1.北京的春天（3415）

1北京的春天

1. 按照北京的老规矩，春节差不多在腊月的初旬就开始了。

2.“腊七腊八，冻死寒鸦”，这是一年里最冷的时候。

3.可是，到了严冬，不久便是春天，所以人们并不因为寒冷而减少过年与迎春的热情。

4.在腊八那天，家家都熬腊八粥。

5.这种特制的粥是祭祖祭神的，可是细一想，它倒是农业社会一种自傲的表现—这种粥是用各种米，各种豆，与各种干果（杏仁、核桃仁、瓜子、荔枝肉、桂圆肉、莲子、花生米、葡萄干、菱角米……）熬成的。

6.这不是粥，而是小型的农业产品展览会。

7.腊八这天还要泡腊八蒜。

8.把蒜瓣放到高醋里，封起来，为过年吃饺子用。

9.到年底，蒜泡得色如翡翠，醋也有了些辣味，色味双美，使人忍不住要多吃几个饺子。

10.在北京，过年时，家家吃饺子。

11.从腊八起，铺户就加紧上年货，街上增加了货摊子—一卖春联的卖年画的、卖蜜供的、卖水仙花的等等，他们都是只在这个季节才会出现的。

12.这些摊子都让孩子们的心跳得更快一些。

13.在胡同里，吆喝的声音也比平时更多更复杂，其中也有仅在腊月才出现的，像卖松枝的、薏仁米的、年糕的等等。

14.孩子们准备过年，第一件事是买杂拌儿。

15.这是用各种干果（花生、胶枣、榛子、栗子等）与蜜饯掺和成的，普通的带皮，高级的没有皮—例如普通的用带皮的榛子，高级的就用榛仁。

16.孩子们喜欢吃这些零七八碎儿，即使没有饺子吃，也必须买杂拌儿。

17.他们的第二件事是买爆竹，特别是男孩子们。

18.恐怕第三件事才是买玩意儿——风筝、空竹、口琴等，和年画。

19.孩子们忙乱，大人们也紧张。

20.他们必须预备过年吃的喝的用的切，也必须赶快给孩子做新鞋新衣，好在新年时显出万象更新的气象。

21.腊月二十三过小年，差不多就是过春节的“彩排”。

22.在老年间，这天晩上家家祭灶王，从一擦黑儿，鞭炮就响起来，人们随着鞭炮声把灶王的纸像焚化，美其名曰送灶王上天。

23.在前几天，街上就有好多卖麦芽糖与江米糖的，糖形或为长方块或为大小瓜形。

24.按旧日的说法，用糖粘住灶王的嘴，他到了天上就不会向玉帝报告家中的坏事现在，还有卖糖的，但是只由大家享用，并不再粘灶王的嘴了。

25.过了二十三，大家就更忙了，春节眨眼就到了啊。

26.在除夕以前，家家必须把春联贴好，必须大扫除一次，名曰扫房。

27.必须把肉、鸡、鱼、青菜、年糕什么的都预备充足，至少足够吃用一个星期的—按老习惯，铺户多数关五天门，到正月初六才开张。

28.假若不预备下几天的吃食，临时不容易补充。

29.除夕真热闹。

30.家家赶做年菜，到处是酒肉的香味。

31.老少男女都穿起新衣，门外贴好红红的对联，屋里贴好各色的年画，哪一家都灯火通宵，不许间断，鞭炮声日夜不绝。

32.在外边做事的人，除非万不得已，必定赶回家来，吃团圆饭，祭祖。

33.这一夜，除了很小的孩子，没有什么人睡觉，都要守岁。

34.初一的光景与除夕截然不同：除夕，街上挤满了人；初一，铺户都上着板子，门前堆着昨夜燃放的爆竹纸皮，全城都在休息。

35.男人们在午前就出动，到亲戚家、朋友家去拜年。

36.女人们在家中接待客人。城内城外有许多寺院开放，任人游览，小贩们在庙外摆摊儿，卖茶、食品和各种玩具。

37.北城外的大钟寺、西城外的白云观、南城的火神庙（厂甸）是最有名的。

38.可是，开庙最初的两三天，并不十分热闹，因为人们正忙着彼此贺年，无暇顾及。

39.到了初五初六，庙会开始风光起来。

40.孩子们特别热心去逛，为的是到城外看看野景，可以骑毛驴，还能买到那些新年特有的玩具。

41.白云观外的广场上有赛轿车赛马的，在老年间，据说还有赛骆驼的。

42.这些比赛并不为争谁第一谁第而是在观众面前表演骡马与骑者的美好姿态和娴熟技能。

43.多数铺户在初六开张，又放鞭炮，从黎明到清早，全城鞭炮声不绝。

44.虽然开了张，可是除了卖吃食与其他重要日用品的铺子，大家并不很忙，铺中的伙计们还可以轮流去逛庙会、逛天桥和听戏。

45.元宵（汤圆）上市，春节的又一个高潮到了。

46.除夕是热闹的，可是没有月光；元宵节呢，恰好是明月当空。

47.大年初一是体面的，家家门前贴着鲜红的春联，人们穿着新衣裳，可是它还不够美；元宵节，处处悬灯结彩，整条大街像是办喜事，火炽而美丽。

48.有名的老铺都要挂出几百盏灯来：有的一律是玻璃的，有的清一色是牛角的，有的都是纱灯；有的通通彩绘《红楼梦》或《水浒传》故事，有的图案各式各样。

49.这在当年，也就是一种广告。

50.灯一悬起，任何人都可以进到铺中参观，晚间灯中都点上蜡烛，观者就更多。

51.这广告可不庸俗。

52.干果店在灯节还要做一批杂拌儿生意，所以每每独出心裁，制成各样的冰灯，或用麦苗做成一两条碧绿的长龙，把顾客招来。

53.孩子们买各种花炮燃放，即使不跑到街上去淘气，在家中也照样能有声有光地玩耍。

54.家中也有灯：走马灯、宫灯、各形各色的纸灯，还有纱灯，里面有小铃，到时候就叮叮地响。

55.大家还必须吃元宵啊。

56.这的确是美好快乐的日子。

57.一眨眼，到了残灯末庙，学生该去上学，大人又去照常做事，春节在正月十九结束了。

58.腊月和正月，在农村正是大家最闲在的时候。

59.过了灯节，天气转暖，大家就又去忙着干活儿了。

60.北京虽是城市，可是它也跟着农村一齐过年，而且过得分外热闹。

 Spring in Beijing

1. According to old Beijing customs, the Spring Festival almost begins in the early days of the twelfth lunar month.

