Spring Festival, which falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month is the most important festival in China and a time for family reunion, like Christmas in the West.
農(nóng)歷正月初一開(kāi)始，就到了中國(guó)最重要的節(jié)日——春節(jié)。人們闔家團(tuán)圓，就如同西方的圣誕節(jié)一樣。

Traditionally, Spring Festival starts in the early days of the 12th month of the lunar calendar and lasts until the middle of the 1st lunar month of the following year. With the modernization of China, some traditional customs are still followed today, but others have fallen by the wayside.
傳統(tǒng)意義上的春節(jié)始于農(nóng)歷臘月（即十二月）初，一直持續(xù)到來(lái)年的正月（即一月）中旬。隨著中國(guó)的現(xiàn)代化，一些傳統(tǒng)習(xí)俗被保留了下來(lái)，而另一些卻逐漸消失在我們的視野中。

As we are preparing for the most important festival, let's have a review of the traditional customs that celebrate the Spring Festival.
在我們忙著準(zhǔn)備這個(gè)重大節(jié)日的同時(shí)，不妨來(lái)回顧一下春節(jié)有哪些傳統(tǒng)習(xí)俗吧。

Little New Year, which falls the 23rd day of the 12th month in the Lunar calendar, is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God, the deity who oversees the moral character of each household.
農(nóng)歷臘月二十三日是小年，也是祭灶節(jié)。灶神在中國(guó)神話傳說(shuō)中監(jiān)管一家善惡。

People make sacrifices to the Kitchen Gold on this day. A paper image is burnt dispatching the god's spirit to Heaven to report on the family's conduct over the past year. The Kitchen God is then welcomed back by pasting a new paper image of him beside the stove.
人們?cè)谛∧赀@一天祭拜灶神，焚燒灶神的畫(huà)像，意味著送灶神上天，稟報(bào)這家人在過(guò)去一年的德行。接著人們會(huì)在灶旁貼上新的畫(huà)像，意味著再把灶神接回來(lái)。

你在哪天過(guò)“小年”？知道這些習(xí)俗嗎？