从古典的农耕社会走到今天，一些传统节日已渐渐被人们淡忘，其根本原因就是支撑节日习俗的生产和生活方式发生了根本性变化。但是春节作为中华民族的重要传统节日，承载了人们对美好生活的向往，所以，春联、祭祀、鞭炮、年夜饭、灯会等年俗关键词，总是萦绕在脑际不能离去。

春联

        过年的时候，家家户户都会张贴福字、春联、春条、门神等，表达了人们祛除邪祟、祈求福祉的美好愿望，也为节日增添了浓浓的喜庆气氛。

        楹联最早始于五代后蜀孟昶在桃符版上所题之“新年纳余庆，嘉年号长春”。

        乾隆帝每一年的元旦要写以该年干支为题的元旦诗，诗稿写成后，再整理润色编成诗集，由武英殿刊印。对其中得意之作，往往再书写大幅，贴饰在殿堂内。《楹联丛话全编》中记载：“紫禁城中各宫殿的门屏槅扇皆有春联，每年于腊月下旬悬挂，次年正月下旬撤去。或须更新，但易新绢，分派工楷法之翰林书之，而联语悉仍其旧。闻旧语系乾隆间敕儒臣分手撰拟，皆其时名翰林所为，典丽矞皇，允堪藻绘升平，祓饰休美。”

        除了春联，春节期间，也有悬画迎新的习俗，给节日平添了吉庆祥和气氛。民间常常画“清供图”，迎接新春的到来。“清供图”发源起于佛像前之插花，旧俗于节序或祭祀时，以清香、鲜花、素食等为供品，如新岁每以松、竹、梅供于几案，称岁朝清供。文人士大夫往往喜以此入画，悬挂于客厅门堂。清供图的形式以在花瓶或者古彝器中插折枝花卉者居多，所绘花卉主要有牡丹、水仙、梅花等数种，后来渐渐发展成为包括金石、书画、古器、盆景在内的一切可供案头赏玩的文物雅品。而新春以“清供”入画的画作，便称之为“岁朝清供图”。

        浙江省博物馆所藏《鼎盛图》可谓最为著名的“清供图”了，为号称近代海派画坛艺首的吴昌硕所作。吴昌硕几乎每年都画“岁朝清供图”，作为新年伊始的首幅作品。1902年59岁时作《鼎盛图》。《鼎盛图》这一名称，极其简洁地概括出了画面的内容，画面上的两鼎全形拓片，墨色醇古，用鲜艳的胭脂红来设色的墨梅与牡丹一派烂漫开放的景象，再加上茂密的枝条作陪衬，更显得生气蓬勃。

祭祀

        祭祀是春节期间最重要的传统礼仪活动，包括祭灶、祭祖等一系列活动，持续时间一月有余。通过祭祀活动，追思祖德，弘扬孝道。

        腊月十五，是民间“祭玉帝，祈平安”的日子。在过去，要请一位有学问的老者用毛笔撰写一份“平安文书”，主要内容是向玉皇大帝祈求全家平安。

        腊月十六，打牙祭。“牙”的本义是军中帐前的大旗，大军在出征之前，照例要祭拜大旗，确保旗开得胜、一路平安，称之为“禡（mà）牙”。古人把祭祀土地公公称为“牙祭”或者“做牙”，一年有24次“牙祭”，腊月二十六是一年之中最后一个牙祭日，称为“尾牙节”，最隆重。过去人们平时很少能沾点荤腥，所以干脆把“尾牙节”吃肉叫“打牙祭”。

        腊月二十三，俗称“小年”。祭灶，即用祭品送灶王爷升天。灶王爷，在《灶王经》中称为“东厨司命九皇灶君”被看作家庭的保护神。相传灶王爷每年这天要上天向玉皇大帝禀报一家善恶，到除夕夜返回，奉旨赏善惩恶，或赐福或降灾。所以家家要打扫得干干净净，供上灶糖，让灶王爷多说些好话。清宫于腊月二十三日在坤宁宫祭灶。祭品有盛京(今沈阳)内务府进呈的麦芽糖等祭品33种，以及张家口进贡的黄羊一只。民间祭灶后把旧神像焚去，除夕再张贴新神像。宫中使用木质牌位，所以仅焚祭品。

        腊月二十九，除夕前一日，俗称“小除夕”，家家置办酒宴，人们往来拜访叫“别岁”，且焚香于户外，叫“天香”。这天除了筹备年节中的各种衣食祭品，还有一项极其重要的活动“上坟请祖”。所以年谣称“腊月二十九，上坟请祖上大供”。

        农历正月初五祭财神。正月初五，按民间习俗是五路财神的生日，因此要迎接财神进家，保佑自家新的一年财源滚滚、年年有余，同时自然也是送走“穷”的日子，故有“送穷出门”一说。同时，这一天又俗称“破五”，意思是之前几天的诸多禁忌至此就结束了。