2. "The seventh and eighth of the twelfth month freeze the crows to death" — this is the coldest time of the year.

3. However, after the severe winter, spring arrives soon, so people do not let the cold reduce their enthusiasm for celebrating the New Year and welcoming spring.

4. On the eighth day of the twelfth month, every family makes Laba porridge.

5. This special porridge is for offering to ancestors and gods, but on closer inspection, it reflects the pride of an agricultural society — it is made from various grains, beans, and dried fruits (almonds, walnuts, melon seeds, lychee meat, longan meat, lotus seeds, peanuts, raisins, water caltrop rice, and more).

6. This is not just porridge; it’s a small agricultural product exhibition.

7. On Laba day, people also make Laba garlic.

8. They soak garlic cloves in vinegar, seal it, and use it for eating dumplings during the New Year.

9. By the end of the year, the garlic turns emerald green, and the vinegar gains a spicy taste, both color and flavor are delightful, making people want to eat more dumplings.

10. In Beijing, every family eats dumplings during the New Year.

11. From Laba onwards, shops start stocking up on New Year goods, and the streets see an increase in stalls — selling spring couplets, New Year pictures, honey offerings, and narcissus flowers, among others, appearing only during this season.

12. These stalls make children's hearts beat faster with excitement.

13. In the hutongs, there are more and more complex calls from vendors, some only appearing in the twelfth lunar month, like those selling pine branches, coix seeds, and New Year cakes.

14. The first thing children do to prepare for the New Year is to buy a mixed assortment of snacks.

15. This assortment includes various dried fruits (peanuts, jujubes, hazelnuts, chestnuts, etc.) and preserved fruits, with ordinary ones having skins and premium ones without — for example, ordinary ones use hazelnuts with skins, while premium ones use peeled hazelnuts.

16. Children love eating these small snacks, even if there are no dumplings, they must buy the mixed snacks.

17. The second thing they buy is firecrackers, especially boys.

18. Perhaps the third thing they buy is toys — kites, diabolo, harmonicas, and New Year pictures.

19. Children are busy and excited, and so are the adults.

20. They must prepare the food, drinks, and necessities for the New Year, and quickly make new shoes and clothes for the children to show a renewed look for the New Year.

