昨天是农历腊月二十三，是传统的小年（南方有些城市是腊月二十四过小年）。小年到，春节的脚步更近了！

小年的英文说法有很多：有直接使用拼音Xiao Nian的，有根据意义翻译的preliminary eve， 还有字面翻译的Little New Year和Minor New Year。

小年习俗繁多，用英文怎么讲呢？

下面一起学习下吧~

祭灶王

Offer sacrifices to Kitchen God   

In one of the most distinctive traditions of the Little New Year is the burning of a paper image of the Kitchen God, dispatching the god's spirit to Heaven to report on the family's conduct over the past year. 

The Kitchen God is then welcomed back by to the home through the pasting of a new paper image of him beside the stove. The Kitchen God will oversee and protect the household for another year.

“小年”具特色的风俗就是“祭灶王”，具体来讲就是将旧的灶王像烧掉，送“灶王”上天禀报这家人过去一年的善恶。大年三十的晚上，要在灶台旁贴一张新的灶王像，也就是“接灶”。这样，来年“灶王爷”就能继续监督并庇佑这一家人。

扫尘土

House cleaning                         

Families throughout China undertake a thorough house cleaning, sweeping out the old in preparation for the New Year. 

在中国，“尘土”的“尘”这个汉字与“陈旧”的“陈”同音。中国人相信，当天通过彻底地清扫房子，可以让他们摆脱过去一年的贫穷和霉运，迎来一个繁荣的新年。

吃关东糖

Eat Guandong candy                 

Guandong candy, a sticky treat made out of glutinous millet and sprouted wheat, is a traditional snack that Chinese people eat on the Festival of the Kitchen God.

关东糖是用麦芽、小米熬制而成，是人们在小年吃的传统小吃。

贴窗花

Paste paper-cuts to windows      

In the Little New Year, old couplets and paper-cuts from the previous Spring Festival are taken down, and new window decorations, New Year's posters, and auspicious decorations are pasted up.

过小年时，要把去年春节贴的春联和窗花取下，贴上新的窗花、年画和各种大吉大利的装饰品。

沐浴理发

Bath and hair-cut                     

下次剪头发要等到二月二了龙抬头了

As the old Chinese saying goes, whether they're rich or poor, people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival. The activity of taking bath and haircut is often taken on the Little New Year.

民间有“有钱没钱，剃头过年”的说法。小年时人们常要沐浴理发。

办年货

Preparations for Spring Festival

People start to stock up necessary provisions for the Spring Festival since the Little New Year. Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors, entertain guests, and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.

从小年开始，人们就要为过年置办了，包括给祖先的贡品、招待客人的用品，还有过年期间一家人的吃食都要提前买好。

这些传统习俗怎么用英语来说，这些你都会了吗？

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