Greeting Season:
春節The Spring Festival
農曆lunar calendar
正月lunar January; the first month by lunar calendar
除夕New Year's Eve; eve of lunar New Year
七年級the beginning of New Year
元宵節The Lantern Festival
Customs:
過年Guo-nian; have the Spring Festival
對聯poetic couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry
春聯Spring Festival couplets
剪紙paper-cuts
年畫New Year paintings
買年貨special purchases for the Spring Festival ; do Spring Festival shopping
敬酒propose a toast
燈籠lantern: a portable light
煙花fireworks
爆竹firecrackers (People scare off evil spirits and ghosts with the loud pop.)
紅包red packets (cash wrapped up in red paper, symbolize fortune and wealth in the coming year.)
舞獅lion dance (The lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring good luck.)
舞龍dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests)
戲曲traditional opera
雜耍variety show; vaudeville
燈謎riddles written on lanterns
燈會exhibit of lanterns
守歲staying-up
拜年pay New Year's call; give New Year's greetings; New Year's visit
禁忌taboo
去晦氣get rid of the ill- fortune
祭祖宗offer sacrifices to one's ancestors
壓歲錢gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift
辭舊歲bid farewell to the old year
掃房spring cleaning; general house-cleaning
祝你新的一年快樂幸福: Wish you happiness and prosperity in the coming year!
事業成功，家庭美滿: Wish you success in your career and happiness of your family!
Food names:
年糕Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake
團圓飯family reunion dinner
年夜飯the dinner on New Year's Eve
餃子Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli
湯圓Tang-yuan; dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings
八寶飯eight treasures rice pudding
糖果盤candy tray:
什錦糖assorted candies - sweet and fortune
蜜冬瓜candied winter melon - growth and good health
西瓜子red melon seed - joy, happiness, truth and sincerity
金桔cumquat - prosperity
糖蓮子candied lotus seed - many descendents to come
糖藕candied lotus root - fulfilling love relationship
紅棗red dates - prosperity
花生糖peanut candy - sweet
