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.
農歷正月初一開始，就到了中國最重要的節日——春節。人們闔家團圓，就如同西方的圣誕節一樣。

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.
傳統意義上的春節始于農歷臘月（即十二月）初，一直持續到來年的正月（即一月）中旬。隨著中國的現代化，一些傳統習俗被保留了下來，而另一些卻逐漸消失在我們的視野中。

Chinese will celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb 8 this year, which is also the Year of the Monkey according to the Chinese zodiac. As we are preparing for the most important festival, let's have a review of the traditional customs that celebrate the Spring Festival.
今年中國的農歷新年是公歷二月八日，輪到了中國十二生肖里面的猴年。在我們忙著準備這個重大節日的同時，不妨來回顧一下春節有哪些傳統習俗吧。

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.
農歷臘月二十三日是小年，也是祭灶節。灶神在中國神話傳說中監管一家善惡。

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.
人們在小年這一天祭拜灶神，焚燒灶神的畫像，意味著送灶神上天，稟報這家人在過去一年的德行。接著人們會在灶旁貼上新的畫像，意味著再把灶神接回來。

你在哪天過“小年”？知道這些習俗嗎？