Праздник фонарей китай на английском

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This article is about the Lantern Festival in China. For the Lantern Festival in Korea, see Yeondeunghoe.

This article is about the Lantern Festival in China. For related festivals in the East Asian cultural sphere, see First Full Moon Festival.

Lantern Festival 元宵節 元宵节
Lantern Festival celebrated in Tainan at night
Official name	Yuánxiāo jié (元宵節) / Shàngyuán jié (上元節)
Observed by	Chinese
Type	Cultural
Significance	Marks the end of the Chinese New Year
Observances	Flying of paper lanterns; Consumption of tangyuan
Date	15th day of the 1st month (lunisolar year)
2023 date	5 February
2024 date	14 February
Related to	Chotrul Duchen (in Tibet) Daeboreum (in Korea) Koshōgatsu (in Japan) Magha Puja (in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos) Tết Nguyên Tiêu (in Vietnam)

Lantern Festival
Traditional Chinese	元宵節
Simplified Chinese	元宵节
Literal meaning	«Prime Night Festival»
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yuánxiāo jié Gwoyeu Romatzyh Yuanshiau jye Wade–Giles Yüan2-hsiao1 chieh2 IPA [ɥɛ̌n.ɕjáʊ tɕjě] Wu Romanization Nyioe siau tsih Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Yùhn-sīu jit Jyutping jyun4 siu1 zit3 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Goân-siau-chiat Tâi-lô Guân-siau-tsiat Eastern Min Fuzhou BUC Nguòng-siĕu-cáik
Hokkien Name
Traditional Chinese	十五暝 / 上元
Literal meaning	«15th Night» / «Top Primary»
Transcriptions Southern Min Hokkien POJ Cha̍p-gō͘-mê / Siōng-goân Tâi-lô Tsa̍p-gōo-mê / Siōng-guân

The Lantern Festival (traditional Chinese: 元宵節; simplified Chinese: 元宵节; pinyin: Yuánxiāo jié), also called Shangyuan Festival (traditional Chinese: 上元節; simplified Chinese: 上元节; pinyin: Shàngyuán jié), is a Chinese traditional festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar, during the full moon. Usually falling in February or early March on the Gregorian calendar, it marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.^[1] As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 25), it had become a festival with great significance.^[2]

During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns (traditional Chinese: 猜燈謎; simplified Chinese: 猜灯谜; pinyin: cāidēngmí).^[3][4] In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, and only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate ones.^[5] In modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs.^[4] For example, lanterns are now often made in the shape of animals. The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones,^[6] which they will let go of the next year. The lanterns are almost always red to symbolize good fortune.^[7]

The festival acts as an Uposatha day on the Chinese calendar.^[8][9] It should not be confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival; which is sometimes also known as the «Lantern Festival» in locations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.^[2][10] Lantern Festivals have also become popular in Western countries, such as the Water Lantern Festival held in multiple locations in the United States.^[11] In London, the Magical Lantern Festival is held annually.^[12]

Origin[edit]

There are several beliefs about the origin of the Lantern Festival. However, its roots trace back more than 2,000 years ago and is popularly linked to the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty at the time when Buddhism was growing in China.^{[citation needed]} Emperor Ming, an advocate of Buddhism, noticed Buddhist monks would light lanterns in temples on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. As a result, he ordered all households, temples and the imperial palace to light lanterns on that evening.^[13] From there it developed into a folk custom. Another likely origin is the celebration of «the declining darkness of winter» and community’s ability to «move about at night with human-made light,» namely, lanterns. During the Han dynasty, the festival was connected to Ti Yin, the deity of the North Star.^[1]

There is one legend that states that it was a time to worship Taiyi, the God of Heaven in ancient times. The belief was that Taiyi controlled the destiny of the human world. He had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence upon human beings. Beginning with Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, all the emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year. The emperor would ask Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people.^[14][5]

Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty directed special attention to this event. In 104 BC, he proclaimed it to be one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night.

