HSK 1 3 l Chinese New Year l 中国的春节 l Chinese Podcast

Hello everyone welcome to Learn Chinese On The Go Today we're talking about Chinese New Year Daming hello Xiao Mei Have you been busy lately Not busy how about you I'm not busy either let's chat Sure what would you like to talk about I'd like to learn about Chinese culture Great let's talk about Chinese New Year Spring Festival is the most important Chinese holiday Oh really I didn't know that Yes many people enjoy the Spring Festival What day is the Spring Festival It doesn’t have a fixed date Why is that The lunar calendar is China’s traditional calendar I see like our New Year A bit similar but even more important How many days off are there for Spring Festival Usually seven days Seven days—that's quite a long break Yes many people go home Going home for the New Year Yes celebrating the New Year with family What do people do before the Lunar New Year Before the Lunar New Year everyone does a thorough cleaning Spring cleaning Cleaning the house Yes cleaning the house thoroughly Why do it It's really interesting You also buy lots of things What kind of things Buying New Year's supplies like food and clothes Yes many people buy new clothes I also love new clothes Children get especially excited Why are children so happy They have new clothes to wear and lucky money What is lucky money It's money given by elders to younger family members Wow that sounds great Yes it's a way of sharing blessings and good fortune There are so many Spring Festival customs Yes there are still many more Let's talk again next time Okay next time we'll chat about food Great see you See you Da Ming what do people usually eat during the Spring Festival There are many delicious foods during the Spring Festival Dumplings are a must-eat Dumplings Oh I know dumplings— are they tasty Delicious beyond words many people love eating dumplings Besides dumplings are there any other special dishes Well there's rice cake—have you heard of it Rice cake What's that Is it sweet Rice cake is a rice-based dessert that can be either sweet or savory That sounds interesting—why do people eat rice cake Because niangao means "higher every year " it symbolizes hoping for improvement each year Oh that meaning is wonderful—I really like it Exactly there are many red items during Spring Festival did you know You know the red lanterns and couplets right Yes do you know what couplets are Couplets are written on red paper right Yes they contain auspicious phrases and are pasted on both sides of the door They're so beautiful and there are many red lanterns too Yes lanterns symbolize celebration and togetherness Do families gather during the Spring Festival Of course the Spring Festival is the most important time for family reunions So do everyone return to their hometowns Many people go home to celebrate the New Year with their parents and relatives It must be very lively right Extremely lively—everyone eats together and chats Are there children around Do they like the Spring Festival Children love the Spring Festival the most because they receive red envelopes What's a red envelope Is it a gift A red envelope contains money given by elders to younger family members placed inside a red envelope Wow that sounds great—I want a red envelope too Ha ha you're a grown-up now might not get it anymore No problem I'm happy just understanding the culture Besides that watching the Spring Festival Gala is another tradition during Chinese New Year New Year's Eve Gala What's that Is it a party Yes it's the Spring Festival Lotus Gala with many performances Is it a TV show Is it good to watch Yes many people watch the Spring Festival Gala on New Year's Eve That must be a very long show right Yes it starts at eight o'clock in the evening and goes on until the early hours of the morning It's been a while I should have come by earlier Yes it's very Chinese—take a look Do they still have the tradition of setting off firecrackers during Spring Festival They used to be common in many places but now some cities have banned them Why do people set off firecrackers To scare away bad things and welcome good luck I see they must make a lot of noise right Very large and lively though somewhat noisy The customs of the Lunar New Year are truly numerous and fascinating Yes the Lunar New Year is China's most important traditional festival I've learned a lot of new things thank you Daming You're welcome Xiaomei do you have any other questions Yes during the Chinese New Year what do people do There are many activities during the Chinese New Year such as having the New Year's Eve dinner What exactly is the New Year's Eve dinner New Year's Eve dinner is the meal eaten on the evening before Chinese New Year Oh is it a family gathering for dinner Yes family members come together to enjoy a delicious meal That sounds great—what exactly are you eating There are many dishes such as fish and dumplings Fish and dumplings—why do you eat these Eating fish symbolizes having surplus every year What does "every year with surplus" mean It means having extra money and food each year Wow that sounds great—what about dumplings Dumplings resemble golden ingots symbolizing the bringing in of wealth and fortune I see so these foods have special meanings Yes they all represent good wishes What other activities are there besides having the New Year's Eve dinner People paste spring couplets and the character "Fu" upside down What exactly are spring couplets and the "Fu" character Spring couplets are red papers with poetic couplets written on them Is a couplet a form of calligraphy Yes it's written with auspicious phrases and pasted beside doors And the character for "fortune " is that also pasted Yes the character for "fortune" is typically hung upside down Why stick it upside down Because "dao" and "dao" sound the same Oh so it means "fortune arrives " Exactly—it symbolizes happiness coming into the home This custom is quite fascinating Yes all of these represent good wishes for the new year Daming I also have a question—will we set off firecrackers during Spring Festival In the past many firecrackers were set off but now it's less common Why do people set off firecrackers According to legend they scare away evil spirits and bring good luck It sounds very lively Yes the sound of firecrackers adds to the festive atmosphere Besides these are there any other special activities There's also visiting relatives and giving red envelopes Is visiting relatives going to someone else's home Yes visiting relatives and friends to wish them a happy new year What about the red envelope I know it's red There's money inside the red envelope given by elders to younger generations Is it for children Yes for the kids to wish them health and happiness I've seen red envelopes in movies before Red envelopes symbolize blessings and good luck There are so many Spring Festival traditions Yes each tradition has its own story and significance I've learned a lot thank you Daming You're welcome Xiaomei you understand quickly Thank you Daming I get it now You're welcome what else would you like to know What do people do during the Spring Festival The Spring Festival features many special activities For example we have a New Year's Eve dinner What is the New Year's Eve dinner It's the final dinner before Chinese New Year The family gathers to eat together Sounds very heartwarming Yes everyone is happy What do they eat for the New Year's Eve dinner We often eat dumplings Dumplings I like eating dumplings Chinese people think dumplings are delicious Dumplings also resemble ingots They're ancient coins golden coins That's why eating dumplings symbolizes good luck So that's how it works—very interesting Besides dumplings people also eat fish Why fish Because "fish" and "surplus" sound the same in Chinese Fish symbolizes surplus representing abundance and wealth every year I see it's a lucky omen Yes they're all wonderful blessings Are there any other customs Of course we hang spring couplets What are spring couplets They'red paper with characters written on them usually posted on both sides of the door What does "character" mean It's some auspicious phrases wishing everyone a happy new year and a good life I've seen couplets in movies Yes very common and beautiful We'll also set off fireworks The fireworks are beautiful It's lively to watch them at night and children all love them Is it to celebrate the New Year Yes it's also to scare away evil things Scare away evil things Legend has it that long ago there was a Nian beast which feared red and loud noises That's why people set off fireworks and hung Spring Festival couplets Yes that's exactly it And giving red envelopes Red envelopes I know what those are They're given by elders to younger family members Oh I see who gives to whom Parents give to their children Do grandparents give red packets too Yes grandparents give red packets as well Are you happy when you receive a red packet Very happy because there's money inside What else is in the red packet Wishing you success in your studies That's wonderful what else is special about Spring Festival Of course we eat lots of delicious food What do you eat We eat dumplings Why do we eat dumplings Dumplings look like gold ingots What are gold ingots They were ancient currency Oh so eating dumplings means you're rich Yes it means you'll be very wealthy Are dumplings tasty Very tasty—we make them together as a family Making dumplings together as a family Yes we all make dumplings together That's really fun Yeah it's lively What else do we eat besides dumplings We also eat fish Eating fish—why eat fish Fish symbolizes surplus every year What does "surplus every year " mean It means having money left over each year Having money each year is truly wonderful Yes I hope for a prosperous life Are there any other New Year's Eve dishes There are plenty of vegetables and meat That sounds very abundant Yes the New Year's Eve dinner is very important What about the dessert Is there dessert Of course we'll eat rice cake What