消失的中国新年传统

As the most important traditional festival in China, there are lots of folk customs for the Chinese New Year. However, some traditions are disappearing with the rapid development of China.

作为中国最重要的传统节日，春节有许多民间习俗。然而，随着中国的快速发展，一些传统正在消失。

1. Worshipping the Kitchen God

1.拜灶神

At one time, Chinese people would worship the Kitchen God before the Spring Festival and then send him away.

曾几何时，中国人会在春节前祭拜灶神，然后把他送走。

It is said that Kitchen God would go to heaven and report to Jade Emperor on the last day of the lunar new year. Thus, Chinese people would clean the house before lunar New Year's Eve. Then prepare some food and fruits to worship Kitchen God so that Kitchen God would say some good words in front of Jade Emperor.

据说灶神会在农历新年的最后一天上天堂，向玉皇大帝报告。因此，中国人会在除夕之前打扫房子。然后预备一些食物和水果供奉灶神，这样灶神就可以在玉帝面前说一些好话。

Nowadays, people will still clean their houses but no longer worship Kitchen God. It is only found in some rural areas and hardly in town.

展开全文

如今，人们仍然会打扫房间，但不再崇拜灶神。它只存在于一些农村地区，很少在城镇里出现。

2. Kowtowing to the Elders

2.向长者叩头

Kowtow is an old Chinese ritual. In the past, Chinese people kowtow to their elders to show their deep respect. They would kneel and bow low to have their head touching the ground.

磕头是一种古老的中国仪式。在过往，中国人向长辈磕头以表达他们深深的敬意。他们会跪下，低头，让他们的头碰到地面。

On the first day of the Chinese New Year, the whole family went out together to pay New Year's greetings to the elders of each family. Everyone was kowtowing to the elders in the yard.

大年初一，一家人一起出往给各家各户的长辈拜年。院子里，所有人都在给长辈们磕头。

Then the elders will give young people red envelopes. We cannot find this custom anymore because the young generation feels embarrassed.

然后长老们会给年轻人红包。我们再也找不到这种习俗了，因为年轻一代感到尴尬。

3. Eating Chinese New Year Glue Pudding

3.食汤圆

Chinese people will have a reunion dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve and used to have glue pudding the next morning. We call it “yuan bao”.

中国人会在除夕夜食团圆饭，第二天早上食汤圆。我们称之为“元宝”。

Now only a few Chinese people insist on this custom. Most people think Glue Pudding is too sweet after a particularly rich and substantial meal on Chinese New Year’s Eve.

现在只有少数中国人坚持这个习俗。大多数人认为在除夕夜食了一顿特殊丰盛的大餐后，汤圆太甜了。

4. Eating Cured Meat

4.食腊肉

Chinese people usually make cured meat when winter is coming. A lot of salt will be used when making cured meat. It is prepared to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

冬天来暂时，中国人通常会做腊肉。腌肉的时候会用很多盐。为庆贺中国新年做好了预备。

However, young people seldom know how to make cured meat now and even doubt whether it is healthy. Nowadays, young people pay more attention to the variety and health of food.

然而，现在的年轻人很少知道如何制造腊肉，甚至怀疑它是否健康。现在，年轻人更加关注食物的多样性和健康。

5. Eating Sugar Melons

5.食糖瓜

The sugar melon, (called Tanggua in Chinese), is a Melon-shaped candy made from maltose.

糖瓜是一种由麦芽糖制成的瓜形糖果。

It is said that, on Lunar New Year’s Eve, Kitchen God goes back to heaven and reports to the Jade Emperor. People specially made sugar melons to sacrifice. After sacrifice, children could eat sugar melons.

据说，在农历新年前夕，灶神会回到天堂，向玉皇大帝报告。人们专门制造了糖瓜来祭奠。祭奠之后，孩子们可以食甜瓜。

In the old days, children didn’t have too many candies to eat so sugar melons are popular. Now many people may have hyperglycemia and children are not short of candies. Thus, sugar melons are gradually disappearing.

