stepbystep趣味英语春节小知识

2021年1月7日发(作者：许文益)
【趣味英语】春节小知识

除夕夜，【每日英语】祝大家新年快乐，万事如意！
【基本词汇与短语】：
【Greeting Season】:

春节 The Spring Festival 农历 lunar calendar

正月 lunar January; the first month by lunar calendar

除夕 New Year‘s Eve; eve of lunar New Year

初一 the beginning of New Year 元宵节 The Lantern Festival

【Customs】：
过年 Guo- nian; have the Spring Festival

对联 poetic couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry

春联 Spring Festival couplets 剪纸 paper-cuts
买年货 special purchases for the Spring Festival do Spring Festival shopping

年画 New Year paintings 敬酒 propose a toast

灯笼 lantern: a portable light 烟花 fireworks

爆竹 firecrackers (People scare off evil spirits and ghosts with the loud pop.)

红包 red packets (cash wrapped up in red paper, symbolize fortune and wealth in the coming
year.)

舞狮 lion dance (The lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring good luck.)

舞龙 dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests)

戏曲 traditional opera 杂耍 variety show; vaudeville

灯谜 riddles written on lanterns 灯会 exhibit of lanterns

守岁 staying-up 禁忌 taboo

拜年 pay New Year‘s call; give New Year‘s greetings; New Year‘s visit

去晦气 get rid of the ill- fortune

祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to one‘s ancestors

压岁钱 gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift

【Culture Note】：In the old days, New Year‘s money was given in the form of one hundred
copper coins strung together on a red string and symbolized the hope that one would live to be a
hundred years old. Today, money is placed inside red envelopes in denominations considered
auspicious and given to represent luck and wealth

辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year

扫房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning

【Food names】：
年糕 Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake

团圆饭 family reunion dinner 年夜饭 the dinner on New Year‘s Eve

饺子 Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli 八宝饭 eight treasures rice pudding
汤圆 Tang-yuan; dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or
spicy fillings

糖果盘 candy tray: 什锦糖 assorted candies - sweet and
fortune

蜜冬瓜 candied winter melon - growth and good health

西瓜子 red melon seed - joy, happiness, truth and sincerity

金桔 cumquat - prosperity 红枣 red dates - prosperity

糖莲子 candied lotus seed - many descendents to come