New Year's Eve
中国民间除夕习俗。除夕夜，全家人吃过年夜饭后，围炉夜话，通宵不眠, 灯火不灭, 等待旧年过去，迎接新年到来。守岁有两种含义：年长者守岁为“辞旧岁”，表示珍惜光阴的意思；年轻人守岁是为父母延寿。
A folk custom on Chinese New Year's Eve. On the evening after the New Year's Eve dinner, the whole family gathers together to talk and stay up all night to usher in the New Year and see off the old one. Shousui has two meanings: for the elderly, it means to cherish each moment; for the young, shousui means to elongate the life of their parents.
7 拜年bai nian; paying a New Year visit
中国春节传统习俗之一，又称“贺岁”。春节期间人们拜访长辈、亲戚、朋友，祝贺新年的到来并互致新年祝福，称为“拜年”。拜年一般从正月初一起持续到正月十五。拜年一般先家人后亲朋。按照旧习俗，给家族中年长者拜年，要带拜年礼并行跪拜礼。随着科技的发展，通过手机微信拜年已成为新时尚。
A traditional Chinese Spring Festival custom. It is also referred to as hesui-extending a New Year's greeting. During the Spring Festival, people visit their elders, relatives, and friends to congratulate the arrival of the new year and also to bestow good wishes.
This custom usually begins on New Year's Day and continues to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. People usually first visit their closer family members and then their relatives and friends.
According to old customs, when visiting a middle-aged or senior relative, one should bring a present and perform a kowtow. With the development of modern technology, people enjoy using the mobile app WeChat to practice this custom.
8 压岁钱yasui qian; money given to children as new year present; new year's gift money
中国民间年俗的节物之一。“岁”与“祟”谐音，“祟”指鬼神带来的灾祸。人们认为小孩容易受鬼祟的侵害，因此除夕团年饭后，长辈要将事先准备好、用红纸包着的压岁钱分发给晚辈，寓意辟邪驱鬼，保佑他们在新的一年里健康吉利、平平安安。这一习俗至今仍盛行不衰，不过时间不严格局限在除夕夜，也可以在春节期间拜年的时候给。
Money given to children for good luck during the New Year. 岁 (year, age), pronounced suì, sounds the same as 祟 (the disasters that evil spirits can bring). Chinese people believe that children are prone to getting harmed by evil spirits. After the New Year's Eve dinner, seniors of the family would gift the children red envelopes filled with money called yasui qian, hoping that it would ward off evil forces and bring them good luck and health in the year to come.
This remains a popular custom till this day, but the occasion for giving yasui qian is no longer limited to the New Year's Eve; it can also be given at the first few days of the new year when children come with their parents for a visit.
9 祭财神ji caishen; worship of the God of Wealth
中国民间传统祭祀习俗，时间因地区而异，南方为正月初五、北方为正月初二。人们在该日会打开大门和窗户、燃香、点爆竹、放烟花、供奉鱼肉、羊肉、鸡肉等迎接财神，保佑来年财源广进、大富大贵。有的地方人们还会到寺庙烧香求财，渴望发财致富。
A traditional Chinese folk worship custom. It is observed at different times in different regions. In southern China, it is held on the fifth day of the first lunar month, and in northern China it is held on the second day of the first lunar month.
On this day, Chinese people open their doors and windows, light incense, set off firecrackers, and offer such sacrifices as fish, lamb, and chicken to the God of Wealth, who they hope will bless them with great fortune and good luck over the next year. In some localities, people go to temples to burn incense and pray for wealth.
10 庙会miaohui; temple fair
中国传统岁时节令活动，又称“庙市”，一般在春节、元宵节、二月二龙抬头等节日举行。南北朝时期，佛教盛行、寺庙殿宇众多。每逢举行盛大宗教活动，人们都聚集到寺庙周围。小商贩们为了给游人和信徒提供货物，在寺庙道路两边摆起小摊，形成了集市。因起源于寺庙周围，所以称为“庙会”。久而久之，“庙会”演变成了如今节日期间，特别是春节期间的商贸、娱乐活动。现在的庙会除了商业活动外，还有手工艺展、杂耍曲艺等休闲娱乐活动。
Traditional Chinese event usually held during the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, and the Dragon Head-Raising Festival.
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589), Buddhism flourished and many temples were built. During religious festivals, people would gather at the temples. This prompted vendors to set up booths along the temple roads, which gradually transformed into a market. Because of their location, people referred to them as "temple fairs."
The markets gradually expanded to include entertainment and other activities such as arts and crafts exhibitions, variety shows, and recreational events of all kinds. These fairs are especially popular during the Spring Festival.
信息来源：中国外文局
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