The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is China’s longest and most important holiday. This festival has a history going back thousands of years, and there are tons of interesting customs and traditions associated with it. Learn more about the Spring Festival while learning a lot of useful Chinese vocabulary with this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jyfCh5g6w4

春节 – chūn jié

Spring Festival

 

黄金周 – huáng jīn zhōu

Golden Week

 

商代 – shāng dài

Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 BC)

 

年 – nián

Nian

 

鞭炮 – biān pào

firecrackers

 

红色 – hóng sè

red

 

过年 – guò nián

pass the year

 

春运 – chūn yùn

Spring Festival rush

 

福 – fú

good fortune

 

福倒了 – fú dào le

“fu” is upside-down

 

福到了 – fú dào le

good fortune has arrived

 

除夕 – chú xī (FIRST TONE!!)

New Year’s Eve

 

年夜饭 – nián yè fàn

New Year’s family dinner

 

饺子 – jiǎo zi

dumplings

 

年糕 – nián gāo

New Year cake

 

年年有余 – nián nián yǒu yú

Have leftover/extra every year.

 

年年有鱼 – nián nián yǒu yú

There is fish every year.

 

春节联欢晚会 – chūn jié lián huān wǎn huì

Spring Festival New Year Gala

 

相声 – xiàng sheng

cross-talk

 

红包 – hóng bāo

red envelope

 

生肖 – shēng xiào

Chinese zodiac

 

蛇年 – shé nián

Year of the Snake

 

恭喜发财 – gōng xǐ fā cái

congratulations and be prosperous

 

新年快乐 – xīn nián kuài lè

Happy New Year

 

春节快乐 – chūn jié kuài lè

Happy Spring Festival