The traditional festivals, what is eaten and done at each, and the words around them.
The traditional festivals follow the lunar calendar, 农历, so their dates move against the Western calendar from one year to the next. Each has its own food and custom: dumplings at New Year, 月饼and the full moon at the Mid-Autumn Festival粽子and dragon boats at the Dragon Boat Festival Festival names end in 节, and in pinyin they are written as proper names, with a capital letter.
The words
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Verb (10)
过年to celebrate the New YearVerb3
今年你在哪儿过年？Where are you spending New Year this year?
Almost always the lunar New Year. Separable: 过个好年.
拜年to pay a New Year call; to wish a happy New YearVerb3
初一早上我们去爷爷奶奶家拜年。On the first morning of the New Year we go to wish our grandparents a happy New Year.
Separable: 给您拜个年, a polite New Year greeting.
贴to stick; to paste upVerb3
他把通知贴在门上了。He has stuck the notice on the door.
赏月to admire the moonVerb3
晚上一家人在院子里赏月。In the evening the whole family sits in the courtyard admiring the moon.
团圆to be reunited (as a family)Verb3
中秋节是家人团圆的日子。The Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for families to come together.
扫墓to tend a family graveVerb3
每年这个时候，我们都回老家给爷爷扫墓。Every year at this time we go back to our home town to tend Grandpa’s grave.
庆祝to celebrateVerb3
我们去饭馆庆祝爸爸的生日。We are going to a restaurant to celebrate Dad’s birthday.
属to be born in the year ofVerb3
我属马，你呢？I was born in the year of the horse. And you?
A polite way to ask somebody’s age without asking it: 你属什么？
舞狮to perform a lion dance; lion danceVerb3
新商店开业那天请了人来舞狮。On the day the new shop opened, they had a lion dance.
舞龙to perform a dragon dance; dragon danceVerb3
过节的时候，村里的年轻人一起舞龙。At festival time the young people of the village perform the dragon dance together.
Noun (29)
节日festival; holidayNoun3
你最喜欢哪个节日？Which festival do you like best?
农历the lunar calendarNoun3
中国的很多节日是按农历算的。Many Chinese festivals are reckoned by the lunar calendar.
春节the Spring Festival; Chinese New YearNoun3
春节前火车票特别难买。Train tickets are especially hard to get before the Spring Festival.
The lunar new year, which falls in late January or in February.
年夜饭New Year’s Eve dinnerNoun3
全家人坐在一起吃年夜饭。The whole family sits down together for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
红包red envelope (with money)Noun3
奶奶给每个孩子一个红包。Grandma gives each child a red envelope.
Given at New Year, at weddings and to mark good news.
压岁钱New Year money (given to children)Noun3
孩子们过年最高兴的就是收压岁钱。What makes children happiest at New Year is getting their New Year money.
鞭炮firecrackerNoun3
很多城市已经不让放鞭炮了。Many cities no longer allow firecrackers.
Set off with 放.
烟花fireworksNoun3
昨天晚上江边放了烟花，非常漂亮。Last night there were fireworks by the river, and they were beautiful.
春联New Year coupletNoun3
过年前家家都要贴春联。Before New Year every household puts up couplets.
Two lines on red paper, one on each side of the door. Measure word: 副.
灯笼lanternNoun3
街上挂满了红灯笼。The street is hung with red lanterns.
饺子dumplingNoun2
北方人过年一定要吃饺子。In the north people always eat dumplings at New Year.
Making them is 包饺子, literally "wrapping dumplings".
元宵节the Lantern FestivalNoun3
元宵节的晚上大家去看灯。On the evening of the Lantern Festival everyone goes out to look at the lanterns.
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, which ends the New Year season.
元宵sweet rice-flour dumplingNoun3
正月十五我们家吃元宵。On the fifteenth of the first lunar month our family eats sweet rice dumplings.
In the south the same thing is usually called 汤圆.
中秋节the Mid-Autumn FestivalNoun3
中秋节的月亮最圆。The moon is at its fullest at the Mid-Autumn Festival.
月饼mooncakeNoun3
中秋节前，公司给每个人发了一盒月饼。Before the Mid-Autumn Festival the company gave everyone a box of mooncakes.
端午节the Dragon Boat FestivalNoun3
端午节有赛龙舟的习俗。It is a custom to race dragon boats at the Dragon Boat Festival.
粽子sticky rice wrapped in leavesNoun3
粽子是用叶子包的，里面是米。Zongzi are wrapped in leaves, with rice inside.
龙舟dragon boatNoun3
河上有十几条龙舟在比赛。A dozen or so dragon boats are racing on the river.
清明节the Qingming Festival; Tomb-Sweeping DayNoun3
清明节在四月初，常常下小雨。The Qingming Festival falls in early April, and there is often light rain.
国庆节National DayNoun3
国庆节放七天假，到处都是人。There is a week off for National Day, and there are people everywhere.
情人节Valentine’s DayNoun3
情人节那天花特别贵。Flowers are especially expensive on Valentine’s Day.
祝福good wishes; to wish (somebody) wellNoun3
过年的时候大家互相发短信送祝福。At New Year people send each other messages with their good wishes.
习俗customNoun3
各地过年的习俗不太一样。New Year customs differ from place to place.
传统tradition; traditionalNoun3
一起包饺子是我们家的传统。Making dumplings together is a tradition in our family.
文化cultureNoun3
学语言的时候也要了解文化。When you learn a language, you also need to understand the culture.
历史historyNoun3
这座城市有很长的历史。This city has a long history.
生肖Chinese zodiac animalNoun3
你的生肖是什么？What is your zodiac animal?
One of twelve animals, each standing for a year in a twelve-year cycle.
龙dragonNoun3
孩子们在纸上画了一条龙。The children have drawn a dragon on the paper.
Measure word: 条.
庙会temple fairNoun3
春节的时候我们去逛了庙会。At the Spring Festival we went round the temple fair.
Stalls, snacks and performances, held above all at New Year.
Time word (1)
除夕New Year’s Eve (of the lunar year)Time word3
除夕那天晚上很多人一夜不睡。On New Year’s Eve many people stay up all night.
This list belongs to Chinese culture and history — six lists and 242 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.
