1. 传统节日Traditional Festivals
元宵节 Lantern Festival
元宵节起源于远古时代人们以火把驱邪的仪式。元宵节的风俗特征是张灯结彩，供人观赏取乐，故又称“灯节”。各处有灯会，比赛花灯，举行灯谜盛会，小孩也提着灯笼四处游观玩耍。这种欢乐的场景，一直要持续到十八日“落灯”方止。此外，元宵节还时兴跑旱船、舞龙灯、耍狮子等等群众性娱乐活动。
The Lantern Festival developed from an ancient ceremony of using torches to ward off evil spirits. On the Lantern Festival, people decorate houses and streets with various lantern and red streamers for watch and amusement, hence comes the name \lantern-riddle guessing. Children, carrying lanterns, are particularly cheerful and waking about for fun. This scene of great joy lasts till 18th \Lanterns\Besides, there are many popular public entertainments such as land-boat dance, dragon-lantern dance and lion dance。
清明节 Pure Brightness Festival
每年公历四月五日前后，是中国人的清明节。清明时节，人们上坟扫墓祭祖，以寄托对先人的怀念。踏青本是清明扫墓的伴生活动。人们在扫墓之余，趁便在山间乡野游乐一番，因此也叫春游。
Pure Brightness Festival falls on around April 5th every year. On that very day, people sweep the graves and offer sacrifices and worship the passed ancestors. Taqing (Spring outing) is an accompanying activity of grave sweeping. On the way home, people happily wandering around farms and through mountains. Hence it derives （obtain）the name, spring outing.
端午节 Dragon Boat Festival
农历五月初五是中国传统的端午节。有关端午节的起源，说法不一，但最富影响力的传说是：战国时，楚国大夫屈原遭人诋毁，被迫流放，于五月初五自投汨罗江。楚人哀之，以竹筒储米投水，划舟楫于江上营救。后来前者演变为裹食粽子；后者演变成龙舟竞渡。
The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is observed as Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese festival. Although it has different versions of the origin, the most influential legend goes as follows: Quyuan, once a senior official in Chu, was unfortunately slandered and then was forced to exile and took his own life by jumping into Miluo River. People of Chu were overwhelmed with sorrow at this sad news and threw rice packed in bamboo into river and drove boat to rescue Qu Yuan. These respectively developed into today's custom of eating
Zongzi and dragon-boat racing.
2. The importance of Chopsticks筷子的重要性
A. 说到中国筷子(chopsticks)的起源，有人认为中国是农耕民族，食物以植物为主，用筷子适宜取食。而西方人是游牧民族(nomads)，以肉食为主，刀叉就来得方便。也有人认为中国是农业社会，工业发展晚，木筷正是这种情形的产物。而西方是工业化社会，金属制品做餐具是必然的。
As to the origin of China’s chopsticks, one theory is that China was an agricultural society and relies on vegetables for food. Chopsticks were very convenient tools for eating. The Westerners, on the other hand, were nomads and lived on meat. The knife and fork were more practical. Others believe that China did not have much industry and therefore, people used chopsticks. The West was an industrial society, so their eating utensils were made of metal.
B. 中国文化推崇集体主义，崇尚共有，融合；西方文化崇尚个体。体现在吃饭的方式上就是筷子和刀叉的不同。中国人实行合餐制，用餐的人在用一个盘中取食，用筷子可以限制个别人大量取食。如此一来，既保留了集体主义的形态，个人利益又不会受太大影响。
Chinese culture is developed around collectivism which stresses communion and harmony. Western culture emphasizes individualism. In terms of eating customs, chopsticks and knives and forks are two disparate expressions of this culture difference. The Chinese like to have communal meals where everybody eats out of the same bowl of food. Chopsticks were used in order to discourage people from eating more than others. This was not only a way to preserve collectiveness but also to limit individualism..
C. 很多古代用筷的禁忌沿用至今，成为普遍认可的餐桌礼仪。上菜时要由尊者或长者先食。用餐者要尽量做得靠前，以免掉落食物弄脏衣服。喝汤不可过快，咀嚼时不可发出声响。忌将筷子竖直插入碗盘中，因为这代表为死人上坟。取食时不要用筷子敲打盘碗，或游离于盘碗之间，或把不喜欢的食物再放回去。 Many ancient chopstick taboos are valid to this day and accepted as a norm in table etiquette. Each dish served should be commenced by the eldest or respectful person. The diners should sit close to the table so food won’t drop on their clothes. One should drink soup slowly and no noise is supposed when chewing. Don’t place chopsticks vertically into a dish, as this was the way of making sacrifices to the dead. When taking food, diners could not tap dish with chopsticks, or move chopsticks between dishes, or send food back to the communal plate even if they don’t like it.
3. The Elegance of Tea-Drinking 喝茶的格调
A. 开门七件事，柴米油盐酱醋茶。饮茶与吃饭的目的大不相同。吃饭是为了果腹，饮茶却能提升精神境界。茶的流传据说与佛教有关。僧侣们喝茶为了提神醒脑。世俗社会模仿这种清净脱俗的举动， 所以品茶被看做是清雅之事。在古典小说中，用大杯喝茶解渴被称为“饮”，而雅士用精致的茶具喝茶被称为“品”。 Firewood, rice. oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven daily necessities. The purpose of tea and food is totally different though. People eat to fill their stomach, while tea-drinking can help a person achieve an elevated state of mind. Tea-drinking is said to have originated with the advent of Buddhism. Monks drank tea to keep themselves awake and help their concentration. Ordinary people were tempted by the tranquility of the monasteries and began to imitate the monks. So tea-drinking is considered an elegant pastime. In classical novels, the word used to illustrate tea-drinking from a big cup to quench one’s thirst is “drink”. Scholars would use fine cups to drink tea and the word to use is “savour”.
B. 喝茶是一种很讲究格调的消遣。首先是环境。古人在竹间月下品茶论道。如今格调被商业化了。人们在装修豪华的茶馆谈生意，真是大异其趣。茶不仅有经济功能，还有社会功能。平民百姓常常光顾小茶馆打牌，闲谈。格调当然谈不上，气氛却是轻松随意，多了几份趣味。
Tea drinking is a very sophisticated pastime. It starts with the environment. Ancient scholars enjoyed themselves by savouring tea among bamboos or in the moonlight. It is commercialized now. People talk business in expensively decorated tea houses. Tea, not only serves economical purposes, but also social purposes as well. Ordinary people go to the inexpensive tea houses where they can play games or simply chat with friends. Although such tea houses may not look elegant, they certainly have a relaxed atmosphere and are good fun.
C. 古人用铁壶烧水，用纸袋装茶，用瓷杯或陶器饮茶。茶大概分为这样几种：红茶，绿茶，乌龙茶和普洱茶。人们认为绿茶有延年益寿和抗癌的作用，红茶有暖胃的作用，普洱茶可以减肥和降血压。茶搭配奶和糖的饮用方式，比如台湾芋头味珍珠奶茶，在中国城市的年轻人中很流行。
In the old days, people used iron kettles to boil water, Tea was placed in a paper bag. Porcelain tea sets or Yixing tea pots were used for drinking. Tea has several categories: red tea, green tea, Wulong tea and Pu’er tea. People think green tea is good for longevity, and combating cancer, red tea for keeping the stomach warm and that Pu’er tea can help them lose weight and control their blood pressure. Tea with milk and sugar, like Taiwan milk tea with chewy balls of taro flour, has been popular among young, urban Chinese.