Chapter 1 Holidays and Festivals

Text Reading

◎Text A

Spring Festival—the Biggest Festival in China

The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls in late January or early February according to the Gregorian calendar, is the most important festival for the Chinese as it is an occasion for reunion with family and friends. Particularly, people working away form their hometown hope to have a Reunion Dinner with family on the Lunar New Year's Eve.

Hundreds of millions of Chinese people are on journey as the Spring Festival travel season begins. Therefore, it has created enormous pressure on China's transportation sector. Transportation around the Spring Festival, called Spring Travel, is an annual test on China's transportation system. The National Railway Administration and the National Development and Reform Commission usually issue circulars during the period, demanding that coordination mechanisms be established among transportation departments, local authorities, and police, and that countermeasures be made in place in case of emergencies to ensure efficiency and complete success during the peak travel season.

It is said that only those who have taken long-distance trains during the Spring Festival travel rush can really understand China.

Since the Spring Festival is known as the most important traditional festival in China, many customs accompany the Spring Festival, some of which are still followed today, even though some have weakened.

Before the New Year comes, people clean the indoors and outdoors completely as well as their clothes, bedclothes, and all utensils. On the first day of the New Year, people put “Fu” Character（meaning blessing）and couplets in red on the door, and people believe doing these will bring their family safety.

At the Spring Festival's Eve, the whole family will happily have the Reunion Dinner. Some families will go to the restaurant to have the Reunion Dinner. The meal is more luxurious than usual. After the dinner, the whole family will sit together, chatting and watching TV.

In China, the most traditional and popular Spring Festival food is dumpling, which looks like the moon usually with vegetables and meat mixed in it. The Chinese name of dumpling is “jiaozi.” “Jiao” means “cross,” and “zi” is Chinese traditional time representing “24:00,” so the Chinese term “jiaozi” means “cross 24:00,” just the dividing point of last year and next year. So when it comes to 24:00, every family begins eating dumplings in Chinese tradition.

The Spring Festival is also the happiest time for children, because they can receive red packets containing money as a gift from the elder. During the Spring Festival, any unfortunate words cannot be heard because they will make people upset and unhappy.

On the New Year's Eve, people usually watch the CCTV's Spring Festival Gala Evening at home. At the same time massive blessing messages are sent to friends and relatives. The elders will give the younger generation（s）a big red envelope with money in it, and the young will say many blessings, such as：

Best wishes for the New Year!

May you come into a good fortune!

I wish you longevity and health!

Burning fireworks was once the most typical custom during the Spring Festival. People thought the spluttering sound could help drive away evil spirits. However, such an activity was completely or partially forbidden in big cities once the government took factors like security, noise, and pollution into consideration.

In fact, Spring Festival refers to a period of time, lasting from the evening preceding the first day of the New year to the fifteenth day. In the past, from the first day of the year to the fifteenth, people pay New Year's visit to their relatives and friends. Nowadays, more and more people do that by phone, text message, and WeChat.

The fifteenth day is the last day of the Spring Festival, known as the Lantern Festival. On this day, people go along the street to watch lanterns and children light their own small lanterns for some fun. The biggest and most beautiful lantern is the dragon lantern, which looks like a flying dragon, held by several young guys.

The traditional food for the Lantern Festival is rice glue ball, called yuanxiao，which is a flavor ball with filling in it, for example, peanut, sesame, jam, etc. The rice glue ball's shape is just like the full moon appearing in the sky, which symbolizes reunion. This kind of dessert is especially welcomed by children.

The traditional activity of the Lantern Festival is to guess riddles on the lanterns. Usually on the night of the Lantern Festival, in the streets, alleys, and courtyards, people will see lanterns with riddles written on them, called lantern riddles, and those who figure out the answer could receive small presents and be happy for their own intelligence.

The Lantern Festival is the last day of the Spring Festival and after this day, people will say the Spring Festival is over and everyone should settle down to work.