Another legend associates the Lantern Festival with Taoism. Tianguan is the Taoist deity responsible for good fortune. His birthday falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. It is said that Tianguan likes all types of entertainment, so followers prepare various kinds of activities during which they pray for good fortune.^[15]

Another legend associates with the Lantern Festival with an ancient warrior named Lan Moon, who led a rebellion against the tyrannical king in ancient China. He was killed in the storming of the city and the successful rebels commemorated the festival in his name.^[15]

Yet another common legend dealing with the origins of the Lantern Festival speaks of a beautiful crane that flew down to earth from heaven. After it landed on earth it was hunted and killed by some villagers. This angered the Jade Emperor in heaven because the crane was his favorite. So, he planned a storm of fire to destroy the village on the fifteenth lunar day. The Jade Emperor’s daughter warned the inhabitants of her father’s plan to destroy their village. The village was in turmoil because nobody knew how they could escape their imminent destruction. However, a wise man from another village suggested that every family should hang red lanterns around their houses, set up bonfires on the streets, and explode firecrackers on the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth lunar days. This would give the village the appearance of being on fire to the Jade Emperor. On the fifteenth lunar day, troops sent down from heaven whose mission was to destroy the village saw that the village was already ablaze, and returned to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor. Satisfied, the Jade Emperor decided not to burn down the village. From that day on, people celebrate the anniversary on the fifteenth lunar day every year by carrying lanterns on the streets and exploding firecrackers and fireworks.^[16]

Another legend about the origins of Lantern Festival involves a maid named Yuan-Xiao. In the Han dynasty, Dongfang Shuo was a favorite adviser of the emperor. One winter day, he went to the garden and heard a little girl crying and getting ready to jump into a well to commit suicide. Shuo stopped her and asked why. She said she was Yuan-Xiao, a maid in the emperor’s palace and that she never had a chance to see her family since she started working there. If she could not have the chance to show her filial piety in this life, she would rather die. Shuo promised to find a way to reunite her with her family. Shuo left the palace and set up a fortune-telling stall on the street. Due to his reputation, many people asked for their fortunes to be told but everyone got the same prediction — a calamitous fire on the fifteenth lunar day. The rumor spread quickly.^[15]

Everyone was worried about the future so they asked Dongfang Shuo for help. Dongfang Shuo said that on the thirteenth lunar day, the God of Fire would send a fairy in red riding a black horse to burn down the city. When people saw the fairy they should ask for her mercy. On that day, Yuan-Xiao pretended to be the red fairy. When people asked for her help, she said that she had a copy of a decree from the God of Fire that should be taken to the emperor. After she left, people went to the palace to show the emperor the decree which stated that the capital city would burn down on the fifteenth. When the emperor asked Dongfang Shuo for advice, the latter said that the God of Fire liked to eat tangyuan (sweet dumplings). Yuan-Xiao should cook tangyuan on the fifteenth lunar day and the emperor should order every house to prepare tangyuan to worship the God of Fire at the same time. Also, every house in the city should hang red lantern and explode fire crackers. Lastly, everyone in the palace and people outside the city should carry their lanterns on the street to watch the lantern decorations and fireworks. The Jade Emperor would be deceived and everyone would avoid the disastrous fire.^[16]

The emperor happily followed the plan. Lanterns were everywhere in the capital city on the night of the fifteenth lunar day and people were walking on the street and there were noisy firecrackers. It looked as if the entire city was on fire. Yuan-Xiao’s parents went into the palace to watch the lantern decorations and were reunited with their daughter. The emperor decreed that people should do the same thing every year. Since Yuan-Xiao cooked the best tangyuan, people called the day Yuan-Xiao Festival.

For each Festival celebrated, a switch in the Chinese Zodiac takes place. If this year is the year of the tiger, next year will be the year of the rabbit(water rabbit) and so on.