is rice cake made of It's made from glutinous rice flour Is it sweet There are sweet ones and savory ones I like the sweet ones There are lots of candies during Spring Festival Oh like New Year's candies Yes many kinds of candies The children must really like them Yes everyone loves them Are there any other snacks There are sunflower seeds and peanuts Yes these are all traditional treats during the Lunar New Year Yes we also like to eat them Do you like peanuts I really do—peanuts are delicious I like them too and candy Candy comes in many kinds Yes there are chocolate candies and fruit candies Children love eating sweets Yes during the Lunar New Year there are lots of candies at home Everyone eats together and chats It's so joyful Yes Spring Festival is all about being with family Do you watch the Spring Festival Gala Of course we do we watch it every year Is the Gala fun Very fun there are lots of songs and dances I heard the Spring Festival Gala is long Yes it runs from eight o'clock in the evening until midnight That long Yes everyone watches together Do you eat while watching Of course watching the Spring Festival Gala while snacking That sounds really cozy Yeah it's a special tradition during Chinese New Year What do you like most about the Spring Festival Gala I enjoy the sketch comedy the most What is a sketch It's a comedic performance Ha that sounds really interesting Yes sketches often make people laugh What about the singing segments Singing segments are great too Do you have a favorite singer Yes many well-known singers come every year Wow it must be really lively Yes it's always lively annually I'd love to see it myself You can check it online Really That's great Yes many people watch it online Thank you for telling me You're welcome there are still many customs during Spring Festival Oh what else is there For example paying New Year visits What does paying New Year visits mean It means going to relatives' and friends' homes And then Wishing each other a happy new year and exchanging greetings Children can also receive red envelopes What is a red envelope A red envelope is a red packet containing money Why are red envelopes given It's a Spring Festival tradition symbolizing blessings That's interesting—who gives the red envelopes Adults give red envelopes to children Do parents give red envelopes to their kids Yes grandparents do too What about the young people Can they receive red envelopes Generally adults don't receive red envelopes I see What do children do with the money they receive They can buy toys or save it That's wonderful—besides red envelopes is there anything else special During the Spring Festival people visit relatives and friends to pay New Year calls What does paying New Year calls mean It means visiting the homes of relatives and friends Oh so it's reciprocal visits Yes exchanging greetings and best wishes Kind of like a family gathering Similar but we visit many homes What do you eat during the New Year visits Kyle HSK enjoys many delicious foods such as candy and snacks Does he also eat dumplings Dumplings are quite common along with other specialty dishes On which day is the New Year's visit typically held The celebration begins on the second day of the Lunar New Year and lasts for several days What should you wear during the Spring Festival People wear new clothes often red Why red Red symbolizes celebration and good fortune Should you clean your house before Spring Festival Yes people clean their homes thoroughly Why do they do this To sweep away the old and welcome the new When is it done Usually a few days before New Year's Eve Will there be any decorations at home There will be spring couplets and paper cuttings What is a spring couplet It's a red piece of paper with auspicious phrases written on it Where is it placed On both sides of the door and on the door itself Window decorations are paper cutouts pasted on windows DoHS are very beautiful but what do they mean They all symbolize good wishes Will lanterns also be hung Yes red lanterns are very common Chinese New Year is really fun Yes I hope you get to experience it someday I really want to spend Chinese New Year in China That's great—what interests you the most Well I've heard there are lots of delicious foods during Spring Festival Yes eating is a very important part Yes dumplings are a traditional New Year food for people in the north What do southerners eat Southerners eat rice cakes and tangyuan What exactly is a rice cake Steamed rice cake is a sweet rice cake that tastes delicious That sounds great— are there other activities during the Lunar New Year Of course many people return home to celebrate the festival with their families This is very similar to my country Yes family reunions are extremely important What do people usually do together then They eat dinner chat and watch the Spring Festival Gala together What is the Spring Festival Gala It's a long television show What's in it like singing and dancing Yes there's singing dancing and some short skits That sounds interesting—will everyone watch it Many families watch it together it's a tradition Does the child like Spring Festival The child really enjoys Spring Festival because of the red envelopes 红包 I know what a red packet is—is it money Yes there's money inside the red packet given by elders to younger family members Wow that's awesome It's a wonderful blessing Besides red envelopes is there anything else special On the first day of the lunar new year many people go visiting relatives and friends What does "visiting during the New Year" mean It means going to relatives' and friends' homes to wish them a happy new year Oh just like exchanging greetings Yes mutual blessings to strengthen feelings How long does the Spring Festival last Chinese New Year typically runs from the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month to the 15th day of the first lunar month Oh what is the 15th day of the first month The 15th day of the first month is the Lantern Festival marking the final day of Chinese New Year Is there anything special about the Lantern Festival People eat tangyuan and admire lanterns Are tangyuan and yuanxiao the same They're similar but the preparation methods differ Ah I see Lunar New Year really does have so many festivities Yes there are many traditions and customs I really enjoy listening to you talk about these things You must have learned a lot of Chinese vocabulary by now Yes I learned many new words Like dumplings rice cakes red envelopes and tangyuan And greetings during the New Year the Spring Festival Gala You have a great memory Thank you Daming You're welcome Where were we We were talking about Lunar New Year traditions Yes there are many traditions during Lunar New Year For example paying New Year visits Yes we visit relatives on New Year's Day The festivities are lively and everyone exchanges lucky wishes Wishing you a happy new year Wishing you good health Children love visiting during the New Year celebrations Because they can receive red envelopes Yes red envelopes are fun They contain money Given by elders to younger family members Symbolizing good luck and blessings I really like getting red envelopes Me too What else is there besides red envelopes We also watch the Spring Festival Gala The Gala is a program broadcast by China Central Television Yes it airs every New Year's Eve Many families watch it together The show is very entertaining There's singing and dancing There are also sketches and crosstalk performances Everyone really enjoys watching the Spring Festival Gala The Gala is part of the Spring Festival celebrations It's truly lively and bustling Another tradition during the Spring Festival is setting off firecrackers But now many places no longer allow it Yes for safety and environmental reasons I used to love setting off firecrackers when I was a child They brought so much joy Now there are electronic firecrackers That’s nice too There’s also putting up spring festival couplets Yes red spring festival couplets They’re posted on the doors They’re written with auspicious phrases Wishing for a good new year We put them up every year at home This is also a beautiful tradition Indeed Spring Festival is truly vibrant and colorful I think the Spring Festival is very important It brings families closer together and fills everyone with warmth It's a joyful festival Yes Spring Festival truly is a joyful festival Right I think Spring Festival is wonderful I didn't know so much about it before Now do you understand Yes I understand a lot now What do you like most about Spring Festival I like being with my family That’s very important Also I enjoy eating the New Year’s Eve dinner It’s very lavish Yes there's plenty of delicious food Dumplings and fish are both available I'd like to try them next time Everything goes well together and tastes great Setting off firecrackers is also a lot of fun That's how people celebrate Yes I understand The red envelope Do you like red envelopes I like the meaning behind red envelopes It's about blessings This festival feels so warm Yes full of love and hope Thank you for telling me this You're welcome Xiao Mei I've learned a lot about Chinese culture I'm so happy you like it This series is fantastic Thank you for your feedback We've had long conversations Yes ten times in total Each time we learned something new I hope our audience friends will enjoy it too I believe they will Chinese New Year is truly fascinating Yes I really want to experience it myself Let's go together if we get the chance That's great I'm really looking forward to it It will be a wonderful trip Thank you Daming You're welcome Xiao Mei Our show is coming to an end Yes this episode is the final one Thank you all for listening along Thank you for your support See you in our next series What should we talk about next We could discuss Chinese cuisine Great idea I love food So listeners goodbye Goodbye Xiao Mei goodbye everyone Alright that's all for today If you enjoyed this please like and subscribe Until next time