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New Year’s Eve is the last day before New Year. In the book Mr Lv's Spring and Autumn, it was said that people play the drums to drive away ferocious monsters in the ancient time. And the phrase was first found in the book Wind and Ground which was written by Chou Chu.
根據《呂氏春秋·季冬記》記載，古人在新年的前一天用擊鼓的方法來驅逐“疫癧之鬼”，這就是“除夕”節令的由來。最早提及“除夕”這一名稱的，是西晉周處撰著的《風土記》等史籍。
The origin of Chinese New Year's Day 過年的起源
taiwanesecustom.weebly.com/chinese-new-years-day-2614931680.html#起源
根據《呂氏春秋·季冬記》記載，古人在新年的前一天用擊鼓的方法來驅逐“疫癧之鬼”，這就是“除夕”節令的由來。最早提及“除夕”這一名稱的，是西晉周處撰著的《風土記》等史籍。
The origin of Chinese New Year's Day 過年的起源
taiwanesecustom.weebly.com/chinese-new-years-day-2614931680.html#起源
(1) Worship the God拜天公
In the morning of New Year’s Eve, Chinese people prepare flowers and fruit to worship the Jade Emperor in order to thanks and pray for success and safety for the next year.
除夕當天一早，需準備鮮花、素果祭拜玉皇大帝，感謝一年來庇佑，祈禱新的一年順利以及平安。
(2) Celebrate the lunar New Year’s Eve辭歲
After the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, every family prepare oblation, dishes, cooked rice for making cake to worship ancestors and god. There are puff cakes and glutinous rice cakes, which symbolize getting better and better with each passing year in the offerings. Besides, a spring flower is placed on the top of a small bowl of rice. It’s known as “spring rice”, and “spring” and “left”are homonym, which symbolizes wealth. These offerings have a lucky meaning. The ceremony to worship ancestors in the afternoon of New Year’s Eve is considered a farewell to the old year.
除夕當日午後，每家備牲醴、菜碗、粿類祭祀祖先和神明，供品中一定會有發粿和年糕，表示年年高、步步高，事業發達。還有飯上插春花，稱為「春飯」，春和「剩」諧音，表示「富裕」，這些供品都有吉祥的意義。通常對除夕當天下午祭祀祖先的儀式稱做「辭年」或「辭 」。
Celebrating the New Year’s Eve is a folk ceremony in Taiwan. Before worshiping, red couplets, door-god and peach wood against evil should be renewed. And red candles need to be lit for older to younger members to burn incense. The worshiping ceremony is to express appreciation to ancestors and god blessing for the past year and wish for good fortune in the coming years.
歲除夕祭祖是民間大祭，祭祀前的門聯、門神、桃符均已煥然一新，並要點大紅色蠟燭，全家按長幼順序拈香。除夕的祭祀是感謝神明和祖先一年來的庇佑並求來年多福。
(3) Paste the Spring Festival couplet貼春聯
Spring festival couplet is developed from peach wood against evil and it is drawn the pattern of door god is drawn on peach wood. Later, draw the god is drawn on the paper. People also stick the new year picture about luckiness on the wall or door.
春聯相傳是由桃符演變而來，而桃符則是用桃木板在上面畫上門神的圖案，後來則用紙畫門神，也有貼上吉祥圖案的年畫。
(4) Reunion dinner圍爐：年夜飯
After worshiping the god, all family members sit together to have dinner called “reunion dinner”. Moreover, we put some money, which symbolizes wealth, around the table. At reunion dinner, dishes prepared also symbolize lucky. For example, turnips mean good luck and perennial vegetables(Mustard to do) mean longevity. And fish balls, meat balls and shrimp balls mean success in the three governmental exams; Fish means prosperity through the year, and eating more slowly, the better. Only fish can’t be finished in the meal because keeping the fish means leaving something for the coming year.
