Spring Festival Words

　　Greeting Season:

　　春節 The Spring Festival

　　農歷 lunar calendar

　　正月 lunar January; the first month by lunar calendar

　　除夕 New Year eve of lunar New Year

　　初一 the beginning of New Year

　　元宵節 The Lantern Festival

　　Customs:

　　過年 Guo-nian; have the Spring Festival

　　對聯 poetic couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry

　　春聯 Spring Festival couplets

　　剪紙 paper-cuts

　　年畫 New Year paintings

　　買年貨 special purchases for the Spring Festival ; do Spring Festival shopping

　　敬酒 propose a toast

　　燈籠 lantern: a portable light

　　煙花 fireworks

　　爆竹 firecrackers

　　紅包 red packets

　　舞獅 lion dance

　　舞龍 dragon dance

　　戲曲 traditional opera

　　雜耍 variety show; vaudeville

　　燈謎 riddles written on lanterns

　　燈會 exhibit of lanterns

　　守歲 staying-up

　　拜年 pay New Year give New Years greetings; New Years visit

　　禁忌 taboo

　　去晦氣 get rid of the ill- fortune

　　祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to ones ancestors

　　壓歲錢 gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift

　　Culture Note: In the old days, New Years 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

　　辭舊歲 bid farewell to the old year

　　掃房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning

　　Blessing:

　　Treasures fill the home Business flourishes Peace all year round Wishing you prosperity

　　Harmony brings wealth May all your wishes come true Everything goes well The country flourishes and people live in peace

　　Money and treasures will be plentiful Wishing you every success Promoting to a higher position Safe trip wherever you go

　　祝你新的一年快樂幸福: Wish you happiness and prosperity in the coming year!

　　事業成功，家庭美滿: Wish you success in your career and happiness of your family!

　　Food names:

　　年糕 Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake

　　團圓飯 family reunion dinner

　　年夜飯 the dinner on New Years Eve

　　餃子 Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli

　　湯圓 Tang-yuan; dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or

　　spicy fillings

　　八寶飯 eight treasures rice pudding

　　Spring Festival Words

　　Greeting Season:

　　春節 The Spring Festival

　　農歷 lunar calendar

　　正月 lunar January; the first month by lunar calendar

　　除夕 New Year eve of lunar New Year

　　初一 the beginning of New Year

　　元宵節 The Lantern Festival

　　Customs:

　　過年 Guo-nian; have the Spring Festival

　　對聯 poetic couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry

　　春聯 Spring Festival couplets

　　剪紙 paper-cuts

　　年畫 New Year paintings

　　買年貨 special purchases for the Spring Festival ; do Spring Festival shopping

　　敬酒 propose a toast

　　燈籠 lantern: a portable light

　　煙花 fireworks

　　爆竹 firecrackers

　　紅包 red packets

　　舞獅 lion dance

　　舞龍 dragon dance

　　戲曲 traditional opera

　　雜耍 variety show; vaudeville

　　燈謎 riddles written on lanterns

　　燈會 exhibit of lanterns

　　守歲 staying-up

　　拜年 pay New Year give New Years greetings; New Years visit

　　禁忌 taboo

　　去晦氣 get rid of the ill- fortune

　　祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to ones ancestors

　　壓歲錢 gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift

　　Culture Note: In the old days, New Years 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

　　辭舊歲 bid farewell to the old year

　　掃房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning

　　Blessing:

　　Treasures fill the home Business flourishes Peace all year round Wishing you prosperity

　　Harmony brings wealth May all your wishes come true Everything goes well The country flourishes and people live in peace

　　Money and treasures will be plentiful Wishing you every success Promoting to a higher position Safe trip wherever you go

　　祝你新的一年快樂幸福: Wish you happiness and prosperity in the coming year!

　　事業成功，家庭美滿: Wish you success in your career and happiness of your family!

　　Food names:

　　年糕 Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake

　　團圓飯 family reunion dinner

　　年夜飯 the dinner on New Years Eve

　　餃子 Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli

　　湯圓 Tang-yuan; dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or

　　spicy fillings

　　八寶飯 eight treasures rice pudding