What is the most important national holiday in your country?
The most important national holiday in China is, without doubt, the Spring Festival, which is a precious time for faminy reunion. Before the eve of the Chinese New Year, everyone comes back from other parts of the country to be together with his/her family, just like Americans’ practice for Christmas.
We have many customs to celebrate the Spring Festival. In the traditional way, we will first clean the house thoroughly, suggesting a meaning of ‘sweeping away bad lucks’. Besides, windows and doors will be decorated with red paper-cuts and couplets. After that, we eat a luxurious dinner at home at New Year’s eve. On the meal table, traditional dishes like fish, dumplings and noodles, which symbolize wealth, unity and longevity respectively, cannot be excluded.
After the dinner, we can indulge in ourselves in a series of activities outside in the streets. We burn fireworks, the sound of which is said to be able to drive away evil spirits from premises and bring peace and happiness to the families. Other similar symbolic rituals to usher in the New Year are lion dancing, dragon dancing and temple fairs.
Nowadays, many people have come up with new ways to celebrate the Spring Festival. My family is an example in case. My parents and I have traveled to many other parts of China during the winter holiday, celebrating the New Year’s coming with brand-new people in brand-new places. Over recent years, we had strolled along the seaside in Sanya, Hainan, watched the ice lantern in Northeatern China, danced in the bonfire rally in Lijiang, Yunnan during the days of the Spring Festival. All those experiences have become unforgettable memories for me in life.
To sum up, even though the methods people use to celebrate the Spring Festival may vary, there is a constant: It is a time when all the people release burdens, forget grudges, taste delicious meals, and enjoy spending time with their families.
TOEFL listening lectures: Why does the professor discuss World War II?