Tradition[edit]

Finding love[edit]

In the early days, young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love. Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples. The brightest lanterns were symbolic of good luck and hope. As time has passed, the festival no longer has such implications in most of Mainland China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong.^[10]

Tangyuan or Yuanxiao[edit]

Eaten during the Lantern Festival, tangyuan ‘湯圓’ (Southern China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia) or yuanxiao ‘元宵’ (Northern China) is a glutinous rice ball typically filled with sweet red bean paste, sesame paste, or peanut butter.^[3] Actually, tangyuan is different from yuanxiao due to different manual making and filling processes.^[17] It can be boiled, fried or steamed, each has independent taste. However, they are very similar in shape and taste, so most people do not distinguish them for convenience and consider them as the same thing.^[17] Chinese people believe that the round shape of the balls and the bowls in which they are served symbolize family togetherness, and that eating tangyuan or yuanxiao may bring the family harmony, happiness and luck in the new year.^[2][4]

• 

  Yuanxiao and its fillings

• 

  Yuanxiao

• 

  Yuanxiao

• 

  Yuanxiao

• 

  Yuanxiao

• 

  Tangyuan

• 

  Tangyuan

• 

  Tangyuan

• 

  Tangyuan

• 

  Tang Yuan

6th century and afterwards[edit]

Until the Sui dynasty in the sixth century, Emperor Yang invited envoys from other countries to China to see the colourful lighted lanterns and enjoy the gala performances.^[18]

By the beginning of the Tang dynasty in the seventh century, the lantern displays would last three days. The emperor also lifted the curfew, allowing the people to enjoy the festive lanterns day and night. It is not difficult to find Chinese poems which describe this happy scene.^[18]

In the Song dynasty, the festival was celebrated for five days and the activities began to spread to many of the big cities in China. Colorful glass and even jade were used to make lanterns, with figures from folk tales painted on the lanterns.^{[citation needed]}

However, the largest Lantern Festival celebration took place in the early part of the 15th century. The festivities continued for ten days. The Yongle Emperor had the downtown area set aside as a center for displaying the lanterns. Even today, there is a place in Beijing called Dengshikou. In Chinese, deng means lantern and shi is market. The area became a market where lanterns were sold during the day. In the evening, the local people would go there to see the beautiful lighted lanterns on display.^{[citation needed]}

Today, the displaying of lanterns is still a major event on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month throughout China. Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, for example, holds a lantern fair each year in Culture Park. During the Lantern Festival, the park is a virtual ocean of lanterns. Many new designs attract large numbers of visitors. The most eye-catching lantern is the Dragon Pole. This is a lantern in the shape of a golden dragon, spiraling up a 38-meter-high pole, spewing fireworks from its mouth. Cities such as Hangzhou and Shanghai have adopted electric and neon lanterns, which can often be seen beside their traditional paper or wooden counterparts. Another popular activity at this festival is guessing lantern riddles (which became part of the festival during the Tang dynasty).^[19] These often contain messages of good fortune, family reunion, abundant harvest, prosperity and love.^{[citation needed]} Just like the pumpkin carved into jack-o’-lantern for Halloween in the western world, Asian parents sometime teach their children to carve empty the inner tubing of Oriental radish /mooli/ daikon into a Cai-Tou-Lantern (traditional Chinese: 營菜頭燈; simplified Chinese: 营菜头灯; pinyin: yíng cai tóu dēng) for the Festival.^{[citation needed]}

Festivities[edit]

Lion dance (舞獅), walk on stilts (踩高蹺), riddle games (猜燈謎), dragon dances (耍龍燈) are very popular activities during the festival day and the days following.

The lantern riddle, according to Japanese scholars, became popular as early as the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126). The lantern riddles are done by a host blocking one side of the lantern and pasting riddles on the remaining three sides of the lanterns. Participants will guess the blocked side by solving the riddles, which is called «breaking/solving lantern riddles». The theme of riddles can be drawn from classics, biographies, poetry, the various philosophers’ well-known stories and novels, proverbs, (the names of) all kinds of birds, animals, and insects, as well as flowers, grasses, vegetables, and herbs. Participants can tear off the riddle of the lantern and let the host verify their answers. Those who answer the correct answer can get a «riddle reward», including ink, paper, writing brushes, ink slabs, fans, perfumed sachets, fruit, or eatables.
^[20]

See also[edit]

• Sagichō Fire Festival, the Japanese (Shintoist) festival held in January
• Bon Festival, the Japanese Buddhist Festival held in August
• Festival of Lights (disambiguation), a list of various festivals associated with light

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• China’s Festivals Overview
• Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival (元宵节 or Yuánxiāojié in pinyin) is a Chinese holiday that traditionally marks the end of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) celebrations.