春节——中国最隆重的节日

春节，即中国农历新年，通常在公历1月末或2月初，它是中国人最重要的节日，是家人及亲朋好友团聚的日子。在外地工作的人们尤其盼望赶回家中与家人一起吃年夜饭。

春节期间，数以亿计的中国人都在旅途中奔波，因此，它给中国的交通造成了巨大的压力。中国人将春节前后一段时间的运输业务简称为“春运”，它是对中国交通运输系统的年度考验。国家铁路局和国家发改委在此期间会下发各类通知，要求运输部门、地方各级部门、公安部门建立协调机制，制定各种措施以应对紧急情况的发生，确保运输效率，保证人流高峰季节的运输得以顺利完成。

有这样一种说法：只有在春运期间坐过长途火车的人，才能真正了解中国。

春节是公认的中国最重要的传统节日，相应地就有许多习俗，虽然有些已渐淡化，但其中一些仍延续至今。

在新的一年到来之前，人们对室内和室外进行大扫除，对衣服、床上用品和所有厨具也都清洁一番。新年第一天，人们在门上贴上“福”字和红红的对联，他们认为这样做来年会给家里人带来好运。

在除夕，全家人一起开心地吃团圆饭。一些家庭会去饭店吃团圆饭。这顿饭相较平常更为豪华和讲究。饭后，全家人坐在一起聊聊天，看看电视。

在中国，最传统和最受欢迎的春节吃食是饺子。饺子的外形就像月亮，里面常见的是蔬菜猪肉馅。“饺子”的名字也是有寓意的。“饺”与“交”谐音，有相聚之意，“子”为子时（半夜23点至凌晨1点）。所以在中国的传统习俗中，到了子时，家家户户都开始吃饺子，寓意团圆及辞旧迎新。

春节也是孩子们最快乐的时光，因为他们可以收到长辈送的红包。在春节期间，不能说任何不吉利的话语，因为人们会因此而不高兴。

在除夕夜，人们通常在家观看中央电视台的春节联欢晚会。与此同时，会发大量祝福信息给亲朋好友。长辈们会给小辈们发红包。后者会报以很多祝福的话语，比如：

新年大吉！

恭喜发财！

愿您健康长寿！

放烟花曾经是春节期间最典型的习俗。人们认为噼啪作响的声音可以驱除邪灵。然而，由于后来政府考虑到安全、噪声和污染等因素，这样的活动在大城市就被完全或部分禁止了。

实际上，春节通常指一段时间，即从除夕到正月十五。过去，新年第一天，大家就开始给亲朋好友拜年。现在，越来越多的人都用电话、短信、微信来拜年。拜年可以从正月初一一直拜到十五。

正月十五是春节的最后一天，也是元宵节。这一天，人们会上街看灯，孩子们点亮自己的小灯笼来玩。最大最漂亮的灯笼是龙灯，看起来就像一条飞龙，由几个年轻人手持。

元宵节的传统食物是元宵。元宵是包有花生馅、芝麻馅、果酱馅等各种馅料的糯米小圆球，一般认为其形状就像天上的满月，代表团圆。这种甜点特别受孩子们的欢迎。

元宵节的传统活动是猜灯谜。通常在元宵节晚上，人们在大街小巷都会看到写有谜语的灯笼，猜出谜底的人可以获得小奖品，他们也会为自己的聪明才智而感到高兴和自豪。

过了这一天，一般认为年就过完了，大家都应该安心工作了。

Exercises

Ⅰ Answer the questions after you have read Text A.

1．What is your understanding of the Spring Travel？

2．Why is it said that “only those who have been on the long-distance trains, and have gone through the Spring Travel, can really understand China, and can be thought as a real Chinese”？

Ⅱ Match the Chinese expressions in Column A with the English expressions in Column B.

Column A Column B

1．福 couplets

2．春联 red packet/red envelope

3．团圆饭 “Fu” Character

4．饭店年夜饭 Reunion Dinner

5．中央电视台春节联欢晚会 best wishes for the year to come!

6．祝福短信 blessing messages

7．红包 restaurant Reunion Dinner

8．新年大吉！ CCTV New Year's Gala Evening

9．恭喜发财！ I wish you longevity and health!

10．愿您健康长寿！ May you come into a good fortune!

Ⅲ Match the festivals in Column A with the Chinese expressions and dates in Column B.

Column A Column B

1．New Year's Day 除夕（农历十二月二十九或三十）

2．Spring Festival; Chinese New Year's Day 元旦（1月1日）

3．Lantern Festival 中国青年节（5月4日）

4．Chinese Communist Party's Birthday 国际劳动妇女节（3月8日）

5．Mid-Autumn Festival 植树节（3月12日）

6．Ching Ming Festival; Tomb-Sweeping Festival 重阳节（农历九月初九）

7．International Labor Day 建军节（8月1日）

8．Chinese Youth Day 国际劳动节（5月1日）

9．Dragon Boat Festival 春节（农历正月初一）

10．International Children's Day 国际儿童节（6月1日）

11．International Working Women's Day 中国共产党成立纪念日（7月1日）

12．Army's Day 元宵节（农历正月十五）

13．Arbor Day; Tree Planting Day 中秋节（农历八月十五）

14．Teachers' Day 教师节（9月10日）

15．Double-Ninth Day 清明节（4月5日或4日）

16．National Day 端午节（农历五月初五）

17．New Year's Eve 国庆节（10月1日）

◎Text B

Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar. It was originally a festival for the ancient Chinese people to sacrifice to their dragon ancestors in the form of dragon boat races. And as Qu Yuan, a poet of the State of Chu in the Warring States period（475 BC–221 BC）, happened to drown himself in the Miluo River on this festival, the day of his suicide later became the festival for people to commemorate him.