        清初，又以路神为财神。因为路神有东西南北中五路，于是财神也有五路财神。清·顾禄《清嘉录》载：“五日，为路头神（即财神）诞辰，金锣爆竹，牲醴毕陈，以争先为利市，必早起迎之，谓之接路头。蔡云《吴歈》云：五日财源五日求，一年心愿一时酬。提防别处迎神早，隔夜匆匆抢路头。”苏州博物馆收藏的《五路财神》全套小摆设，就是农历正月初五日迎接财神护国公的，它集红木小件、泥塑、玉石雕刻、刺绣等多种苏州传统工艺于一体，是苏州巧匠良工的集中体现。

鞭炮

        大年初一的习俗是放开门炮仗。这个习俗在我国已有2500多年的历史了。《荆楚岁时记》曾经这样记载，正月初一，鸡叫头一遍时，大家就纷纷起床，在自家院子里放爆竹，来逐退瘟神恶鬼。当时没有火药和纸张，人们便用火烧竹子，使之爆裂发声，以驱逐瘟神，反映了古代中国劳动人民渴求安泰的美好愿望。

        到了唐朝，鞭炮又被人们称为“爆竿”，大概是将一根较长的竹竿逐节燃烧，连续发出爆破声。南昌诗人来鹄的《早春》诗句“新历才将半纸开，小亭犹聚爆竿灰”，写的就是当时春节燃烧竹竿的情景。

        在火药发明之前，只有“鞭”，没有“炮”。人们甩鞭子，鞭子的尾部发出“啪”的声响，这种动作作为一种礼仪长期存在于中国历史中。后来，炼丹家经过不断地试验，发现硝石、硫黄和木炭合在一起能引起燃烧和爆炸，于是发明了火药。火药发明以后，有些火药爆竹的爆炸声与鞭子甩动的声音类似，于是就出现了“鞭炮”的说法；有人将火药装在竹筒里燃放，声音更大，从而代替了用火烧竹子的古老习俗。

        以后每到春节，华灯璀璨，鞭炮声此起彼伏，空中流光溢彩，百花争艳，为佳节谱写了快乐的篇章，为沸腾的大地奏起了新春之曲。

年夜饭

        过年是阖家团圆的日子，吃是最重要的内容。民间有一首流传很广的《过年歌》：二十三祭灶官，二十四扫房子，二十五磨豆腐，二十六去割肉，二十七杀猪鸡，二十八蒸枣花，二十九去打酒，年三十包饺子，大年初一撅着屁股乱作揖。

        其中重中之重是年夜饭。腊月三十也叫除夕，是指每年农历腊月的最后一天，除夕夜家家团圆吃年夜饭。吃完便是守岁，除旧迎新，有旧岁至此而除，来年另换新岁的意思。这一年俗在魏晋时期就有记载。守岁的主要活动内容是包饺子。皇帝后妃们在除夕夜守岁，各宫要摆放吉祥盘、消夜果盒。吉祥盘内摆放五个青苹果、红枣、栗子、磨盘柿子，谐音“清平五福、早早立子、事事如意”。

        浙江省博物馆收藏有剔红寿春宝盒，是清乾隆年间宫廷守岁的遗物。寿春宝盒，是宫廷用来盛放点心的盒子，形制正圆。盖面中心为一“春”字，春字内圆形开光，雕一老寿星，旁边衬有松柏，蝙蝠和梅花鹿等，寓意“福、禄、寿”。春字两侧，饰有云龙纹，下方为聚宝盒，里面盛放着珊瑚、象牙、犀角、宝珠、古钱、银锭等各式珍宝，并有三色宝光自盒中放射出去。盒盖和器身的周壁纹饰基本相同，各有四组开光，开光之间为方胜、犀角、宝珠、珊瑚等杂宝纹。这种宝盒早在明代嘉靖时期已有制作，无论形制、图案、纹饰均与乾隆时期完全一致。寿春宝盒，雕工纤细精美，纹饰寓意吉祥，不仅是实用的盛器，而且是珍贵的艺术品。

        大年初一的早餐除了饺子，还有汤圆，它的取意是：事事如意，全家团圆美满。大年初一这天，汤圆不叫“汤圆”，叫“元宝”，吃汤圆也不叫“吃汤圆”，叫“得元宝”。

灯会

        元宵节是我国主要的传统节日，也叫元夕、元夜，又称上元节，因为这是新年第一个月圆夜。历代这一节日都有观灯习俗，故又称灯节。民间和朝廷都会在这天搭建灯棚，悬灯结彩，并做一些游艺节目，迎接一年一度的元宵佳节。

