chinese_festivals中国节日(英文介绍).ppt

SpringFestival,TheSpringFestivalfallsonthe1stdayofthe1stlunarmonth,oftenonemonthlaterthantheGregoriancalendar.ItoriginatedintheShangDynasty(c.1600BC-c.1100BC)fromthepeoplessacrificetogodsandancestorsattheendofanoldyearandthebeginningofanewone.Strictlyspeaking,theSpringFestivalstartseveryyearintheearlydaysofthe12thlunarmonthandwilllasttillthemid1stlunarmonthofthenextyear.Ofthem,themostimportantdaysareSpringFestivalEveandthefirstthreedays.TheChinesegovernmentnowstipulatespeoplehavesevendaysofffortheChineseLunarNewYear.ManycustomsaccompanytheSpringFestival.Somearestillfollowedtoday,butothershaveweakened.,SpringFestival,BeforetheNewYearcomes,thepeoplecompletelycleantheindoorsandoutdoorsoftheirhomesaswellastheirclothes,bedclothesandalltheirutensils.Thenpeoplebegindecoratingtheircleanroomsfeaturinganatmosphereofrejoicingandfestivity.AllthedoorpanelswillbepastedwithSpringFestivalcouplets,highlightingChinesecalligraphywithblackcharactersonredpaper.ThecontentvariesfromhouseownerswishesforabrightfuturetogoodluckfortheNewYear.Also,picturesofthegodofdoorsandwealthwillbepostedonfrontdoorstowardoffevilspiritsandwelcomepeaceandabundance.,TheChinesecharacterfu(meaningblessingorhappiness)isamust.Thecharacterputonpapercanbepastednormallyorupsidedown,forinChinesethereversedfuishomophonicwithfucomes,bothbeingpronouncedasfudaole.Whatsmore,twobigredlanternscanberaisedonbothsidesofthefrontdoor.Redpaper-cuttingscanbeseenonwindowglassandbrightlycoloredNewYearpaintingswithauspiciousmeaningsmaybeputonthewall.,LanternFestival,TheLanternFestivalfallsonthe15thdayofthe1stlunarmonth,usuallyinFebruaryorMarchintheGregoriancalendar.AsearlyastheWesternHanDynasty(206BC-AD25),ithadbecomeafestivalwithgreatsignificance.Thisdaysimportantactivityiswatchinglanterns.ThroughouttheHanDynasty(206BC-AD220),BuddhismflourishedinChina.OneemperorheardthatBuddhistmonkswouldwatchsarira,orremainsfromthecremationofBuddhasbody,andlightlanternstoworshipBuddhaonthe15thdayofthe1stlunarmonth,soheorderedtolightlanternsintheimperialpalaceandtemplestoshowrespecttoBuddhaonthisday.Later,theBuddhistritedevelopedintoagrandfestivalamongcommonpeopleanditsinfluenceexpandedfromtheCentralPlainstothewholeofChina.,LanternFestival,GuessinglanternriddlesisanessentialpartoftheFestival.Lanternownerswriteriddlesonapieceofpaperandpostthemonthelanterns.Ifvisitorshavesolutionstotheriddles,theycanpullthepaperoutandgotothelanternownerstochecktheiranswer.Iftheyareright,theywillgetalittlegift.TheactivityemergedduringpeoplesenjoymentoflanternsintheSongDynasty(960-1279).Asriddleguessingisinterestingandfullofwisdom,ithasbecomepopularamongallsocialstrata.,Peoplewilleatyuanxiao,orricedumplings,onthisday,soitisalsocalledtheYuanxiaoFestival.Yuanxiaoalsohasanothername,tangyuan.Itissmalldumplingballsmadeofglutinousriceflourwithrosepetals,sesame,beanpaste,jujubepaste,walnutmeat,driedfruit,sugarandedibleoilasfilling.Tangyuancanbeboiled,friedorsteamed.Ittastessweetanddelicious.Whatsmore,tangyuaninChinesehasasimilarpronunciationwithtuanyuan”,meaningreunion.Sopeopleeatthemtodenoteunion,harmonyandhappinessforthefamily.,QingmingFestival,TheQingming(PureBrightness)Festivalisoneofthe24seasonaldivisionpointsinChina,fallingonApril4-6eachyear.Afterthefestival,thetemperaturewillriseupandrainfallincreases.Itisthehightimeforspringplowingandsowing.ButtheQingmingFestivalisnotonlyaseasonalpointtoguidefarmwork,itismoreafestivalofcommemoration.TheQingmingFestivalseesacombinationofsadnessandhappiness.,TheHanshi(ColdFood)