English Phrases About Chinese New Year Customs

Lunar calendar

First lunar January; the first month by lunar calendar

New Year's Eve; eve of lunar New Year

the beginning of the New Year

The Lantern Festival

New Year's Day; have the Spring Festival

Couplet: two successive couplets of the lunar calendar

New Year's Eve; the first month by lunar calendar

New Year's Eve. couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry

Spring Festival couplets

Paper-cuts paper-cuts

Buying New Year's goods special purchases for the Spring Festival; do Spring Festival shopping

New Year paintings

Toast propose a toast

Lantern lantern: a portable light

Fireworks

Firecrackers

Smoking fireworks<

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

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

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

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

Opera traditional opera

variety show; vaudeville

riddles written on lanterns

exhibit of lanterns

stay-up staying-up taboo

pay New Year's call; give New Year's greetings; New Year's visit

New Year's visit

New Year's riddles written on lanterns

Traditional opera 's visit

get rid of the ill- fortune

offer sacrifices to one's ancestors

gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year's Day gift money. given to children as a lunar New Year gift

Bid farewell to the old year

Sweeping the house spring cleaning; general house-cleaning

Cake Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake

Family reunion dinner the dinner on New Year's Eve

Dumplings Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli 八宝 rice pudding八 treasures rice pudding

Tang-yuan (汤圆) Tang-yuan (汤圆); dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings