Four Folk Customs of the Spring Festival（春节民俗四则）

Paper Cutting

李  洁  刘丽娥^指导老师

（湖南省邵东市第一中学1913班  湖南  邵东  422800）

When it comes to the customs of Chinese spring festival，the first one that I have the intention to share with you is paper cutting. As a hollow-out art，it is one of the oldest handicrafts in China.

It is commonly believed that paper-cutting originated in the Han dynasty when paper had been invented. Since then，it has gained popularity in many parts of China. One of the reasons for its popularity is that paper cutting requires rather simple tools consisting of scissors and paper，which are easily available for every family.

The themes of paper cutting vary from animals and plants to the vividly daily life scenes. When preparing for the spring festival，we Chinese people will paste the paper-cutting decorations，especially with auspicious patterns，on the windows and doors after the thorough clean. By doing so，it seems that a happy and prosperous atmosphere is added to the festival and people can express their good wishes to look forward to a happy life.

Spring couplets

李孟儒  劉丽娥^指导老师

（湖南省邵东市第一中学1916班  湖南省  邵东市  422800）

When celebrating the spring festival，we Chinese people tend to paste spring couplets to express our great expectation for the future and convey our good wishes of the New Year.

As a unique Chinese literary form，spring couplets can be traced back to the Five Dynasties，when there was a folk custom of Chinese new year，peach wood charms against evil. It is widely said that the Emperor Meng Chang inscribed an inspired couplet on a peach slat，beginning a custom which gradually evolved into todays popular custom of pasting spring couplets.

The spring couplet is made up of two antithetical sentences on both sides of the door and a horizontal scroll with auspicious words above the gate. Being a traditional custom during the spring festival，each family，poor or rich，educated or ignorant，will select a pair of red couplets carefully and paste them on the door correctly according to the couplet rules. They are firmly convinced that it symbolizes the hopes of the coming new year.

As for the content of the spring couplets，different people have different choices. For example，some people will paste couplets in relation to making a fortune，while others will pick out those expressing the desire for good luck.

The Dragon Dance

唐宇浩  刘丽娥^指导老师

（湖南省邵东市第一中学1913班  湖南省  邵东市  422800）

As we all know，the dragon dance is a form of traditional dance performance in Chinese culture. Not only is it a sport which is beneficial to people's physical health，but also it increases the festive atmosphere for the spring festival.

People in ancient China held the firm belief that rain was under the control of the dragon，so the dragon dance was performed to pray for the rain and have a good harvest. When it comes to the forms，you will be surprised to know that there are more than one hundred kinds of dragon dance whose performance is increasingly diverse and colorful. The performers have to remember the action when playing and pay attention to the concert between team members.

There is no doubt that the dragon dance is China's precious cultural heritage，which represents the Chinese spirits of being united and progressive and expresses Chinese people's courage，pride and wisdom.

Staying-up

羅怡婷  刘丽娥^指导老师

（湖南省邵东市第一中学1916班）

Speaking of staying-up late on New Years Eve，people in china will think of a folk tale with regard to a monster named Nian. It is a fierce animal，who always went out on New Years Eve to eat people without mercy. Therefore，every family would have a reunion dinner together that night，after which they would sit around the fire，talking and encouraging each other. With time going by，this custom evolved into the most important festival among traditional Chinese festivals.

People in different times have different understandings of staying-up. The majority of people will set off firecrackers at twelve oclock to see off the old year and welcome the new year，while others stay up the whole nights to ward off disease and disasters，wishing for good luck in the new year.

As for me，I have a preference for staying up，where I can enjoy the happiness of a family reunion and greeting the new year together.

湖南省邵东市第一中学英语教师刘丽娥近年来一直致力于“在英语教学中传播中华优秀文化”的研究。上述四篇习作是其学生介绍春节民俗的寒假作业中的典范之作。第一篇为《剪纸》，第二篇为《春联》，第三篇为《舞龙》，第四篇为《守岁》。