China has the history of more than 5,000 years and we are so proud
When young people
The lack of significance of traditional festivals has
Along the River During the Qingming Festival is a painting
3 . The 15-day Spring Festival is the biggest holiday of the year for many Chinese to leave from their jobs to travel home and see their loved ones. But along with gathering come a lot of traditions aimed at making sure the year ahead is lucky and happy.
Here are some key dos and don’ts that many Chinese follow before and after the Lunar New Year.
DOs
Set off fireworks
The more fireworks or firecrackers you set off, the better.
Not only do you light up the night sky with a symphony of color, but the loud banging sounds are thought to scare off evil spirits.
Eat dumplings
Eating dumplings is a popular tradition in northern China because dumplings not only taste good but also look like pieces of gold.
Clean your home
Sweep, mop, vacuum, steam-do anything and everything to make sure your home is clean before the midnight on Lunar New Year eve. The aim here is to free your home from any bad luck that’s accumulated over the past year.
DON’Ts
Wash or cut your hair
Leave your hair as it is on the first day of the New Year.
The Chinese character for hair is the same first character in the word for prosperity(发达).
This means washing or cutting it off is seen as washing your fortune away.
Clean post-New Year
Cleaning of any kind on the first day is strictly forbidden.
You clean your home to avoid any bad luck before the New Year - now you want to be sure not to wipe, sweep or wash away any of the good luck that arrives after midnight.
Buy books
It’s bad luck to buy them during the 15-day Spring Festival.
The Chinese word for "book" (shū) sounds exactly the same as the word for "lose’"-so buying a book is considered an invitation to bad luck.
Also, avoid giving books as gifts to anyone, because it’d be like wishing bad luck upon them.
1. Why is the Spring Festival the best time for many Chinese people according to the text?A.They can enjoy a lor of delicious dishes. |
B.They can get together with their family members. |
C.It’s time for them to say good-bye to the past year. |
D.The festival will bring them good luck and happiness. |
A.setting off fireworks | B.enjoying tasty dumplings |
C.cleaning your home | D.leaving your books untouched |
A.Advertisement. | B.Literature. |
C.Culture. | D.Travel. |
4 . The Torch Festival (火把节) is a traditional festival which is celebrated among some ethnic groups in southwestern China, such as the Yi, Bai, Hani, Lisu, and Lahu, etc. It usually falls on the 24th or 25th of June, with three days of celebrations. The festival came from worship (崇拜) of fire by ancestors (祖先). For some ethnic groups, it’s a tradition in the festival for elders to share farming experience with young people and educate them about taking care of crops.
During the festival, big torches are made to stand in all villages, with small torches placed in front of the door of each house. When night falls, the torches are lit and the villages are bright. At the same time, people walk around the fields and houses, holding small torches and placing the torches in the field corners. Inside the villages, young people are singing and dancing around the big torches that keep burning throughout the night. Other activities like horse races are also held during the festival.
In a horse race of the Yi people in Yunnan, torches are used to form hurdles for riders to get through. The Hani people in Yunnan traditionally tie fruits to torches with strings. When the strings are broken after the torches are lit, people struggle for the fruits for good luck.
For the Lisu people in Sichuan, the festival is an occasion for holding torch parades. Big torches are carried by teams of people, which is like a fire dragon. If different teams meet, it’s a tradition to exchange the big torches with one another.
1. What can we know about the Torch Festival from the first paragraph?A.It has nothing to do with farming. |
B.Its celebrations usually last two days. |
C.It is a traditional festival of all China. |
D.It is a festival to show worship of fire. |
A.ancestors. | B.young people. |
C.elders. | D.ethnic groups. |
A.Why the festival is enjoyed. | B.Where the festival is celebrated. |
C.How the festival is celebrated. | D.What torches are used for the festival. |
A.Holding torch parades. | B.Tying fruits to torches with strings. |
C.Struggling for fruits for good luck. | D.Using torches as hurdles for a horse race. |