中國傳統(tǒng)文化(英文)

SpringFestival

TheSpringFestivalfallsonthe1stdayofthe1stlunarmonth,oftenonemonthlaterthantheGregoriancalendar.ItoriginatedintheShangDynasty(c.1600BC-c.1100BC)fromthepeople'ssacrificetogodsandancestorsattheendofanoldyearandthebeginningofanewone.

Strictlyspeaking,theSpringFestivalstartseveryyearintheearlydaysofthe12thlunarmonthandwilllasttillthemid1stlunarmonthofthenextyear.Ofthem,themostimportantdaysareSpringFestivalEveandthefirstthreedays.TheChinesegovernmentnowstipulatespeoplehavesevendaysofffortheChineseLunarNewYear.

ManycustomsaccompanytheSpringFestival.Somearestillfollowedtoday,butothershaveweakened.TheChinesecharacter"fu"(meaningblessingorhappiness)isamust.Thecharacterputonpapercanbepastednormallyorupsidedown,forinChinesethe"reversedfu"ishomophonicwith"fucomes",bothbeingpronouncedas"fudaole."What'smore,twobigredlanternscanberaisedonbothsidesofthefrontdoor.Redpaper-cuttingscanbeseenonwindowglassandbrightlycoloredNewYearpaintingswithauspiciousmeaningsmaybeputonthewall.TheLanternFestivalTheLanternFestivalisonthe15thdayofthe1stlunarmonth.PeopleusuallyeatTangYuanonthatdayTangYuanarericeballsmadeofglutinousriceflourservedinsoup,theyhavedifferentstuffing,suchassugar,sesameorsweetenedbeanpasteTomb-sweepingDayTheQingming(PureBrightness)Festivalisoneofthe24seasonaldivisionpointsinChina,fallingonApril4-6eachyear.Afterthefestival,thetemperaturewillriseupandrainfallincreases.Itisthehightimeforspringplowingandsowing.ButtheQingmingFestivalisnotonlyaseasonalpointtoguidefarmwork,itismoreafestivalofcommemoration.TheQingmingFestivalseesacombinationofsadnessandhappiness.TheHanshi(ColdFood)FestivalwasusuallyonedaybeforetheQingmingFestival.AsourancestorsoftenextendedthedaytotheQingming,theywerelatercombined.OneachQingmingFestival,allcemeteriesarecrowdedwithpeoplewhocametosweeptombsandoffersacrifices.Trafficonthewaytothecemeteriesbecomesextremelyjammed.Thecustomshavebeengreatlysimplifiedtoday.Afterslightlysweepingthetombs,peopleofferfood,flowersandfavoritesofthedead,thenburnincenseandpapermoneyandbowbeforethememorialtablet.DragonBoatFestival

TheDragonBoatFestivalistraditionallycelebratedonthefifthdayofthefifthmonthonthelunarcalendar.WeeatZongZionthatday.ZongZiisakindofricedumplingwrappedinreedleavestoformapyramidDoubleSeventhFestival

TheDoubleSeventhFestival,onthe7thdayofthe7thlunarmonth,isatraditionalfestivalfullofromance.ItoftengoesintoAugustintheGregoriancalendar.Thisfestivalisinmid-summerwhentheweatheriswarmandthegrassandtreesrevealtheirluxuriousgreens.Atnightwhentheskyisdottedwithstars,andpeoplecanseetheMilkyWayspanningfromthenorthtothesouth.Oneachbankofitisabrightstar,whichseeeachotherfromafar.TheyaretheCowherdandWeaverMaid,andaboutthemthereisabeautifullovestorypasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration.TheMid-autumnFestival

TheMid-autumnFestivalistraditionallycelebratedonthefifteenthdayoftheeighthmonthonthelunarcalendarDoubleNinthFestival

The9thdayofthe9thlunarmonthisthetraditionalChongyangFestival,orDoubleNinthFestival.ItusuallyfallsinOctoberintheGregoriancalendar.InanancientandmysteriousbookYiJing,orTheBookofChanges,number"6"wasthoughttobeofYincharacter,meaningfeminineornegative,whilenumber"9"wasthoughttobeYang,meaningmasculineorpositive.SothenumbernineinbothmonthanddaycreatetheDoubleNinthFestival,orChongyangFestival.ChonginChinesemeans"double."Also,asdoubleninthwaspronouncedthesameasthewordtosignify"forever",bothare"JiuJiu,"theChineseancestorsconsidereditanauspiciousdayworthcelebration.That'swhyancientChinesebegantocelebratethisfestivallongtimeago.Thecustomofascendingaheighttoavoidepidemicswaspasseddownfromlongtimeago.Therefore,theDoubleNinthFestivalisalsocalled"HeightAscendingFestival".Theheightpeoplewillreachisusuallyamountainoratower.Ancientliteraryfigureshaveleftmanypoemsdepictingtheactivity.Eventoday,peoplestillswarmtofamousorlittleknownmountainsonthisdayIn1989,theChinesegovernmentdecidedtheDoubleNinthFestivalasSeniors'Day.Sincethen,allgovernmentunits,organizationsandstreetscommunitieswillorganizeanautumntripeachyearforthosewhohaveretiredfromtheirposts.Atthewatersideoronthemountains,theseniorswillfindthemselvesmergedintonature.Youngergenerationswillbringelderonestosuburbanareasorsendgiftstothemonthisday.WinterSolsticeFestival

Asearlyas2,500yearsago,abouttheSpringandAutumnPeriod(770-476BC),ChinahaddeterminedthepointofWinterSolsticebyobservingmovementsofthesunwithasundial.Itistheearliestofthe24seasonaldivisionpoints.ThetimewillbeeachDecember22or23accordingtotheGregoriancalendar.TheNorthernhemisphereonthisdayexperiencestheshortestdaytimeandlongestnighttime.AftertheWinterSolstice,dayswillbecomelongerandlonger.AsancientChinesethought,theyang,ormuscular,positivethingswillbecomestrongerandstrongerafterthisday,soitshouldbecelebrated.InsomepartsofNorthernChina,peopleeatdumplingsouponthisday;whileresidentsofsomeotherplaceseatdumplings,sayingdoingsowillkeepthemfromfrostintheupcomingwinter.ButinpartsofSouthChina,thewholefamilywillgettogethertohaveamealmadeofred-beanandglutinousricetodriveawayghostsandotherevilthings.Inotherplaces,peoplealsoeattangyuan