        正月十五闹花灯，一般要从正月十三扎彩灯开始。从正月十三这天起，人们就开始张灯结彩扎彩灯啦。正月十三日为上灯，十四日为试灯，十五日为正灯；十七日为罢灯。

        传说南宋朝时，高宗迁都临安（今杭州），偏安于半壁江山，为了粉饰太平，元宵放灯发展到了新的高峰，扎灯、赛灯、赏灯蔚然成风。据《武林旧事》和《乾淳岁时记》等记载，当时，进京朝贡的灯品，有福州的白玉灯、安徽新安琉璃灯、江苏南京夹纱灯、常州料丝灯、苏州罗锦灯、杭州羊皮灯和海宁硖石万眼罗灯等，各具特色，争奇斗妍。海宁硖石灯彩脱颖而出，被选为“灯彩精品”而悬挂在临安（杭州）东华门外凤楼前。

        清代乾隆年间，硖石形成了演灯、顺灯、斗灯的盛况，下东街的“塔灯”、横港桥的“凌云阁”、横头的“梅亭”等灯会层出不穷。19世纪末至20世纪初，硖石民间制灯、迎灯盛行，灯彩的制作工艺和造型形态亦有较大突破，出现了“龙舟”“采莲船”等品种。

Festivities in Celebration of Spring Festival

China has transformed itself from an agricultural society into an industrial one. Some traditional celebrations of agricultural China are phasing out gradually largely because radical changes have been brought to work and life which used to be underpinned by farming. The Spring Festival, however, a key celebration in Chinese culture, has kept playing a key role in Chinese life. Here are some festivities that mark the traditional Chinese New Year.

Spring Couplets

Spring couplets are a must for the Spring Festival. They are designed to usher in fortune and good luck and keep evil and bad luck away. They are usually posted on doors. The tradition started in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-960). It is said that Meng Chang, king of the Shu Kingdom (933-965), instructed a court scholar to carve a couplet on a couple of wood plaques and hang them on the gate of the royal palace. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) had a passion for writing spring couplets for the traditional New Year. He wrote couplets every year. The palaces and halls inside the Forbidden City presented new spring couplets in lunar December. The couplets would stay there until in late January. Copies were made by scholars of the Imperial Academy to replace some couplets written on paper. At home paintings featuring pines, bamboos, plum flowers were often posted in the reception hall as part of the sacrificial ceremony.

Sacrificial Ceremonies

Sacrificial ceremonies used to be a key part of Spring Festival festivities. Ceremonies are held to pay respect to the god of kitchen and ancestors, for example. Sacrificial ceremonies are respectively held during a time of more than a month during the Spring Festival. On the fifteenth day of lunar December, for example, a ceremony is held to offer sacrifices to Jade Emperor for blessing of peace. In the past, a family would engage a scholar to compose a sacrificial writing to specify family members and blessings the family needed from the deity. On 23rd of lunar December, a sacrificial ceremony is held to offer sugar to the god of kitchen. The Qing Dynasty paid homage to the god of kitchen on the day with an offering of 33 courses and a sheep. At the grassroots ceremony, a new painting of the god of kitchen would be posted after the old one was removed. On 29th of lunar December, a ceremony is held in honor of ancestors. It was designed to invite the spirits of ancestors to attend the ceremony so as to bless family members. On 5th of lunar January, a ceremony is held to receive god of fortune into house. Taboos for the Spring Festival are turned off on the fifth day.

Firecrackers

Firecrackers are set off on the first day of the traditional Chinese New Year. The tradition is more than 2,500 years old in China. People get up before dawn to set off firecrackers in their own courtyard. Before the invention of paper and gunpowder, bamboo was burned. Bamboo, when heated in fire, would give explosive noises. Firecrackers are set off to keep the devil of plague away. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a long string of firecrackers was hanged on a bamboo pole when set off. People used a whip to make the crack noise so as to scare away the devil of plague. After gunpowder was invented by alchemists, firecrackers were invented.

Family Reunion Dinner

The most important part of the Spring Festival festivities is probably the family reunion dinner on the eve of the Spring Festival. It occurs on the last day of the old year. A family sits together to have a banquet and then family members stay up to usher in the New Year. This tradition dates back to the Wei Kingdom (221-265) and the Jin Dynasty (265-420). Records of that time state that the king and queen and other royal family members stayed up by making dumplings which were in the accompaniment of apples, dates, chestnuts, and persimmons. In the collection of Zhejiang Museum is a box of the Qing Dynasty. It is a pastry box used in the years of the Emperor Qianlong for the purpose of staying up to see the Old Year out and usher the New Year in. Dumplings are for the first breakfast of the New Year.

Lantern Festival

The festival starts on the fifteenth day lunar January. If lanterns are not complicated, they get made and posted two days before the festival. It is said that the heyday of lanterns coincided with the Emperor Gaozong after the Southern Song (1127-1279) finally settled down in Hangzhou, present-day capital of Zhejiang Province. According to records of the Southern Song, displayed on the day were lanterns made in various places and sent in to the capital as tributes. The best lanterns from Xiashi, a town not very far from Hangzhou, were demonstrated on a city gate tower. Around the turning of the 19th century and the 20th century, folk craftspeople in Xiashi invented lanterns in the shape of dragon boats and lotus-seedpod picking boats.