Chinese people celebrate this holiday by enjoying colored lantern displays and eating sweet rice balls called tangyuan. Read this article to learn about the history of the Lantern Festival and discover more about how it’s celebrated today.

The origins and history of the Lantern Festival

Today, the Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, which generally falls sometime in February or early March. Like many traditional Chinese holidays, the Lantern Festival has a long history.

Lantern Festival celebrations began around 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE). The holiday’s exact origins are somewhat unclear.

Several different origin stories are used to explain where the festival came from. We’ve outlined two of the most important ones below.

Origin story one: A Buddhist celebration

One story about the origins of the Lantern Festival says the holiday was created during the time of Emperor Ming of Han (58-75 CE).

At this time, Buddhism was already gaining popularity in China.

Emperor Ming was a supporter of Buddhism and after he learned that it was customary for Buddhist monks to light lanterns on the 15th day of the first lunar month, he decreed that imperial palaces and individual households should do the same. This practice lives on as today’s Lantern Festival.

Origin story two: A trick played on the Jade Emperor

Another story used to explain the origins of the Lantern Festival has to do with the Jade Emperor. Supposedly, his favorite crane was killed by some villagers, so he decided to take revenge by burning down their village on the 15th day of the first lunar month.

When his daughter heard about her father’s plan, she felt sorry for the hapless villagers and warned them about what was going to happen.

To save themselves, the villagers decided to trick the Jade Emperor into thinking their village was already on fire. They did this by hanging red lanterns, setting off firecrackers and lighting fires throughout the village.

Their plan worked. The Emperor was deceived and the village was saved. Afterwards, residents continued to light firecrackers and hang red lanterns every year to commemorate the event.

The Lantern Festival through the ages

Whatever its origins, the Lantern Festival soon developed into a popular Chinese holiday. Thanks to Chinese cultural influence on other Asian countries, it didn’t take long for the festival to spread to neighboring nations like Korea and Japan.

The Lantern Festival has been celebrated with various degrees of pomp and circumstance over the years. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), lantern festival celebrations lasted for three days.

They were extended to five days during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE). In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE), celebrations were particularly lengthy, with some lasting a full 10 days.

The real Chinese Valentine’s Day?

Although it’s no longer the case today, the Chinese Lantern Festival was closely associated with love in ancient China. So much so, in fact, that some say that it’s the real traditional Chinese Valentine’s Day, a designation usually reserved for describing the Qixi Festival.

In ancient times, there were strict curfews that were meant to keep people inside after dark. Due to traditional gender norms, women were also generally expected to stay indoors at all times, regardless of whether or not there was a curfew in place.

During the Lantern Festival, however, curfews were lifted so people could go out at night to view the lanterns. Women were also allowed to leave the house. Thus, the holiday presented a unique opportunity for people of different genders to mingle with each other.

This romantic facet of the Lantern Festival is reflected in the plot of various Chinese operas, as well as in many works of art and literature from both the Song and Ming Dynasties.

The Lantern Festival today

Today, the Lantern Festival is still popular, but it isn’t one of the seven official public holidays recognized in Mainland China. Therefore, people in China don’t usually get any days off from school or work for this holiday.

Lantern Festivals have been popular in various Asian countries for hundreds of years. Recently, Chinese-style Lantern Festival celebrations have also started popping up in Western countries, including the United States, where events like the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival enjoy increasing popularity.

Lantern Festival Activities

Nowadays, although love is no longer a main theme, the Lantern Festival is still celebrated with a variety of fun activities.

Viewing Lantern displays

As its name suggests, the most important part of the Lantern Festival revolves around viewing and interacting with grand displays of Chinese lanterns (灯笼 or dēnglóng).

When many people think of Chinese lanterns, they imagine the round, red, basket-ball sized lanterns they may have seen hanging outside Chinese restaurants.

