春节必读用语

春节必读用语

Greeting Season:

（庆祝节日）

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

Food names:

（食品名）

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

汤圆

Tang-yuan; dumplings made of sweet

rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with

either sweet or spicy fillings

八宝饭

eight treasures rice pudding

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

糖莲子

candied lotus seed - many

descendents to come

糖藕

candied lotus root - fulfilling love

relationship

红枣

red dates - prosperity

花生糖

peanut candy - sweet

Customs:

（风俗习惯）

祝你新的一年快乐幸福

Wish you happiness and

prosperity in the coming year!

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

年画

New Year paintings

买年货

special purchases for the Spring

Festival do Spring Festival shopping

敬酒

propose a toast

灯笼

lantern: a portable light