第十章 - 除夕夜 (Chinese New Year Eve)
除夕夜是指每年农历腊月的最后一天的晚上，它与春节（正月初一）首尾相连。“除夕”中的“除”字是“去；易；交替”的意思，除夕的意思是“月穷岁尽”，人们都要除旧迎新，有旧岁至此而除，来年另换新岁的意思。而此时也是让孩子了解传统春节，接受传统教育的最佳时机。
Annual Lunar New Year's Eve is the evening of the last day of the twelfth lunar month. "New Year's Eve" in the alternate means is one year was end and we shall welcome another new year with new things. And this also is the best time to let children understand the traditional of Chinese cultural.
习俗 (Cultural)
这天晚上一家人要做三件事情：祭祖、年夜饭及守岁。
There are 3 things that will a family do: worship, reunion dinner and “Shou Sui”
1. 祭祖 (Worship)
即祭祖，华人过节总不会忘记自己家族中已故的先人，春节也不例外。这时我们会供奉食物或鲜花以表心意，是我国华人普遍采用的仪式，祭祖的形式或许因宗教信仰而不同，但纪念祖先的意义却是相同的。这个传统活动对孩子来说非常有意义。这个活动，不仅能使孩子对自己的家族有所了解，还能教育孩子尊敬各位先人和长辈。
Chinese will remember our ancestor, and family member that passed away, even when Chinese New Year also would not forget them. Then we will worship food or flowers for the table mind, is widely used by our Chinese ceremony, in the form of worship may be different because of religious beliefs, but the significance of commemorating ancestors are the same. This traditional event is very meaningful for children. This activity not only makes the children understand their own family, you can teach children respect for ancestors and elders.
2. 年夜饭 (Reunion Dinner)
吃年夜饭，是春节家家户户最热闹愉快的时候。大年夜，丰盛的年菜摆满一桌，阖家团聚，围坐桌旁，共吃团圆饭，心头的充实感真是难以言喻。年夜饭，一般少不了两样东西，二是火锅，一是鱼。火锅沸煮，热气腾腾，温馨撩人，说明红红火火；“鱼”和“余”谐音，是象征“吉庆有余”，也喻示“年年有余”。还有萝卜俗称菜头，祝愿有好彩头；龙虾、爆鱼等煎炸食物，预祝家运兴旺如“烈火烹油”。最后多为一道甜食，祝福往后的日子甜甜蜜蜜。 还有许多有吉祥寓意的食品也会出现在年夜饭中。年夜饭的名堂很多，南北各地不同，有饺子、馄饨、长面、元宵等，而且各有讲究。北方人过年习惯吃饺子，是取新旧交替“更岁交子”的意思。又因为白面饺子形状像银元宝，一盆盆端上桌象征着“新年大发财，元宝滚进来”之意。有的包饺子时，还把几枚沸水消毒后的硬币包进去，说是谁先吃着了，就能多挣钱。吃饺子的习俗，是从汉朝传下来的。南方新年有吃馄饨习俗，是取其开初之意。传说世界生成以前是混沌状态，盘古开天辟地，才有了宇宙四方，长面，也叫长寿面。新年吃面，是预祝寿长百年。
Reunion dinner is the most popular activity in every household. Chinese New Year Eve, filled with rich New Year's dinner table, family reunion, sitting around the table, a total of reunion dinner, and the heart is really difficult to put into words the sense of fulfillment. There are 2 very important elements in the reunion dinner, hot pot and fish. Pot boiling, steaming and warming indicating the New Year can have a good and warm situation in every things; "fish" is indicating can save money in every year. There radish commonly known as turnips, wish good luck; lobster, fish and other fried food explosion, I wish the family fortune prosperity such as "fire cooking oil." There are many foods with auspicious meanings may appear in the New Year. Northerners of China used to eating dumplings Chinese New Year is to take the inter-face "more years of age pay child" means. And because the flour dumplings shaped like silver ingots, pots of the tables a symbol of "New Year fortune, gold roll in." means. Some dumplings, the boiling water after disinfection also several coins into the bag, which people was the first eating, and will be able to make more money. The custom of eating dumplings is passed down from the Han Dynasty. Southern of China New Year's custom of eating ravioli, whichever is the meaning of the early opening. Legend of the previous generation the world is chaotic state, Pangu epoch, the universe only four, long face, also called longevity noodles. New Year noodles, is a pre-birthday long years.
3. 守岁 (Shou Sui)
守岁的“守”，即有对即将逝去的旧岁有留恋之情，也有对即将到来的新年怀希望之意。“一夜连双岁，五更分二年”，在除旧布新之际，亲朋好友，围炉而坐。回顾过去，展望未来，不是没有益处的。元朝文人辛文房撰著的《唐才子传》里记有唐代大诗人贾岛除夕“祭诗”的一段佳话：每至除夕，贾岛“必取一岁之作置几上，焚香再拜，酹酒祝曰：”此吾终年苦心也。‘“他每到除夕，对过去一年得失作一番总结，对我们来说难道不可以借鉴吗！
Shou Sui mean that is passing away of the old year is about to have feelings of nostalgia, but also for the coming New Year of hope intended. Everyone sitting together and sleep very late, Chinese believe that the late they sleep, than their seniority can get more luck and get a longer life.
