Chinese Spring Festival is the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar. With the Spring Festival     1     (approach), people are busy purchasing goods, cleaning the houses and cooking traditional food. Some families decorate their windows     2     paper-cuts, putting up New Year pictures and couplets. It is an occasion     3     the whole family gather to enjoy quality family time. During the Spring Festival holidays, all kinds of     4     (celebrate) are held, including temple fairs, performances, and lantern exhibitions,     5     last nearly half a month.

2 . You might think that simple things like saying hello and goodbye are the same in every culture. Think again!

Shaking hands to say hello or goodbye was a Western custom at first.     1    

Traditionally, the Chinese custom for greeting was to hold one’s hands together and nod their head a little.

Japanese people greet each other by bowing.When greeting an older or more important person, it is usual to bow lower and for longer.    2     But only men did it.

People in European countries such as Italy often greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks (脸颊). Even men greet each other like this.    3    

Eskimos, a group of people living in the very cold northern areas of North America, greet each other by lightly rubbing their noses together.    4     Often, Eskimos only leave their eyes and noses uncovered. And the rest of their bodies are covered with warm clothing and their hands with gloves.

When you’re not sure what the customs are in a new country, there’s one greeting that is the same all over the world: a smile.    5