FarandawaythemostimportantholidayinChinaisSpringFestival,alsoknownastheChineseNewYear.TotheChinesepeopleitisasimportantasChristmastopeopleintheWest.thedatesforthisannualcelebrationaredeterminedbythelunarcalendarratherthantheGREgoriancalendar,sothetimingoftheholidayvariesfromlateJanuarytoearlyFebruary.
TotheordinaryChinese,thefestivalactuallybeginsontheeveofthelunarNewYear'sDayandendsonthefifthdayofthefirstmonthofthelunarcalendar.Butthe15thofthefirstmonth,whichnormallyiscalledtheLanternFestival,meanstheofficialendoftheSpringFestivalinmanypartsofthecountry.
OnNewYear‘sEve,ourclasshadaparty.Theatmospherewasgood.Itwasoutoftheordinaryfromtheverybegining.Theboystudentfromonebedroomgaveanunusualperformance.WesawaboynamedLiXinminturnoffallthelightsinasuddensnap.Thenwiththreeresoundingcrowofacockechoinginthehall,thehallwasagainbrightlylitinasnap.
Then,therepresentativeofthebedroomZhuGuozhangaskedustoguessalineofapoemrelatedtotheabovesituation.HeaddedthatLiXinminalonewasbornintheyearofthedogandtheotherthreewereallbornintheyearofthechicken.Theyleftusallinconfusion.Anditwasourmonitorwhowasquickwitted.Heshoutedour,Thedaybreaksasthecockcrowsthreetimesatdawn.ThehallAfterthat,theyhadanotheritem.ThistimeLiXinminwasplacedinthemiddleofthecircle.Whilehewasstandingthere,theotherthreestoodaroundhim,eachbowingdowntohimatanangleof120degrees.Itwasanidiom.ThistimeIgotitright:Thedogstandsoutamongagroupofchickens.
SpringFestivalisthemostimportantfestivalinChina.Itistocelebratethelunarcalendar‘snewyear.IntheeveningbeforetheSpringFestival,familiesgettogetherandhaveabigmeal.Inmanyplacespeopleliketosetofffirecrackers.Dumplingsarethemosttraditionalfood.Childrenlikethefestivalverymuch,becausetheycanhavedeliciousfoodandwearnewclothes.Theycanalsogetsomemoneyfromtheirparents.Thismoneyisgiventochildrenforgoodluck.PeopleputNewYearscrollsonthewallforgoodfortune.
SpringFestivallastsabout15dayslong.Peoplevisitrelativesandfriendswiththewords“Haveallyourwishes”.PeopleenjoytheSpringFestival,duringthistimetheycanhaveagoodrest.
TheSpringFestivalisveryimportanttoChinesepeople.
Inthepast,peoplecouldnotoftenhavemeat,riceorotherdeliciousfood.TheycouldonlyeattheseduringtheSpringfestival.SoeveryyeartheyhopedthattheSpringFestivalwouldcomesoon.Now,althoughpeople’slifeismuchbetter,andwecaneatthedelicomciousfoodseveryday.Peoplestilllikethefestival.Becausemostpeoplecanhavealongholiday,andwearefreetogoonatriporvisitourfriendsorhavepartieswithourfamily.Intheevenings,wecanhaveabigmealintherestaurantorstayathomewithfamilyandwatchtheTVprogrammes.
IliketheSpringFestivalverymuch.HowwonderfultheSpringFestivalis!
