春节来历英语春节来历英语TheOriginofChineseNewYeartheChineseNewYearisnowpopularlyknownastheSpringFestivalbecauseitstartsfromtheBeginingofSpring(thefirstofthetwenty-fourtermsincoodinationwiththechangesofNature).Itsoriginistoooldtobetraced.Severalexplanationsarehangingaround.AllaGREe,however,thatthewordNian,whichinmodernChinesesolelymeans"year",wasoriginallythenameofamonsterbeastthatstartedtopreyonpeoplethenightbeforethebeginningofanewyear.OnelegendgoesthatthebeastNianhadaverybigmouththatwouldswallowaGREatmanypeoplewithonebite.Peoplewereveryscared.Oneday,anoldmancametotheirrescue,offeringtosubdueNian.ToNianhesaid,"Ihearsaythatyouareverycapable,butcanyouswallowtheotherbeastsofpreyonearthinsteadofpeoplewhoarebynomeansofyourworthyopponents?"So,itdidswallowmanyofthebeastsofpreyonearththatalsoharrassedpeopleandtheirdomesticanimalsfromtimetotime.Afterthat,theoldmandisappearedridingthebeastNian.Heturnedouttobeanimmortalgod.NowthatNianisgoneandotherbeastsofpreyarealsoscaredintoforests,peoplebegintoenjoytheirpeacefullife.Beforetheoldmanleft,hehadtoldpeopletoputupredpaperdecorationsontheirwindowsanddoorsateachyear'sendtoscareawayNianincaseitsneakedbackagain,becauseredisthecolorthebeastfearedthemost.Fromthenon,thetraditionofobservingtheconquestofNianiscarriedonfromgenerationtogeneration.Theterm"GuoNian",whichmaymean"SurvivetheNian"becomestoday"Celebratethe(New)Year"astheword"guo"inChinesehavingboththemeaningof"pass-over"and"observe".Thecustomofputtingupredpaperandfiringfire-crackerstoscareawayNianshouldithaveachancetorunlooseisstillaround.However,peopletodayhavelongforgottenwhytheyaredoingallthis,exceptthattheyfeelthecolorandthesoundaddtotheexcitementofthecelebration.