祭祀神靈之後，一家大小圍坐一桌吃年夜飯，俗稱「圍爐」。並在爐的四周攤舖制錢，象徵財旺。圍爐時所備的菜也都有吉祥意義，如菜頭取意好彩頭，長年菜(芥菜做的)取意長壽。魚圓、肉圓和蝦圓取意三元及第，魚取意年年有餘，吃的時候越慢越好，取意長久，菜中唯獨魚不能吃完，要留下才有剩餘。
(5) A red envelope with money壓歲錢
After the reunion dinner, the elder give lucky money, which is one hundred copper coins in a red string, to everyone but now it is represented by money wrapped in a red paper. It is called “red envelope”
圍爐之後，長輩分壓歲錢，使用紅線串的一百個銅錢，作為壓歲錢，而現在則以紅紙袋包錢，俗稱「紅包」。
(6) The vigil(shousui)守歲
It means keeping long life. The elder give lucky money to the younger to pray for longevity. Then, they don’t sleep until the daybreak, which is called “the vigil”. Chinese people believe staying-up is effective to pray for parents to have a long life and safety. This is a filial expression. After midnight, people set off firecrackers to welcome the new year.
意旨「守長壽歲」，長輩會發送壓歲錢給晚輩，祈求長命百歲；之後通宵不眠直到天明，稱為「守歲」。民間認為守歲具有為父母祈壽的效用，替父母守住長壽，祈求閤家平安，是孝道的表現。守歲到午夜十二時後，大家放炮竹迎接新年。
In the morning of New Year’s Eve, Chinese people prepare flowers and fruit to worship the Jade Emperor in order to thanks and pray for success and safety for the next year.
除夕當天一早，需準備鮮花、素果祭拜玉皇大帝，感謝一年來庇佑，祈禱新的一年順利以及平安。
(2) Celebrate the lunar New Year’s Eve辭歲
After the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, every family prepare oblation, dishes, cooked rice for making cake to worship ancestors and god. There are puff cakes and glutinous rice cakes, which symbolize getting better and better with each passing year in the offerings. Besides, a spring flower is placed on the top of a small bowl of rice. It’s known as “spring rice”, and “spring” and “left”are homonym, which symbolizes wealth. These offerings have a lucky meaning. The ceremony to worship ancestors in the afternoon of New Year’s Eve is considered a farewell to the old year.
除夕當日午後，每家備牲醴、菜碗、粿類祭祀祖先和神明，供品中一定會有發粿和年糕，表示年年高、步步高，事業發達。還有飯上插春花，稱為「春飯」，春和「剩」諧音，表示「富裕」，這些供品都有吉祥的意義。通常對除夕當天下午祭祀祖先的儀式稱做「辭年」或「辭 」。
Celebrating the New Year’s Eve is a folk ceremony in Taiwan. Before worshiping, red couplets, door-god and peach wood against evil should be renewed. And red candles need to be lit for older to younger members to burn incense. The worshiping ceremony is to express appreciation to ancestors and god blessing for the past year and wish for good fortune in the coming years.
歲除夕祭祖是民間大祭，祭祀前的門聯、門神、桃符均已煥然一新，並要點大紅色蠟燭，全家按長幼順序拈香。除夕的祭祀是感謝神明和祖先一年來的庇佑並求來年多福。
(3) Paste the Spring Festival couplet貼春聯
Spring festival couplet is developed from peach wood against evil and it is drawn the pattern of door god is drawn on peach wood. Later, draw the god is drawn on the paper. People also stick the new year picture about luckiness on the wall or door.
春聯相傳是由桃符演變而來，而桃符則是用桃木板在上面畫上門神的圖案，後來則用紙畫門神，也有貼上吉祥圖案的年畫。
(4) Reunion dinner圍爐：年夜飯
After worshiping the god, all family members sit together to have dinner called “reunion dinner”. Moreover, we put some money, which symbolizes wealth, around the table. At reunion dinner, dishes prepared also symbolize lucky. For example, turnips mean good luck and perennial vegetables(Mustard to do) mean longevity. And fish balls, meat balls and shrimp balls mean success in the three governmental exams; Fish means prosperity through the year, and eating more slowly, the better. Only fish can’t be finished in the meal because keeping the fish means leaving something for the coming year.