FestivalwasusuallyonedaybeforetheQingmingFestival.AsourancestorsoftenextendedthedaytotheQingming,theywerelatercombined.OneachQingmingFestival,allcemeteriesarecrowdedwithpeoplewhocametosweeptombsandoffersacrifices.Trafficonthewaytothecemeteriesbecomesextremelyjammed.Thecustomshavebeengreatlysimplifiedtoday.Afterslightlysweepingthetombs,peopleofferfood,flowersandfavoritesofthedead,thenburnincenseandpapermoneyandbowbeforethememorialtablet.,DragonBoatFestival,TheDragonBoatFestival,the5thdayofthe5thlunarmonth,hashadahistoryofmorethan2,000years.ItisusuallyinJuneintheGregoriancalendar.Dragonboatracingisanindispensablepartofthefestival,heldalloverthecountry.Asthegunisfired,peoplewillseeracersindragon-shapedcanoespullingtheoarsharmoniouslyandhurriedly,accompaniedbyrapiddrums,speedingtowardtheirdestination.FolktalessaythegameoriginatesfromtheactivitiesofseekingQuYuansbody,butexperts,afterpainstakingandmeticulousresearch,concludethatdragonboatracingisasemi-religious,semi-entertainingprogramfromtheWarringStatesPeriod(475-221BC).Inthefollowingthousandsofyears,thegamespreadtoJapan,VietnamandBritainaswellasChinasTaiwanandHongKong.NowdragonboatracinghasdevelopedintoanaquaticsportsitemwhichfeaturesbothChinesetraditionandmodernsportingspirit.In1980,itwaslistedintothestatesportscompetitionprogramsandhassincebeenheldeveryyear.TheawardiscalledQuYuanCup.,DoubleSeventhFestival,TheDoubleSeventhFestival,onthe7thdayofthe7thlunarmonth,isatraditionalfestivalfullofromance.ItoftengoesintoAugustintheGregoriancalendar.Thisfestivalisinmid-summerwhentheweatheriswarmandthegrassandtreesrevealtheirluxuriousgreens.Atnightwhentheskyisdottedwithstars,andpeoplecanseetheMilkyWayspanningfromthenorthtothesouth.Oneachbankofitisabrightstar,whichseeeachotherfromafar.TheyaretheCowherdandWeaverMaid,andaboutthemthereisabeautifullovestorypasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration.,Long,longago,therewasanhonestandkind-heartedfellownamedNiuLang(Cowhand).Hisparentsdiedwhenhewasachild.Laterhewasdrivenoutofhishomebyhissister-in-law.Sohelivedbyhimselfherdingcattleandfarming.Oneday,afairyfromheavenZhiNu(WeaverMaid)fellinlovewithhimandcamedownsecretlytoearthandmarriedhim.ThecowhandfarmedinthefieldandtheWeaverMaidwoveathome.Theylivedahappylifeandgavebirthtoaboyandagirl.Unfortunately,theGodofHeavensoonfoundoutthefactandorderedtheQueenMotheroftheWesternHeavenstobringtheWeaverMaidback.Withthehelpofcelestialcattle,theCowhandflewtoheavenwithhissonanddaughter.Atthetimewhenhewasabouttocatchupwithhiswife,theQueenMothertookoffoneofhergoldhairpinsandmadeastroke.OnebillowyriverappearedinfrontoftheCowhand.TheCowhandandWeaverMaidwereseparatedonthetwobanksforeverandcouldonlyfeeltheirtears.Theirloyaltytolovetouchedmagpies,sotensofthousandsofmagpiescametobuildabridgefortheCowhandandWeaverMaidtomeeteachother.TheQueenMotherwaseventuallymovedandallowedthemtomeeteachyearonthe7thofthe7thlunarmonth.HencetheirmeetingdatehasbeencalledQiXi(DoubleSeventh).,Mid-AutumnFestival,TheMid-AutumnFestivalfallsonthe15thdayofthe8thlunarmonth,usuallyinOctoberinGregoriancalendar.Folkloreabouttheoriginofthefestivalgolikethis:Inremoteantiquity,thereweretensunsrisinginthesky,whichscorchedallcropsanddrovepeopleintodirepoverty.AheronamedHouYiwasmuchworriedaboutthis,heascendedtothetopoftheKunlunMountainand,directinghissuperhumanstrengthtofullextent,drewhisextraordinarybowandshotdowntheninesuperfluoussunsoneafteranother.Healsoorderedthelastsuntoriseandsetaccordingtotime.Forthisreason,hewasrespectedandlovedbythepeopleandlotsofpeopleofidealsandintegritycametohimtolearnmartialartsfromhim.ApersonnamedPengMenglurkedinthem.,HouYihadabeautifulandkindheartedwifenamedChangE.OnedayonhiswaytotheKunlunMountaintocallonfriends,heranupontheEmpressofHeavenWangmuwhowaspassingby.EmpressWangmupresentedtohimaparcelofelixir,bytakingwhich,itwassaid,onewouldascendimmediatelytoheavenandbecomeacelestialbeing.HouYi,however,hatedtopartwithhiswife.SohegavetheelixirtoChangEtotreasureforthetimebeing.ChangEhidtheparcelinatreasureboxatherdressingtablewhen,unexpectedly,itwasseenbyPengMeng.OnedaywhenHouYiledhisdisciplestogohunting,PengMeng,swordinhand,rushedintotheinnerchamberandforcedChangEtohandovertheelixir.AwarethatshewasunabletodefeatPengMeng,ChangEmadeapromptdecisionatthatcriticalmoment.Sheturnedroundtoopenhertreasurebox,tookuptheelixirandswalloweditinonegulp.Assoonassheswallowedtheelixirherbodyfloatedofftheground,dashedoutofthewindowandflewtowardsheaven.PengMengescaped.,WhenHouYireturnedhomeatdark,heknewfromthemaidservantswhathadhappened.Overcomewithgrief,HouYilookedupintothenightskyandcalledoutthenameofhisbelovedwifewhen,tohissurprise,hefoundthatthemoonwasespeciallyclearandbightandonittherewasaswayingshadowthatwasexactlylikehiswife.Hetriedhisbesttochaseafterthemoon.Butasheran,themoonretreated;ashewithdrew,themooncameback.Hecouldnotgettothemoonatall.Thinkingofhiswifedayandnight,HouYithenhadanincensetablearrangedinthebackgardenthatChangEloved.PuttingonthetablesweetmeatsandfreshfruitsChangEenjoyedmost,HouYiheldatadistanceamemorialceremonyforChangEwhowassentimentallyattachedtohiminthepalaceofthemoon.WhenpeopleheardofthestorythatChangEhadturnedintoacelestialbeing,theyarrangedtheincensetableinthemoonlightoneafteranotherandprayedkindheartedChangEforgoodfortuneandpeace.Fromthenonthecustomofworshipingthemoonspreadamongthepeople.Peopleindifferentplacesfollowvariouscustoms,butallshowtheirloveandlongingforabetterlife.Todaypeoplewillenjoythefullmoonandeatmooncakesonthatday.,DoubleNinthFestival,The9thdayofthe9thlunarmonthisthetraditionalChongyangFestival,orDoubleNinthFestival.ItusuallyfallsinOctoberintheGregoriancalendar.InanancientandmysteriousbookYiJing,orTheBookofChanges,number6wasthoughttobeofYincharacter,meaningfeminineornegative,whilenumber9wasthoughttobeYang,meaningmasculineorpositive.SothenumbernineinbothmonthanddaycreatetheDoubleNinthFestival,orChongyangFestival.ChonginChinesemeansdouble.Also,asdoubleninthwaspronouncedthesameasthewordtosignifyforever,bothareJiuJiu,theChineseancestorsconsidereditanauspiciousdayworthcelebration.ThatswhyancientChinesebegantocelebratethisfestivallongtimeago.Thecustomofascendingaheighttoavoidepidemicswaspasseddownfromlongtimeago.Therefore,theDoubleNinthFestivalisalsocalledHeightAscendingFestival.Theheightpeoplewillreachisusuallyamountainoratower.Ancientliteraryfigureshaveleftmanypoemsdepictingtheactivity.Eventoday,peoplestillswarmtofamousorlittleknownmountainsonthisdayIn1989,theChinesegovernmentdecidedtheDoubleNinthFestivalasSeniorsDay.Sincethen,allgovernmentunits,organizationsandstreetscommunitieswillorganizeanautumntripeachyearforthosewhohaveretiredfromtheirposts.Atthewatersideoronthemountains,theseniorswillfindthemselvesmergedintonature.Youngergenerationswillbringelderonestosuburbanareasorsendgiftstothemonthisday.,WinterSolsticeFestival,Asearlyas2,500yearsago,abouttheSpringandAutumnPeriod(770-476BC),ChinahaddeterminedthepointofWinterSolsticebyobservingmovementsofthesunwithasundial.Itistheearliestofthe24seasonaldivisionpoints.ThetimewillbeeachDecember22or23