21. On the 23rd of the twelfth month, people celebrate Little New Year, which is almost a rehearsal for the Spring Festival.

22. In the old days, every household worshipped the Kitchen God on this night, burning the Kitchen God's paper image with the sound of firecrackers, sending the Kitchen God to heaven.

23. A few days earlier, many vendors started selling malt sugar and glutinous rice sugar, in rectangular blocks or melon shapes.

24. According to old beliefs, using sugar to glue the Kitchen God's mouth shut would prevent him from reporting household misdeeds to the Jade Emperor in heaven. Now, people still enjoy the sugar but no longer use it to glue the Kitchen God’s mouth.

25. After the 23rd, everyone gets even busier, and the Spring Festival is just around the corner.

26. Before New Year's Eve, every household must put up spring couplets and thoroughly clean the house, known as "sweeping the house."

27. They must stock up on meat, chicken, fish, vegetables, and New Year cakes, enough to last at least a week — as most shops close for five days and reopen on the sixth day of the first lunar month.

28. If they do not prepare enough food, it is hard to replenish at the last minute.

29. New Year's Eve is bustling.

30. Every household rushes to prepare New Year's dishes, and the air is filled with the aroma of food and wine.

31. Everyone, young and old, wears new clothes, red couplets are pasted on doors, colorful New Year pictures are hung indoors, and every house is brightly lit all night with constant firecracker sounds.

32. People working away from home, unless unavoidable, will definitely return home for a reunion dinner and to honor their ancestors.

33. On this night, except for very young children, nobody sleeps; everyone stays up to see the New Year in.

34. The scene on the first day of the New Year is completely different from New Year's Eve: on New Year's Eve, the streets are crowded; on the first day, shops are closed, firecracker paper remnants are piled in front of doors, and the whole city is at rest.

35. Men go out in the morning to visit relatives and friends to exchange New Year greetings.

36. Women stay at home to receive guests. Many temples in the city and its outskirts open for visitors, with vendors selling tea, food, and various toys outside.

37. The most famous temples are the Big Bell Temple in the north, the White Cloud Temple in the west, and the Fire God Temple (Changdian) in the south.

38. However, the temple fairs are not very busy in the first few days, as people are preoccupied with exchanging New Year greetings.

39. By the fifth and sixth days, the temple fairs become lively.

40. Children are particularly eager to visit, as they get to see the countryside, ride donkeys, and buy unique New Year toys.

41. At the White Cloud Temple square, there are races with carts and horses, and in the old days, there were even camel races.

42. These races are not about who wins first but about showcasing the grace of the animals and the riders' skills.

43. Most shops reopen on the sixth day, again setting off firecrackers from dawn till morning, filling the city with noise.

44. Although they reopen, only those selling food and essential daily items are busy, while other shop assistants can take turns visiting the temple fairs, Tianqiao, and watching plays.

45. When Lantern Festival (Tangyuan) comes on the market, the Spring Festival reaches another peak.

46. New Year's Eve is bustling but without moonlight; Lantern Festival, however, has a full moon shining.

47. The first day of the New Year is grand, with red spring couplets on doors and people in new clothes, but it is not beautiful enough; Lantern Festival, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, makes the streets look like a joyous celebration, bright and beautiful.

48. Famous old shops hang hundreds of lanterns: some all glass, some all horn, some all silk; some depicting scenes from "Dream of the Red Chamber" or "Water Margin," and some with various patterns.

49. This was a form of advertisement in the old days.

50. Once the lanterns are hung, anyone can enter the shop to view them, and at night, the candles inside the lanterns are lit, attracting even more viewers.

51. This advertisement was not vulgar.

52. Dried fruit shops make special mixed snacks for the Lantern Festival, often creating ice lanterns or using wheat sprouts to form green dragons to attract customers.

53. Children buy various fireworks to set off; even if they do not go out, they can play with sounds and lights at home.

54. Homes also have lanterns: revolving lanterns, palace lanterns, various shapes and colors of paper lanterns, and silk lanterns with small bells that ring.

55. Everyone must eat Tangyuan on this day.

56. It is indeed a beautiful and happy time.

57. In the blink of an eye, the festival ends, and students go back to school, adults return to work, and the Spring Festival concludes on the 19th day of the first lunar month.

58. The twelfth and first lunar months are the most leisurely times in the countryside.

59. After the Lantern Festival, as the weather warms, everyone gets busy with work again.

60. Although Beijing is a city, it celebrates the New Year just like the countryside, and even more lively.