祭祀神靈之後，一家大小圍坐一桌吃年夜飯，俗稱「圍爐」。並在爐的四周攤舖制錢，象徵財旺。圍爐時所備的菜也都有吉祥意義，如菜頭取意好彩頭，長年菜(芥菜做的)取意長壽。魚圓、肉圓和蝦圓取意三元及第，魚取意年年有餘，吃的時候越慢越好，取意長久，菜中唯獨魚不能吃完，要留下才有剩餘。
(5) A red envelope with money壓歲錢
After the reunion dinner, the elder give lucky money, which is one hundred copper coins in a red string, to everyone but now it is represented by money wrapped in a red paper. It is called “red envelope”
圍爐之後，長輩分壓歲錢，使用紅線串的一百個銅錢，作為壓歲錢，而現在則以紅紙袋包錢，俗稱「紅包」。
(6) The vigil(shousui)守歲
It means keeping long life. The elder give lucky money to the younger to pray for longevity. Then, they don’t sleep until the daybreak, which is called “the vigil”. Chinese people believe staying-up is effective to pray for parents to have a long life and safety. This is a filial expression. After midnight, people set off firecrackers to welcome the new year.
意旨「守長壽歲」，長輩會發送壓歲錢給晚輩，祈求長命百歲；之後通宵不眠直到天明，稱為「守歲」。民間認為守歲具有為父母祈壽的效用，替父母守住長壽，祈求閤家平安，是孝道的表現。守歲到午夜十二時後，大家放炮竹迎接新年。
(1) Before New Year, the family normally make puff cakes but if someone died in the family, people shouldn’t do it on that day. They need to receive cooked rice for making cake from neighbors or friends. It is called “song nian”.
過年前，一般家庭都會做粿，但若正值守喪期間，則不能做粿，需由親友鄰居贈送，稱為「送年」。
(2) On New Year’s Eve, people can not say something ominous, like “break”, “death”, “lose”. If people said it unconsciously, people can spit or said’ knock on woods’ to reconcile.
說話禁忌：破」、「死」、「病」、「輸」、「敗」等不吉利的字眼；若不慎犯忌，要以吐唾沬、說「童言無忌」等方式化解。
過年前，一般家庭都會做粿，但若正值守喪期間，則不能做粿，需由親友鄰居贈送，稱為「送年」。
(2) On New Year’s Eve, people can not say something ominous, like “break”, “death”, “lose”. If people said it unconsciously, people can spit or said’ knock on woods’ to reconcile.
說話禁忌：破」、「死」、「病」、「輸」、「敗」等不吉利的字眼；若不慎犯忌，要以吐唾沬、說「童言無忌」等方式化解。
https://market.cloud.edu.tw/content/local/taipei/tpteach/holiday/c11.htm
http://s0000.pixnet.net/blog/post/91762808%E5%82%B3%E7%B5%B1%E8%BE%B2%E6%9B%86%E6%96%B0%E5%B9%B4%E7%A6%81%E5%BF%8C%E6%9C%89%E5%93%AA%E4%BA%9B%3F%E9%81%BF%E9%96%8B%E8%BE%B2%E6%9B%86%E6%96%B0%E5%B9%B4%E7%A6%81%E5%BF%8C
http://tw.aboluowang.com/2010/0211/158430.html
http://s0000.pixnet.net/blog/post/91762808%E5%82%B3%E7%B5%B1%E8%BE%B2%E6%9B%86%E6%96%B0%E5%B9%B4%E7%A6%81%E5%BF%8C%E6%9C%89%E5%93%AA%E4%BA%9B%3F%E9%81%BF%E9%96%8B%E8%BE%B2%E6%9B%86%E6%96%B0%E5%B9%B4%E7%A6%81%E5%BF%8C
http://tw.aboluowang.com/2010/0211/158430.html
