Happy Lantern Festival! Lantern festival is a Chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar Chinese calendar. It marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. Eating sweet dumplings(Tangyuan/Yuanxiao) and appreciating lantern shows with families are important customs of the Lantern Festival. After this day, the spring festival officially ends. Last month we asked our followers about how they celebrated the spring festival and below are several replies we received. Some are expats in Xi\'an experiencing the festival and some are Chinese having the festival in foreigner countries. Check this out.
    年前我們在微信上向大家徵集了"你的春節假期如何打開"，後臺陸陸續續收到了一些投稿，有老外在西安家庭體驗中國年的，也有老陝在海外感受熱鬧的新年氣氛…一起來看看吧。
    Jackson Martin/America/Student from NPU
    馬丁/美國/西工大留學生
    
    This is my first spring festival in China, and I feel so happy having it in Xi\'an. A Chinese friend in Xi\'an invited me and another American student to have spring festival with her family together, which was really a great experience.
    今年是我第一次有機會在中國過春節，可以在西安過年我感覺很幸福。我的一個西安朋友邀請我和另外一個美國同學到她的家裡，跟她和她家人一起過一個正宗的春節。在這些熱情友善的西安朋友的招待下，我過了一個美好的春節。
    I started to have different kinds of snacks the moment I arrived at her home. I tried the stone baked pancake which was very good. But no doubt the most unforgettable was the new year eve dinner, I was soooo full and during the dinner I learned some Chinese new year traditions.
    從一進他們家的大門就開始了不斷地吃零食。我也嘗試了西安的石子饃，覺得味道很不錯。但是，毫無疑問，除夕之夜最難忘的就是吃年夜飯。吃年夜飯不僅讓我吃得飽成馬咧，而且讓我了解了一些中國的傳統習俗。
    
    Fish is an essential dish on Chinese spring festival dinner tables because fish pronounces like surplus in Chinese, so having fish promises surplus year after year. We had hairtail which was really great, as well as steamed sticky rice, steamed pork with pickles, scalded prawns, sauced meat jelly and white fungus soup. And my favorite was the fried stuffed lotus root, I\'ve never had that tasty lotus foot! The new year eve dinner was really great.
    俗話說"年年有餘"，中國人過年是一定要吃魚的，所以我們吃了美味的帶魚，好吃得很！我還吃了八寶甜飯，梅菜扣肉，白灼大蝦，涼拌肉凍和銀耳湯等等。其中給我印象最深刻的是油炸藕合，我本來就特別喜歡吃蓮藕，但是之前我從未吃過那麼好吃的蓮藕！我吃年夜飯吃得津津有味。
    
    Besides I learnt how to play mahjong, a popular entertainment in China. Although mahjong was really interesting, but when I remembered all the money I lost…
    除了吃年夜飯以外我也學會了中國的國粹之一：麻將。雖然打麻將特別有意思，但是我就不說我輸的那些錢了吧…
    
    I also experienced some other Chines new year traditions like sticking couplets and having dumplings on the first day of lunar new year. Sticking couplets is kind of like doing Christmas decorations back in America. The two festivals are all about reunion and having dinner together. Chinese families have fish and dumplings for spring festival and American families have turkey and ham for Christmas.
    我也有機會親身體驗其他中國過年的風俗，貼對聯和大年初一吃餃子。我覺得福字和對聯很有中國味！在中國，家人一起貼對聯和福字，有點像在美國過聖誕節的時候全家一起裝修聖誕樹的傳統。相同的都是家人團聚一起吃一頓（或幾頓）美味的飯。過年時中國人一定要吃魚和餃子，美國人聖誕節一定要吃火雞和火腿。
    And on lantern festival, eating tangyuan is an important custom and I\'m really looking forward to it! Happy Lunar New Year to everyone!
    正月十五還要吃湯圓！我很期待！祝大家新年快樂，萬事如意，身體健康，工作順利和學習進步！
    Khwaja Mohamed Khalid/Bangladesh/Student from NPU
    孟想/孟加拉/西工大研究生
    This was my fourth New Year in China since April 2013 I am staying in China. Chinese new year is always something special for me. After the whole busy semester of study and work I can relax finally. I have plenty of time to cook and of course to go to different places to visit. Last year I spent my Chinese New Year in train as I was traveling. This year I have decided to stay in Xi\'an during the new year. I observed the beautiful Xi\'an and discovered all the known places again. Almost five years of my living in this city has made it my second home. Xi\'an is always beautiful but during the new year it is like a newly wedded bride! The beauty of this city at its peak.
    2013年4月，我來到中國讀書，這已經是我在中國的第四個新年了。對我來說，中國新年總是一種特殊的存在。經過一整個學期的忙碌學習，我終於有時間放鬆下來休息一陣，也終於有時間自己做做飯，到處去轉轉。去年春節我去了別的地方旅行，在火車上過了除夕。今年春節，我決定就留在西安，看一看美麗的景色，再去逛一逛去過的景點。在這裡生活了快五年的時間，西安可以說已經成了我的第二故鄉。春節期間，本來就美麗的西安變得更加美麗了，好像新娘一般，這大概是一年中西安最漂亮的時候了吧。
    
