【基本词汇与短语】：
【GREeting Season】:
春节 The Spring Festival 农历 lunar calendar
正月 lunar January; the first month by lunar calendar
除夕 New Year‘s Eve; eve of lunar New Year
初一 the beginning of New Year 元宵节 The Lantern Festival
【Customs】：
过年 Guo-nian; have the Spring Festival
对联 poetic couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry
春联 Spring Festival couplets 剪纸 paper-cuts
买年货 special purchases for the Spring Festival ; do Spring Festival shopping
年画 New Year paintings 敬酒 propose a toast
灯笼 lantern: a portable light 烟花 fireworks
爆竹 firecrackers (People scare off evil spirits and ghosts with the loud pop.)
红包 red packets (cash wrapped up in red paper, symbolize fortune and wealth in the coming year.)
舞狮 lion dance (The lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring good luck.)
舞龙 dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests)
戏曲 traditional opera 杂耍 variety show; vaudeville
灯谜 riddles written on lanterns 灯会 exhibit of lanterns
守岁 staying-up 禁忌 taboo
拜年 pay New Year‘s call; give New Year‘s GREetings; New Year‘s visit
去晦气 get rid of the ill- fortune
祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to one‘s ancestors
压岁钱 gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift
【Culture Note】：In the old days, New Year‘s money was given in the form of one hundred copper coins strung together on a red string and symbolized the hope that one would live to be a hundred years old. Today, money is placed inside red envelopes in denominations considered auspicious and given to represent luck and wealth
辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year
扫房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning
【Food names】：
年糕 Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake
团圆饭 family reunion dinner 年夜饭 the dinner on New Year‘s Eve
饺子 Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli 八宝饭 eight treasures rice pudding
汤圆 Tang-yuan; dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings
糖果盘 candy tray: 什锦糖 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 红枣 red dates - prosperity
糖莲子 candied lotus seed - many descendents to come
糖藕 candied lotus root - fulfilling love relationship
花生糖 peanut candy - sweet
【Blessing】:
Treasures fill the home 财源广进
Business flourishes 事业兴隆
Peace all year round 岁岁平安
Wishing you prosperity 恭喜发财
Harmony brings wealth 家和万事兴
May all your wishes come true 心想事成
Everything goes well 万事如意
The country flourishes and people live in peace 国家富强、人民安康
Money and treasures will be plentiful 财源茂盛
Wishing you every success Promoting to a higher position 事业有成、更上一层楼、蒸蒸日上
Safe trip wherever you go 一帆风顺
Wish you happiness and prosperity in the coming year! 祝你新的一年快乐幸福
Wish you success in your career and happiness of your family! 事业成功，家庭美满（阖家欢乐）
【中国新年禁忌】：
Dos and Donts of Chinese New Year
Do's:
Wish everyone you meet a happy New Year by saying "gong xi fa cai", which translates to: "Have a happy and prosperous New Year!" 对每一个你遇到的人道一声：“恭喜发财”，翻译成英文就是：“在新的一年里拥有幸福繁荣的生活”；
Wear articles of red clothing because red symbolizes luck. 穿红色布料做成的饰品，因为红色昭示着幸运；
Eat vegetarian food because it's not good to see blood. 吃素食，因为见血是不吉利的；
Buy new trousers because the Chinese word for trousers is "fu", (Chinese homonym for wealth) 买新裤子（衣服），因为汉语里裤子就是“服”，（在汉语里与财富的“富”谐音）；
Children should stay up as late as possible on New Year's Eve for it is believed that the later they stay up, the longer their parents will live. 孩子应该在除夕之夜尽可能晚睡、熬夜因为据说他们睡的越晚，他们的父母越长寿；
Visit family (especially those older than yourself) and friends to pass on your wishes on good fortune for the New Year. (plus kids and single people will receive lai-see lucky red packets full of money. 拜访亲戚朋友（尤其是比你年长的），传递你对他们来年幸福的美好祝愿（另外孩子和单身的人将会得到装满钱的幸运红包，称为“来喜”。）
Give two lai see to each child. Because happiness comes in two's, do not just give one. This is your way of passing good luck to the next generation. Business owners also give lai see to employees and associates. 给每个孩子两份“来喜”（我觉得应该指钱是偶数的），因为好事成双，不要只给一份。这是你把祝愿传递给下一代的方法。企业主（老板）也要给员工和同事红包。
Don'ts:
Don't wear white or black clothing, since they are the traditional colours of mourning. 不要穿白色或黑色服装，因为这是传统意义上丧事的颜色；
Don't buy new shoes for the first month of the New Year, because the sound of shoe in Chinese is "hai". "Hai" is similar to the sound of sighing, which Chinese believe is not a good way to start the year. 不要在新年的第一个月买新鞋，因为在汉语里鞋的发音是“孩”（好像是四川地区的发音）， 它与叹息”唉“相近，中国人认为这不是新年伊始的好兆头。
Don't wash your hair for the first three days of the New Year, because the Chinese word for hair is a homonym for the Chinese word for wealth. Therefore, Chinese believe it isn't a good thing to 'wash away your wealth' right at the start of the New Year. 在新年的前三天里不要洗头，因为汉语里“头发”的“发”和“发财”的“发”同音。因此，中国认为在新年伊始把财富给冲走可不是好兆头。
Floors may not be swept and garbage may not be disposed of on the first day of the New Year for fear of casting riches out the door. 在新年第一天，不拖地，不扔垃圾，因为怕把"财"给送走了；
Don't swear or quarrel. 不要诅咒发誓，也不愿吵架；
Don't break any dishes, otherwise you may incur more misfortune for the New Year. In the event of breaking a dish, quickly say " Peace for all time", and the bad luck will be warded away. 不要打破碗碟，否则在来年你可能会遭遇不幸。一旦打破了，要马上说“岁岁平安”，这样坏运气就会被赶走了；
Don't GREet people who are in mourning. 不要向服丧期的人们问候（主要指不要说喜庆的话吧？）
Don't drop your chopsticks. 不要让筷子掉地上；
Don't say the number 'four' (Chinese homonym for death) or mention death. 不要说数字“四”（汉语里和“死”谐音）或者提到死；
Don't borrow or lend money. 不要借钱也不要借给别人钱。
