Jack是在人大學習的.美國留學生，Liu Mei 是人大大二學生。寒假過後，Liu Mei和Jack又見面了，Jack想知道Liu Mei的寒假是如何度過的， Liu Mei便告訴了Jack一些她們家鄉關於春節的風俗習慣，比如除夕吃餃子、放煙花，大年初一給孩子們發放壓歲錢，走親戚等等。Jack聽了之後對中國的春節很感興趣，希望將來能夠和Liu Mei一起回她們家鄉過春節。
Liu Mei: Hi，Jack. Glad to see you again.
Jack: Hi, Liu Mei. How did you spend your winter vacation?
Liu Mei: I went home. I had a wonderful time with my family..
Jack: Oh, tell me something interesting about your winter vacation.
Liu Mei: Ok. I’ll tell you how I spent the Spring Festival.
Jack: That will be lovely.
Liu Mei: On the eve of the lunar new year① , we had our supper with all the members of the family getting together, eating one popular food named "jiaozi" which are dumplings boiled in water. After dinner, the most of the family stayed up all night② watching TV programs dedicated to the New Year"s celebration. At midnight, the sky was lit up by fireworks which symbolize the sending out of the old year and the welcoming in of the new year③ .
Jack: What did you do on the first day of the festival?
Liu Mei: I got up early and stayed at home. I exchanged New Year greetings with my brothers and sisters. I blessed my parents a happy new year and wished them a long life. Those children in family greeted their parents④ and received their New Year gifts. They got lucky red envelopes⑤ with money inside.
Jack: What did you do from the second day on?
Liu Mei: Well, we visited relatives and friends, exchanged New Year greetings. In addition, there were many kinds of performances, such as local operas, lion dances, dragon lanterns, acrobatic shows ⑥ and so on. I like very much to watch these performances with local features.
Jack: Oh, what a wonderful time you had at home!
Liu Mei: Yes. I think so.
Jack: I hope next Spring Festival I could go to your home.
Liu Mei: That’s great! Welcome you.
Jack: OK. It’s a deal⑦ .
① the eve of the lunar new yea：除夕夜
② stayed up all night：守歲，除夕夜裏一般都要“守歲”。
③ the sending out of the old year and the welcoming in of the new year：辭舊迎新
④ greeted their parents：給父母拜年
⑤ lucky red envelope：紅包，裏面裝的是長輩給孩子們的“壓歲錢”
⑥ lion dances, dragon lanterns, acrobatic shows：舞獅子，耍龍燈，耍雜技。
⑦ It’s a deal： 意思是“就這麼辦, 一言為定”。
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