The festival is best known for its dragon-boat races, especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes. A typical dragon boat is about 15.5 m in length, with a beam of about 1.1 m, accommodating two paddlers seated side by side. A wooden dragon head is attached at the bow, and a dragon tail at the stern. A banner hoisted on a pole is also fastened at the stern and the hull is decorated with red, green, and blue scales edged in gold. In the center of the boat there is a canopied shrine behind which the drummers, gong beaters, and cymbal players are seated to set the tempo for the paddlers. There are also men positioned at the bow to set off firecrackers and toss rice into the water. All of the noise and pageantry creates an atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators alike. The races are held among different villages and organizations, and the winners are awarded medals, banners, jugs of wine, and festive meals. Dragon boat races not only inherit traditional Chinese culture, but also contain the sportsmanship of solidarity, striving, and enterprising. In Zigui, Hubei Province, the hometown of Qu Yuan, the dragon boat races symbolize bringing back Qu Yuan's soul to home.

Eating zongzi is also a traditional custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. According to the legend, the custom of eating zongzi, glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in a style of pyramid by reed or bamboo leaves, is also to commemorate the poet Qu Yuan. Therefore, both dragon boat races and eating zongzi are traditional customs of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Qu Yuan was a minister of the State of Chu situated in present-day Hunan and Hubei provinces during the Warring States Period. He was upright, loyal, and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that brought peace and prosperity to the state. However, when a dishonest and corrupt prince vilified Qu Yuan, he was disgraced and dismissed from office. Realizing that the state was in the hands of evil and corrupt officials, Qu Yuan grabbed a large stone and leapt into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month. Nearby fishermen rushed over to try and save him but were unable to even recover his body. Thereafter, the state declined and was eventually conquered by the State of Qin.

The people of Chu who mourned the death of Qu Yuan threw rice into the river to feed his ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth month. But one year, the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared and told the mourners that a huge reptile in the river, had stolen the rice. The spirit then advised them to wrap the rice in silk and bind it with five different-colored threads before tossing it into the river, which is the origin of zongzi.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, this glutinous rice pudding called zongzi is eaten to symbolize the rice offerings to Qu Yuan. Ingredients such as beans, lotus seeds, chestnuts, lard, and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg are often added to the glutinous rice. The rice pudding is then wrapped in bamboo leaves, bound with a kind of raffia, and boiled in salt water for hours.

Now Jiaxing zongzi is very popular in China, which can be bought all year round.

端午节

端午节，是在中国农历五月初五那天进行庆祝的。最初是上古先民以龙舟竞渡的形式祭祀龙祖的节日。后因战国时期（公元前475—前221）的楚国诗人屈原在端午节抱石投汨罗江自尽，亦将端午节作为纪念屈原的节日。

这个节日最为知名的是赛龙舟，尤其是在水系发达的南方省份。一艘典型的龙舟长约15.5米，宽约1.1米，宽度可以容纳两名桨手并排坐在一起。船首有木制龙头，船尾有龙尾。旗杆上悬挂的旗帜也被固定在船尾，船体被饰以红色、绿色和蓝色的金边鳞片。在船的中央是一个有顶篷的神龛，后面坐着鼓手、击锣手和铙钹手，为桨手设定节奏。还有人站在船头放鞭炮，并把米扔进水里。这一切嘈杂声和盛大的场面都给龙舟赛手与观众带来了欢乐和兴奋的气氛。比赛在不同的村庄和组织之间进行，获胜者将获得奖牌、横幅、酒和节日大餐。赛龙舟不仅仅传承了中国传统文化，还蕴含着团结、拼搏、进取的体育精神和理念。在湖北秭归，屈原的家乡，龙舟竞渡象征着将屈原的英魂迎归故里。

吃粽子也是端午节的传统习俗，据传说，吃粽子的习俗也是为了纪念诗人屈原而流传下来的。粽子是用芦苇叶或箬叶把糯米及馅料包裹成金字塔形状的食物。因此，赛龙舟和吃粽子都是端午节的传统习俗。

