Chinese New Year’s Eve

TheSpringFestivalistheNewYearinchina,justasChristmasinBritain.ChinesepeopleattachmuchimportanttotheSpringFestival,whichisChinesetraditionalfestival.AndtheNewYear’sEveisthemostimportantdayintheSpringFestival.Sotheyhavemanycelebrationsandcustomsinthatday.

Chinesehasstrongattachmenttotheirfamily,andChinesefamilyisusuallyabigfamily.Inthepast,theyalwaysdwellontogether.Inafamily,therearegrandparents,parents,aunts,unclesandmanychildren.Theyallliveinabigcourtyard.Father,Motherandafewchildrenarecomposedaminorfamily.Everybrotheroffathermakeshisownminorfamily.Andwithgrandparents,theyformabigfamily.Eachminorfamilypossessesaminorroominacourtyard,whichgrandparentsliveinthemajorroom.Becauseoldpersonhasthesuperiorpositioninafamily,andChineserespecttheoldasalong-standingtradition.Inthemoderntime,noteveryfamilymemberlivesinacourtyardbutliveseparately.However,theystillmaintaincloselinkwitheachother.Theyoftenhaveget-togethersinholidaysespeciallyinfestivals.

InNewYear’sEve,themostimportantfestival,Chinesefamilyoftengettogethertospendthewholenight.TheyoftenhavetheNewYear’sdinnertogether,andcelebratetheNewYearintheirownway.

TheNewYear’sdinnerisverytastefulanddelicious,foritnotonlyadinnerbutalsoafamilymeeting.Eachfamilymembersitsaroundthetableandtalkswhileeating.Itstandsfortheharmonyandunityofafamily.Sincethedinnerisveryimportant,ittakestoomuchtimeandefforttoprepareit.Asweallknown,Chinesefoodisthemostdeliciousfoodintheworld.PerhapsbecauseChinesepeopleareveryparticularabouteating.ForNewYear’sdinner,thefoodisextremelyexquisiteandtraditional.First,Jiaoziisnecessary.Jiaozi,alsocalleddumpling,iswell-knownastraditionalChinesefoodallovertheworld.InNewYear’sEve,weoftenmakedumplingsofmeatandvegetable,andwealsomakespecialdumplings.Forexample,wemakeafewdumplingswithacoininthem.Nomatterwhoeatthesespecialdumplings,itforeseeshewillhaveluckofwealththenextyear.Somespecialdumplingswithshelledpeanutinthemmeanlongevity.Somewithsugarinthemmeanasweetlife.BesidesthesewonderfulJiaozi,therearevariouscuisines.Usually,thereshouldbeafishinthetable,whichmeansthefamilyhasenoughtospareeveryyear.

AfterenjoyingtheNewYear’sdinner,thefamilyseatinthesofaandwatchthetelevision.ThereisacultureNewYear’sdinnerwaitingforthem,whichistheSpringFestivalEveningParty.SincetheSpringFestivalEveningPartybegantoholdin1982,everyfamilyconsiderwatchingitasatradition.ThepartythatisheldbyCCTVstartsat8:00andlastsfourandahalfhours.ItgathersalmostalltheChinesestarsinmainlandandoverseas.Anditsstyleofprogramscontainssongsanddances,comicdialoguesandsketches.CCTVinvestsbigforthispartyeveryyear,andtheywanttomakethepartybethebestpartyonTV.Thoughthequalityofthepartydecreasedthesedays,itisstillabetterpartythananyotherpartyheldbyothertelevisionstations.YetChinesestillconsideritasaculturedinnerinNewYear’sEve.

SinceNewYear’sEvecomes,thesoundoffirecrackerswillnotdisappear.PlayingfirecrackersisthenecessarycustominNewYear’sEve.Thereisalegendaboutfirecrackers.Longlongago,amonstercalledNian(meansyear)hauntedaroundapeacefulvillage.Heattackedthepeopleandlivestockinthevillage.Thevillagershadnoideatodealwiththemonster.Theybecameveryfearfulandlivedindanger.Untiloneday,aclevermaninventedanarmcalledfirecracker.OnoneNewYear’sEve,heusedfirecrackerstodefeattheNianmonster.Inordertocommemoratethemanandhisglorydeeds,weplayfirecrackersandeatNiancakeeveryNewYear’seve.Niancake,alsocalledNewYearcake,standsforNianmonster.EatingNewYear’scakemeans“wewillliveabetterandbetterlifeyearly”.Thoughitisfunofplayingfirecrackers,wecannotplayfirecrackerswithoutcontrolinthatplayingfirecrackerscausesenvironmentalpollutionandsafeproblems.

At12:00ofthenight,thesoundofNewYear’stollingbellrings.That’stheexcitingmoment.Everypersonwaitsforthistime.Whenthebellrings,manyfirecrackerssoundatthesametime.Underthishotphenomenon,youwillfeeljubilantandhappy.EverybodycelebratesthisChineseNewYearjoyfully.Atthemoment,wemakeandeatJiaoziagain.Idon’tknowwhy,itisjustacustom.Todayitdevelopsanothercustom:peoplealwayspayaNewYearcallatthismoment.Notbyavisitbutbyaphoneormobilephone,wecallourrelativesandfriendstosayHappyNewYear,orsentourwishesbyshortmessage.Weattachimportanttoourrelativesandfriends,however,wedon’tforgetourancestors.OnNewYear’sEve,weoftenoffersacrificestoancestorsandcloserelatives.Weputfoodandwinebeforethepictureofancestorsandburnjosspapersforourcloserelatives.Itexpressesourrespectandlovetothem.

WestayupallthenightonNewYear’sEvesometimes.That’sacustomalso.Butthechildrenaredrovetosleepbecausetheywanttogainnewyearmoneygifttochildren.ThenewyearmoneyshouldbegiventochildrenonNewYear’sEveandpressunderthechildren’spillowforawholenight.

ThisistheNewYear’sEveinChina.