    This year I have visited Nan Men Lantern Festival in new year eve. My friends and I enjoyed the beautiful decorations of city wall. It was so beautiful and we felt like a wonderland!
    除夕，我和朋友們一起去逛了城牆燈展，簡直太漂亮了！
    
    We all know Chinese new year is more like a family reunion. My country mate who lives outside invited us to his home exactly on the first day of new year. We had a great meal together. It was more like visiting a relative in Chinese new year.
    我知道中國春節一定是個團圓的時刻。大年初一，一個孟加拉朋友邀請我們去他租的房子裡一起吃了一頓"團圓飯"，這種感覺就好像在走親戚一樣。
    My 2018 Spring Festival
    老外在中國過年VS老陝在外國過年
    時間：2018-03-02 10:11:50
    
    The international college of Northwestern Polytechnical University has arranged a beautiful party for new year. We decorated the party hall with new year couplets. We cleaned it and prepared some snacks as well. Also put new year couplets at the entrance of our international student\'s apartment.
    西工大國際學院也為我們組織了一次新年聚會，我們一起用對聯裝飾大廳、打掃房間、準備小吃。在留學生公寓門口，我們也貼上了新年對聯。
    
    We received new year gifts and red packet!
    對了，還收到了新年禮物和紅包！
    
    It was a well spent Chinese New year. Thanks to my friends, teachers and my wonderful university for making my new year so colorful. 新年快樂 恭喜發財!
    這次的春節體驗很棒！我要感謝我的朋友、老師和學校讓我感受到了一個這麼美好的春節，祝大家新年快樂，恭喜發財！
    
    杉山多惠子/日本/西工大留學生
    Alice/Vietnam/Student from NPU
    小燕/越南/西工大留學生
    
    Vietnamese people also celebrate lunar new year, I had a wonderful holiday with my family and friends. Different from lunar new year traditions in China, people in Vietnam prepare Rouzong which is made of sticky rice for the festival. This is like the taste of lunar new year in Vietnam.
    春節也是我們越南的一個重要節日，今年的寒假我回到了家鄉和家人朋友們一起過了一個愉快的春節。和中國不一樣的是，在越南的春節，家家戶戶都會準備這種叫做肉粽的食物，用糯米做成，很像中國端午節吃的粽子。對我們來說，肉粽就是新年的味道~
    
    In addition, we decorate our house with peace blossom on lunar new year to pray for good luck. I wish everyone a great new year 2018 fulfilled with luck, happiness and success.
    另外，春節期間，越南人民每家都會買桃花放在家裡求好運~新年快樂！願幸福快樂永伴你左右！
    
    My 2018 Spring Festival
    Qiu Xuejiao/Fuping, Shaanxi/My Spring Festival at Nigeria
    仇雪姣/陝西富平/我在奈及利亞過大年
    Qiu Xuejiao from Fuping, Shaanxi is teaching Chinese at the Confucius institute of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria.
    來自陝西富平的仇雪姣，目前是奈及利亞納姆迪阿齊克韋大學孔子學院的一名公派漢語教師。
    
    This is my first time having spring festival in abroad. The festive occasion always makes me miss my family more than ever. But luckily I joined the lunar new year celebration organized by the Chinese culture center of Nigeria, the traditional Chinese style decorations and festivities really gave me a great overseas spring festival experience.
    金雞辭歲去，旺狗踏春來。第一次在國外過大年，每逢佳節倍思親。但這種思念很快被奈及利亞中國文化中心新春的熱鬧氣氛衝淡，大年初二，文化中心張燈結彩，熱鬧非凡，舉行春節廟會，慶祝中國新年。
    How was your spring festival? Today is already the last day of spring festival, don\'t forget to have yuanxiao!
    你的新年過的可還好？就算你再怎麼抱怨現在過年沒有年味沒有意思了，過完這一天，年是真的就過完了哦。友情提醒一下：今天一結束，2018年就過去1/6了，有的人，當初信誓旦旦制定的新年計劃，開始了沒？ 對了，別忘了吃元宵，元宵節快樂。