While this type of lantern is certainly omnipresent around the time of Chinese New Year, the lanterns involved in Lantern Festival displays are quite different.

Instead of being basketball-sized, these lanterns are often enormous, with some of the larger ones measuring over 65 feet (20 meters) high and 330 (100 meters) long.

These giant lanterns aren’t usually round or red. Instead, they’re built into every imaginable color and shape, depicting real and imaginary animals like giraffes and dragons along with giant flowers, trees and palaces.

Groups of lanterns are often arranged together to illustrate famous scenes from various historical or mythological stories.

Lanterns used in lantern displays in the past were made of materials like paper, silk, bamboo, glass or jade and lit with candles from within. Today, the materials used have been updated.

Most are now made with fabric stretched over wire frames and lit with thousands of LED lights.

Iconic floating sky lanterns were often incorporated into Lantern Festival celebrations in the past and flying them was once a favorite activity for children and adults alike. Now, however, they’re considered a fire hazard and have been banned in many places both in China and abroad.

Guessing lantern riddles

Guessing lantern riddles (猜灯谜 or cāidēngmí) is an activity that dates back at least as far as the Song Dynasty, when scholars wrote riddles on small slips of paper and hung them from lanterns for festival attendees to guess.

Most of these lantern riddles (灯谜 or dēngmí) were simply created as a form of entertainment. Sometimes, however, imperial advisors used them to make suggestions to the emperor.

If the emperor didn’t like a suggestion, the advisors could claim that the riddle had been interpreted incorrectly, thus avoiding his wrath. This was possible because the riddles’ answers were rarely obvious and clear-cut, leaving them open to multiple interpretations.

Today’s lantern riddles are still open to multiple interpretations and difficult to guess. So difficult, in fact, that they’re referred to as “lantern tigers” (灯虎 or dēnghǔ) and guessing lantern riddles is sometimes referred to as “guessing lantern tigers” (猜灯虎 or cāidēnghǔ, occasionally also written as 打灯虎 or dǎdēnghǔ).

Generally, lantern riddles are based on complex forms of wordplay and may be difficult for even advanced students of Chinese to understand.

Most riddles consist of the riddle itself and a hint that tells the guesser what form he or she should expect the answer to take.

For example, sometimes the hint might indicate that the answer is a Chinese idiom (成语 or chéngyǔ), the name of a country or that it should consist of only one Chinese character.

To get an idea of how difficult these riddles are, check out this list of Chinese-language riddles.

Eating tangyuan

Another popular Lantern Festival activity is eating tangyuan (汤圆 or tāngyuán).

These balls of glutinous rice flour are generally loaded with sweet fillings made from ingredients like black sesame paste. Although most tangyuan are sweet, savory tangyuan do exist.

Most tangyuan are steamed or boiled, but they can also be fried. Usually served floating in a thin hot soup, they’re traditionally white in color.

In recent years, modern versions of tangyuan have also appeared. These come in a mix of bright colors like purple, pink and orange. Creative chefs have updated the fillings, sometimes using less-traditional ingredients like chocolate.

Although they were originally only consumed on festive occasions, nowadays frozen tangyuan can be found in supermarkets throughout the year and can be eaten anytime.

The pronunciation of the word tangyuan is similar to that of the word tuanyuan (团圆 or tuányuán), which means “reunion” in Chinese. This, along with the fact that tangyuan are round and are served in round bowls, has led them to become a symbol of family togetherness.

There are some regional variations of this traditional dessert. In southern China, it’s called tangyuan, but in northern China, it’s called yuanxiao (元宵 or yuánxiāo).

Though there are some slight differences in how tangyuan and yuanxiao are prepared and stored, the two are quite similar.

Watching dragon and lion dances

In some parts of China, dragon and lion dances are also performed during the Lantern Festival.

Lion dance (舞狮 or wǔshī) is a type of folk dance typically performed by two dancers wearing a single lion suit. One performer controls the head and front part of the lion’s body, while the other controls the rear.

The performers dance and perform various acrobatic tricks to the beat of drums, gongs and cymbals.

