元旦用英語介紹

第第頁元旦用英語介紹

【元旦介紹】

Fromtheabovementionedcustoms,wecanseethatthereareespeciallymanytaboosduringChineseNewYear.OnYuanDaninparticular,therearemoretaboosonspeechandbehaviourthanthoseonotherordinarydays.Similarly,therearemoreactivitiesinpursuitofgoodcausethanusual.

Onprobingtheactivitiesandtaboos,wehavenodifficultytounderstandthatthethemebehindisalwaysrelatedtofortune,wealthandgoodness,andthatpeopleusuallyconcernthemselveswithagoodbeginningfortheyear.

Sometaboosmaylooksuperstitiousonthesurface,buttheydoproduceefficacy.Ifwepractisethemcircumspectively,theywillyieldpracticalresults.Fore*ample,theprohibitionofbadwords,quarrel,weepingandcrying,togetherwiththeemphasisonthinkingpositivelyevenwhenthingsarebroken,providesomenormativerulesforpeopletofollow.

Thisgivespeopletheopportunitytomendtheirways,todevelopgoodattitudes,andtoformahabitofthinkingpositivelyandlookingatthegoodsideofthings.

Theprohibitionofsweepinganddisposingtherubbishinthefirstfivedaysforcespeopletoarrangetheirthingsandclearawaytherubbishproperlyattheendofeachyear,sothatnounwantedthingswillbecarriedforwardtothenewyear.

Atthesametime,thetabooalsocompelspeopletolearntobethrifty.Thisisbecausetopreventaccumulatedthingsfrombecomingrubbish,peoplemustbecarefulintheuseofanypaperorotherthings,andthusavoidwasteofthings.

Theavoidanceofmedicineandsneezeonthefirstdaylookslikeajokeandisabsurdasfarasthepatientisconcerned.However,becauseofthetaboos,peoplewillbeconsciousenoughtotakeseriouscareoftheirhealthduringthewindyandsnowingseason.Thus,theywillavoidfallingsickintheNewYearandwastingawaythepreciousspringhours.

Nowadays,peoplehaveabandonedthecustomofbringingalonggreetingcardswhentheygoforNewYearhousevisits.However,ChineseMalaysiansstillmaintainthehabitofsendingNewYeargreetingcardsbypostbeforetheNewYear.

Thereareevennon-ChinesesendingNewYeargreetingcaredinEnglishorMalaylanguagestotheirChinesefriends.Moreover,theChineseliketousecolourfulNewYearcaredtodecoratetheirhouses,soastostrengthentheNewYearatmosphere.

Liketheancientdaysgreetingcardsforhezhengwhichweredisplayedinthemainhall,thesemodernNewYearcardsalsoreflectthesocialpositionofthepersonswhoreceivethecards.Thus,intheway,theancientriteofhezhenghasdevelopedinMalaysiawithaMalaysiancolour.

【元旦習俗】

1.Kaisui(beginningoftheyear):AccordingtotheChinesetraditionalcustom,startingfromhaishi(9p.m.to11p.m.)ofthelasteveningofthetwelfthlunarmonth,eachfamilymustprepareofferingstodeitiesatthealtar.Atthesametime,theytoopreparefoodfortheNewYearday:Thewholefamilywillthenstayawaketogethertoattendtotheyear(calledshousui).

Afterhaishi,zishi(11p.m.to1a.m.)willcome,andthisisthearrivalofNewYear(Yuandan).Atthismoment,peoplebeginthecelebrationwithfireworks.Vegetarianandsweetfoodswillthenbeplacedarethealtarforofferings,andincensebeburnedtowelcomethedeities.

Intheancienttimes,itwasbelievedthathaishiconnectedthetwoyearsandthuswascalledkaisui.

Atthesamenight,somefamilieswillfollowtheinstructioninTongshuandplacepreparingaltarinthedirectionofthefortunedeityduringthefortunetimetoreceivethedeity.

Ifthedirectionofthefortunedeityisattheillposition,peoplewillchoosetoreceivehappydeityornobledeityinstead.

2.ThereisanapparentdifferenceinthecustomoffoodtakingonYuandanbetweentheChineseinthenorthernandsouthernregions.ThenorthernChinesehasthehabitoftakingjiaozi(dumplingmadeofflourwithvegetableandmeatwrappedinside).Somepeoplemayputasweetoracoininsidejiaozi,hopingtohaveasweetyearaftertastingthesweetandawealthyyearaftertastingthecoin.

ontheotherhand,thesouthernChinesehavethetabooforkillingonYuandan.Therefore,theydonottakemeatinteemorningofYuandan,soastoavoidbloodshedormutualslaughter.

Inordertoevademisfortune,theyhavethefirstmealofthisdaywithoutmeat.Instead,theytakevegetarianfoodforthesakeofvirtue.

3.WhatisspecialduringtheNewYearisthatparentsorelderswilldistributeredpackets(angpaooryasuiqian)tothechildren.

Peopleintheancienttimesweremoreparticularingivingawaytheredpackets:thedistributiontookplaceontheeveofNewYearsothatthekidscouldsuppressthepastyearandentertheNewYear.Yasuihasthemeaningofovercomingtheunpredictablefuture.

Representingthewishesforthehealthypsychologicalgrowthofthechildren,yasuiqiansymbolisestheeldershopetoseetheirchildrenovercomealltheunpredictableelementsbroughtbytheyear.

4.Thereisane*traordinarynumberoftaboosonYuandan.Eachplacehasitsowncustomsoftaboo.Here,wewillmentiononlyafewcommontaboosinFujianProvince,GuangdongProvinceandSoutheastAsia:

Inthepast,peoplecommonlybelievedthatfortunewashiddeninthehouse.So,w\sweepingoffloormustbedoneinthedirectionmovinginwards,andtherewasnoclearanceofrubbishatnight.

ParticularlyontheNewTearday,inordertokeepfortunefromflowingout,therewasnosweeping.Somefamilieskeptthistaboountilthefifthoreventhefifteenthday.

Ifanythingwasbroken,thepieceswerewrappedupinordernottoletthefortuneslipawayandweredisposedonlythefifthday.

Yuandan(inmoreseriousfamilies,theperiode*tendsfromthe1sttothe15thday)marksthenewbeginning.InthehopethatNewYearbringsgoodbeginning,peopleshouldutterneitherunkindwordsnorvulgarlanguage.

Makingnoises,fighting,quarrelingandespeciallyweepingareavoidedtodetermisfortune.Thereareeventaboosoftakingmedicineandhavingsnee