在華過個中國年

在華過個中國年

Spring Festival Enchants Foreigners

自從2014年來到北京之后，每年春節薩巴·阿里·埃爾·塔伊布就會買一個毛絨動物玩具。

因為今年是雞年，所以她就在王府井買了一個小雞玩具。去年是猴年，她就買了一個可愛的小猴子。

塔伊布來自蘇丹，目前正在北京語言大學學習文學，她說道：“在我完成學業之后，我會把這些玩具帶回家，它們會讓我回想起在中國的時光。”塔伊布說：“在中國過春節讓我更愛中國了。”

塔伊布所在的大學舉辦了一場活動，外國學生們可以嘗試親手包餃子。塔伊布說對于春節，她最喜歡的就是這件事兒了：“在我的國家我們也有類似的很重要的餐宴，我們會吃特殊的食物,并互相送上最好的祝福。”

除了吃餃子以外，中國新年也是看廟會、掛燈籠、剪紙、祈福和祭祖的日子。

巴斯馬也是北京語言大學的學生，她來自埃及，她說想去朝陽公園看廟會。

這個姑娘從2012年開始就一直在北京，曾經在距離北京300公里遠的石家莊一位中國同學的家里度過一個春節。

2014年的春節給巴斯馬留下了深刻的印象。她現在還記得她同學的父親是怎樣留下幾盤菜肴以供家里逝去的先人享用的。

類似的，埃及人也會在祖先的墳墓上留下水果和面包等祭品。據巴斯馬說，中國和埃及兩種文化都源于對家人的尊重。

和中國人一樣，許多外國人也會在大門上貼對聯，祈求好運。

瑪麗是一名住在北京的英國翻譯，她的一名中國朋友送了她一副對聯。她把對聯貼在了公寓門上、拍了一張自己站在門前的照片，然后發給了她遠在英國的父母。她說：“這副對聯表達了對未來的希望，還包含中國人的‘和諧’精神。”

Since arriving in Beijing to study in 2014, every Chinese New Year Sabaa Ali El-Tayeb has bought a stuffed toy animal.

This year, the Year of the Rooster, she bought a rooster on Wangfujing, a busy commercial street in downtown Beijing. Last year, the year of the Monkey, she bought a lovely monkey toy.

"I will take these toys back home, and when I finish my degree they will remind me of my time in China." said the Sudanese woman, who is studying literature at Beijing Language and Culture University.

"Celebrating Spring Festival in China makes me love China even more." said Tayeb.

Tayeb’s university organized an event where foreign students could try their hands at making dumplings, a traditional food eaten during the festival.

Tayeb said she liked this aspect of the festival the most. "Back home we have similar important meals where we eat specific food and extend our best wishes to each other."

Besides dumplings, Chinese New Year is a time for temple fairs, red lanterns, paper-cuts, blessings of good fortune and ancestor worship. Basma Bayomy, an Egyptian student at the same university, said she planned to visit a temple fair in Chaoyang Park.

The girl, who has been in Beijing since 2012, spent one Spring Festival at her Chinese classmate’s home in Shijiazhuang, a city 300 km south of Beijing.

Bayomy was deeply impressed with the Spring Festival in 2014. She remembers how her classmate’s father left out plates of food for their families’ ancestors.

Similarly, Egyptians leave offerings of fruit and bread on the graves of their ancestors. Both traditions, Bayomy said, are rooted in respect for the family.

Like Chinese, many foreigners put couplets, Chinese characters wishing for good fortune, on their front doors.

Marie, a British translator in Beijing, was sent a couplet by her Chinese friend. She stuck them on the door of her apartment, took a photo of herself standing in front of it, and shared it with her parents in Britain.

"These couplets are an expression of hope for the future and contain the Chinese spirit of harmony." she said.