Some lion dances are quite complex and may even include martial arts-inspired moves. In traditional Chinese culture, lions are considered to be powerful, auspicious animals, and lion dances are thought to bring good luck and financial prosperity.

Dragon dances (舞龙 or wǔlóng) are usually performed by a large team of dancers. Instead of getting inside a dragon costume, these performers manipulate a long, flexible model of a dragon using poles attached to its body.

Chinese dragons are thought to be powerful, benevolent creatures. Like lion dances, dragon dances are thought to bring good luck to the communities in which they’re performed.

Fireworks

Fireworks (烟火 or yānhuǒ, also called 烟花 or yānhuā) were invented in China, so it should come as no surprise that they’re still an integral part of many Chinese festivals.

Firework displays are popular during the Lantern Festival. In fact, it’s quite common to see and hear fireworks almost every day from the start of the Chinese New Year until the Lantern Festival, which marks the official end of the Spring Festival holiday.

Individuals are prohibited from setting off fireworks in most big cities, so Lantern Festival fireworks displays in urban areas are usually sponsored by local governments.

In rural areas, fireworks and firecrackers (鞭炮 or biānpào) can still be freely bought and set off by individual people, so families may set off their own fireworks on the Lantern Festival just for fun.

Sometimes, fireworks displays are combined with other aspects of the Lantern Festival, such as dragon dancing, which can make for a truly spectacular performance.

Experience the festivities for yourself!

If you happen to be in China during the Lantern Festival, make sure to take time to enjoy the celebrations.

Traveling within China during the Spring and Lantern Festivals can be hectic, but most cities will have their own lantern displays. Therefore, you probably won’t need to go far to experience the magic of this holiday.

Even if you aren’t in China, you may still be able to experience the holiday for yourself thanks to the growing popularity of Lantern Festival events in cities around the world.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Chinese holidays and traditions, then check out our articles on some other festivals with a long history like the Chinese Summer Solstice or Teachers’ Day.

If you’re feeling stumped about what to buy your Chinese friends during the holidays, you can also check out our Chinese gift recommendations.

Happy Lantern Festival!

Lantern Festival Vocabulary

Hànzì	Pīnyīn	Definition
元宵节	Yuánxiāojié	Lantern Festival
元宵节快乐!	Yuánxiāojié kuàilè!	Happy Lantern Festival!
节日	jiérì	holiday; festival
灯笼	dēnglóng	lantern
灯谜	dēngmí	lantern riddle
灯虎	dēnghǔ	literally «lantern tiger;» another name for a lantern riddle
猜灯谜	cāidēngmí	guess a lantern riddle
猜灯虎	cāidēnghǔ	another way to say «guess a lantern riddle»
打灯虎	dǎdēnghǔ	yet another way to say «guess a lantern riddle»
汤圆	tāngyuán	glutinous rice balls served in soup
元宵	yuánxiāo	old name for tangyuan still used in northern China
团圆	tuányuán	reunite
舞狮	wǔshī	lion dance
舞龙	wǔlóng	dragon dance
烟火	yānhuǒ	fireworks
烟花	yānhuā	another word for fireworks
鞭炮	biānpào	firecrackers

Chinese New Year is the most important of the Chinese holidays. Many people who live outside China call it the Lunar New Year. People celebrate this holiday all across the world.

В Китае Новый Год является самым важным из всех праздников. Многие люди, живущие за пределами Китая, называют его Лунный Новый год. Этот праздник отмечают по всему миру.

Chinese New Year’s Day begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar. It ends on the 15th day. This day is called the Lantern Festival and is another time to celebrate and have a party.

Празднование Китайского Нового Года начинается в первый день первого лунного месяца по китайскому календарю. Заканчивается оно на 15-й день. Этот день называется Фестиваль фонарей и является ещё одним поводом, чтобы отметить [Новый Год] и устроить праздничный вечер.

Chinese New Year’s Day changes every year because of the Chinese zodiac. The exact day depends on if it is the year of the dragon, rat, horse, dog, etc. It is always some time between January the 21st and February the 20th.

Из-за китайского зодиака Китайский Новый Год в разные годы приходится на разные даты. Точная дата зависит от того, какой это год: дракона, крысы, лошади, собаки и т.д. Это всегда некоторое число между 21 января и 20 февраля.

The Chinese are not in agreement which year it is. This year is one of three possibilities – depending on which scholar you believe.

У китайцев нет между собой согласия, который год наступает. Он может быть одним из трёх возможных – в зависимости от того, какому учёному вы доверяете.

The first day of the Chinese New Year is when Chinese people welcome the different gods to their homes. There are many superstitions on this day. Many people believe that not eating meat will bring them a long life.

В первый день Китайского Нового Года китайцы радушно принимают различных богов у себя дома. Существует много суеверий на этот день. Многие считают, что если они не будут есть мясо, то это даст им долгую жизнь.

Others believe it is bad luck to light fires so many people cook the day before. Other bad luck things to do on New Year’s Day is getting a haircut, sweeping the floor and buying books.

Другие считают плохой приметой зажигать огонь, поэтому готовят еду накануне. Плохими приметами на Новый Год является стрижка волос, подметание пола и покупка книг.

The most important thing to do on this day is to visit your family. Children like this day because they get money from their older relatives.

Самое главное, что надо сделать в этот день, – это посетить своих родных. Детям нравится этот день, потому что они получают деньги от своих старших родственников.

It is a very festive time. People hang red lanterns from their houses and cook all kinds of traditional food. It is also very noisy as people let off firecrackers and fireworks in the street to celebrate.

Это очень праздничное время. Люди развешивают красные фонарики из своих домов и готовят всякие традиционные кушанья. А также очень шумно, так как люди запускают на улице петарды и фейерверки, чтобы отпраздновать [Новый Год].

all across the world

People celebrate this holiday all across the world.

All across the world — по всему миру. Примеры:

• You’ve made thousands of enemies all across the world.
  Вы нажили тысячи врагов по всему миру.
• In only 20 years, the epidemic has spread all across the world.
  Всего за 20 лет эпидемия распространилась по всему миру.

exact

The exact day depends on if it is the year of the dragon, rat, horse, dog, etc.

Exact — (прил.) точный, конкретный. Примеры:

• Both exact and probability matching techniques are used.
  Используются методы как точного, так и вероятностного совпадения.
• She cannot remember the exact number because there were so many.
  Она не может вспомнить точное их число, поскольку их было очень много.

depend on

This year is one of three possibilities – depending on which scholar you believe.

Depend on — зависеть от, опираться на, определяться, полагаться на, рассчитывать на. Примеры:

• Much will depend on which path is taken by us.
  Многое будет зависеть от того, какой путь мы выберем.
• Further progress will depend on sustained political, technical and financial support.
  Дальнейший прогресс будет зависеть от стабильной политической, технической и финансовой поддержки.

superstition

There are many superstitions on this day.

Superstition — суеверие, предрассудок. Примеры:

• I thought that it was just a superstition.
  Я думал, что это просто суеверие.
• Yes, superstition is a strange thing but sometimes it tells the truth.
  Да, суеверие — странная вещь, но иногда оно правдиво.

relatives

Children like this day because they get money from their older relatives.

Relatives — близкие родственники, родня. Примеры:

• In most of families, parents or daughter’s close relatives decide on her marriage.
  В большинстве семей вопрос о вступлении в брак дочери решают её родители или близкие родственники.
• We went to relatives in the country.
  Мы отправились к родственникам на дачу.

festive

It is a very festive time.

Festive — праздничный, торжественный. Примеры:

• How fortunate that you’ve chosen such festive attire.
  Как удачно, что вы выбрали такой праздничный наряд.
• Well, the dinner menu doesn’t seem festive enough.
  Ну, меню ужина не выглядит достаточно праздничным.

lantern

People hang red lanterns from their houses and cook all kinds of traditional food.

Lantern — фонарь, фонарик, светильник. Примеры:

• Her skin is thin like a Chinese paper lantern.
  Её кожа тонкая, как китайский бумажный фонарик.
• At twilight time, a light sensor is actuated automatically and the lantern begins to shine.
  В сумерках датчик освещённости включается автоматически, и фонарь начинает светить.