The grand Chinese ritual

As the gears of time continue to rotate， many ancient rituals of the Chinese nation have been gradually forgotten， but the grand and warm ritual of the Spring Festival always affects the hearts of every Chinese people.

During the Spring Festival， the number of people returning home is as large as the population migration. Chinese people have a strong sense of family， so almost every Chinese people will go home with this grand ritual. Migrant workers who work outside， students who go out to study， and overseas Chinese will all return home – a place with friends and family， good food and laughter.

After returning home， people put down their endless work， heavy studies， endless trouble…… and immerse in the celebration of the ritual – the Spring Festival. The celebration of the Spring Festival is generally started from New Years Eve. Many families will prepare the family reunion dinner in advance， and the dumpling is the most representative food. What I love to eat is the beef dumpling made by my grandma. Each time I eat them， I feel warm.

After dinner， the family will always sit together and talk about what happened during the year， plans and wishes for the coming year， watching the Spring Festival Gala…… These are all very interesting activities.

In the morning of the lunar New Years Day， children wear their new clothes， following adults to pay a New Year visit to the elder， which is an important ritual during the Spring Festival. At this time ， the elder always give them the lucky money， expressing their best wishes. And at noon， the whole family will set off firecrackers and put up the spring couplets to welcome the New Years arrival. In the remaining days of the Spring Festival holiday， people will reunite with friends， classmate and relatives. With the end of the grand ritual， people will return to their busy life， but the joy and warmth that the ancient ritual brings to people will always remain in the hearts of everyone.

I hope that we can spread the warmth brought about by the Spring Festival ritual， and the ancient Chinese rituals will be inherited from generation to generation and will last forever.

【作者簡介】黃琨淇，棗莊市第三中學（棗莊實驗高中分校）。