屈原是战国时期楚国（今湖南、湖北省）的大臣。他是一个正直、忠诚、受人尊敬的人，为楚国带来了和平与繁荣。然而，一个不诚实的、腐败的王子诬陷屈原，导致他被贬黜了。屈原意识到楚国正掌握在邪恶势力和贪官的手中，于是，在五月初五那天抱着一块石头跳进了汨罗江。附近的渔民冲去救他，但连他的尸体也找不到。后来，楚国衰落，最终被秦国战胜。

楚国人民为悼念屈原，每年农历五月初五那天都要把米扔进河里喂他的灵魂。但是有一年，屈原的灵魂出现了，他告诉悼念者，河里有一只巨大的爬行动物把米偷走了。然后，屈原的灵魂建议他们用丝绸包米，再用五种不同颜色的线捆好，最后把它扔进河里。这就是现在的粽子的起源。

为了纪念屈原，人们在端午节包“粽子”。除了糯米，通常还会加豆子、莲子、栗子、猪油和咸鸭蛋的金蛋黄等，用竹叶包裹，用禾草捆绑，在盐水中煮上好几个小时。

现在嘉兴粽子在中国非常有名，一年四季都可以买到。

Exercises

Fill in the following blanks.

Chinese Eyes on the World

Valentine's Day

Actually, the Qixi Festival, the Chinese Valentine's Day, is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. It commemorates a day on which a legendary cowherd and a weaving maid are allowed to come together after a whole year's separation. According to the legend, the Cowherd star and the Weaving Maid star are normally separated by the Milky Way（silvery river）but are allowed to meet by crossing it on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. Even though in recent years, celebrating Chinese Valentine's Day has also become fashionable among some young people, it still seems that the Western Valentine's Day prevails over Qixi among Chinese younger generations.

The Western Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is an annual holiday celebrated on February 14. Each year on February 14, many young Chinese exchange cards, candy, flowers, or other gifts with their valentines. These customs of the Valentine's Day spread not only to China, but also to other countries.

The Valentine's Day originated as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus. Martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines connected to February 14 are presented in martyrologies, including a written account of Saint Valentine of Rome imprisonment for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry, and for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to the legend, during Saint Valentine's imprisonment, the warden's daughter, a beautiful and gentle girl, fell in love with him for his dignity. But not every Jack has his Jill. Valentine was sentenced to death, because he refused to submit to the Roman government. Before the execution, he wrote a long letter to his lover, expressing his undying love for her, and not giving up his faith for the sake of love, and then he went to the execution, in a dignified manner. The day happened to be February 14. In order to commemorate this memorable day and to express the wish that all lovers will finally get married, the majority of Christians and young men and women set February 14 as the Valentine's Day.

The Valentine's Day is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world, although it is not a public holiday in any country. The customs of the Valentine's Day developed in early modern England and spread throughout the English-speaking world in the 19th century.

In the United States, about 190 million Valentine's Day cards are sent each year, not including hundreds of millions of cards school children exchange. The Valentine's Day is a major source of economic activity, with total expenditures in 2017 topping $18.2 billion, or over $136 per person.

Cultural Exchange

Ⅰ Match the festivals in Column A with the Chinese expressions in Column B and the dates in Column C.

Ⅱ Discuss the following questions with your peers.

1．Which festival is the biggest in your country？

2．What are some of the activities that people do on this festival？

Ⅲ Choose one of the celebration categories below and think of a holiday you celebrate in your country that belongs to that category and describe how you celebrate it.

New Year Spring Harvest Winter Historic Religious

Ⅳ Read the following poem and tell out：

1．Which festival is the poem about？

2．What emotion can you feel in the poet from the poem？

3．Which lines in the poem do you like best? Why？

How rare the moon, so round and clear!

With cup in hand, I ask of the blue sky，

“I do not know in the celestial sphere，

What name this festive night goes by?”

I want to fly home, riding the air，

But fear the ethereal cold up there，

The jade and crystal mansions are so high!

Dancing to my shadow，

I feel no longer the mortal tie.

She rounds the vermilion tower，

Stoops to silk-pad doors，

Shines on those who sleepless lie.

Why does she, bearing us no grudge，

Shine upon our parting, reunion deny？

But rare is perfect happiness—

The moon does wax, the moon does wane，

And so men meet and say goodbye.

I only pray our life be long，

And our souls together heavenward fly!