TraditionalChinesevsWesternFestivals要点.ppt

Valentine realized the injustice of the decree (法令), defied（违背） Claudius and continued to perform marriage with a young lady in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he put to death. Origin Part Three Tomb-sweeping Day is a time to remember the dead. More important, it is a period to honor and to pay respect to one’s deceased（亡故的） ancestors and family members. It falls in early spring. Origin It is popularly associated with Jie Zi-tui（介子推）, who lived in Shanxi province in 600 B.C. Jie saved his starving lord’s life by serving a piece of his own leg. When the lord succeeded in becoming the ruler of a small country, he invited his faithful follower to join him. Origin However, Jie declined（拒绝） his invitation, preferring to lead a hermit’s life （过隐士的生活） with his mother in the mountains. Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain, the lord ordered his men to set the forest on fire. But Jie chose to remain（保持） where he was and was burnt to death. Origin To commemorate（纪念） Jie, the lord ordered all fires in every home to be put down the anniversary of Jie’s death. Thus began the “cold food feast”（寒食节）, a day when no food could be cooked since no fire could be lit(燃起). The “cold food” festival occurs （出现） on the eve of Qing Ming and is often considered as part of the Qing Ming festival. Origin 1. Visit the graves of the ancestors Sweep away the ashes on the tomb Customs 3. Go to the suburb/ Ta Qing (踏青) Customs To breathe the fresh air and enjoy the scenery. 3. Swing （荡秋千） Customs 4. Plant willow trees (插柳) Customs Customs 5. Flying kites (放风筝) Around the eighth century, the Christian church made November 1 All Saints’ Day to honor all of the saints that didn’t have a special day of their own. It was called All Hollows（圣徒）. Origin The night before was known as All Hallows Eve. Eventually this name became Halloween. The legend said on that night, the spi