在过往，孩子们没有太多的糖果食，所以糖瓜很受欢迎。现在很多人可能有高血糖症，孩子们也不缺糖果。因此，糖瓜正在逐渐消失。

6. Putting up Papercut of the Door God and Wealth God

6.门神和财神的剪纸

Chinese people used to put up Door God and Wealth God paper cut to welcome the Gods on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

中国人过往经常在农历新年的第一天用门神和财神剪纸来迎接神灵。

Putting the Wealth God upside down on the wall means the New Year will be smooth and prosperous. The pronunciation of “Wealth God is upside down.” is similar to “Wealth God is coming.” in Chinese.

把财神倒挂在墙上意味着新年将会是顺利和繁华的。“财神颠倒”的发音类似于“财富之神即将到来”在中文里。

In the old days, these auspicious handcrafted artworks are necessary for the Chinese New Year. But now they are gradually out of Chinese people’s sight.

在过往，这些吉祥的手工艺品是农历新年的必需品。但是现在它们慢慢地从中国人的视线中消失了。

7. Putting up Taofu (Peach Wood Charms)

7.贴桃符(桃木魅力)

Chinese people used to put up peach wood charms (桃符 táo fú) against evil on the gate door. Then people wrote couplets on red paper to replace peach wood charms.

中国人过往经常把桃木符（桃符）贴在门上抵御邪恶。然后人们在红纸上写对联来代替桃木符。

Peachwood charms cannot be found now. Although some elders would like to buy peach wood charms, they don’t know where to buy one.

桃木符现在已经找不到了。虽然有些长辈想买桃木符，但是他们不知道往哪里买。

8. No Going out on the First Day of the Lunar New Year

8.农历年初一不准外出

The elders often told children not to talk nonsense on the first day of the lunar new year, not to wash hair, not to wash clothes, not to sweep the floor, and not to visit relatives.

长辈们经常告诉孩子们，在农历新年的第一天不要胡说八道，不要洗头，不要洗衣服，不要扫地，不要拜谒亲戚。

Now Chinese people don’t care about the taboos anymore. Although they hope to have good fortune in the upcoming lunar new year, they think it is inconvenient to abide by taboos.

现在中国人不再关怀这些禁忌了。虽然他们期看在即将到来的农历新年有好运气，但他们认为遵守禁忌是不方便的。

Many people work in other provinces and the Chinese New Year holiday is only 7 days. If they abode all taboos, they wouldn’t have too much time to be with their family members.

许多人在其他省份工作，中国的春节假期只有7天。假如他们遵守所有的禁忌，他们就不会有太多的时间和家人在一起。

9. Setting off Fireworks and Firecrackers

9.放烟花爆竹

In the past, people set off firecrackers to drive evil away. Chinese people used to set off fireworks on Chinese New Year's eve to welcome the new year and set off firecrackers on the first day of the lunar new year to drive evil away and bring good luck.

在过往，人们燃放鞭炮是为了驱赶邪恶。中国人过往经常在除夕燃放烟花来迎接新年，在农历新年的第一天燃放鞭炮来驱除邪恶，带来好运。

Now firecrackers and fireworks are banned in many places for the sake of the environment and safety. As time goes by, burning fireworks during the Chinese New Year will become a thing of the past.

为了环境和安全起见，现在许多地方禁止放鞭炮和烟花爆竹。随着时间的推移，在春节燃放烟花爆竹将成为过往。

10. Lightening Handmade Lanterns at the Lantern Festival

10.在元宵节上点亮手工制造的灯笼

“Children ran along the street holding a small lantern.” When talking about lantern shows, this scene comes to our mind. In the past, Chinese people would lighten thousands of lanterns at the Lantern Festival. It was absolutely spectacular.

“孩子们拿着小灯笼沿着街道跑。”当谈到灯笼表演时，这个场景出现在我们的脑海中。在过往，中国人会在元宵节点亮成千上万的灯笼。绝对的壮看。

In modern times, the spectacular moment has given way to big performance shows. In the center of the city, there is usually a big show organized by the government. However, we, Chinese people, can never experience the “lantern show” of the past again.

在现代，壮看的时刻已经被大型表演节目所取代。在市中心，通常会有一场由政府组织的大型演出。然而，我们中国人再也不能体验过往的“灯展”了。

The festivals of each nation are accumulated and formed by the culture of the nations from generation to generation. Hope some traditional customs of the Spring Festival will be inherited.

每个民族的节日都是民族文化代代相传积存形成的，期看春节的一些传统习俗能够被继续。