明天就是中国的传统佳节--元宵节。元宵节又称为"上元节"。按中国民间的传统，在这天人们要点彩灯、猜灯谜、吃元宵。小伙伴们知道多少元宵节的相关英语知识？来，我们一起涨姿势~

　　元宵节的起源（origin）

　　东汉明帝时期，明帝提倡佛教，听说佛教有正月十五日僧人观舍利，点灯敬佛的做法，就命令这一天夜晚在皇宫和寺庙里点灯敬佛，令士族和庶民都挂灯。以后这种佛教礼仪节日逐渐演变为民间盛大的节日。元宵节经历了由宫廷到民间，由中原到全国的发展过程。

　　the Han Dynasty(206BC-220AD), Buddhism flourished all over China. One emperor heard that Buddhism monks would watch sarira , or remains from the cremation of Buddha's body , and light laterns to worship buddha on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, so he ordered to light laterns in the imperial palace and temples to show respect to Buddha on this day. Later, the Buddhist rite developed into a grand festival among common people and its influence expanded form the Central Plains to the whole China.

　　元宵节的意义（significance）

　　元宵节在农历第一个月的十五号，它是新的一年的第一次满月，象征着团圆和美。

　　The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. It is the first full moon of the new year, symbolizing unity and perfection.

　　元宵节的习俗（custom）

　　吃元宵 Eating Yuanxiao

　　元宵是元宵节的特色食品。据说，元宵是因汉武帝时期的一位名叫元宵的宫女而得名。元宵是一种带馅儿的甜食，是由糯米粉加上甜的馅料制成。元宵节就是因此食品得名。元宵的烹制方法非常简单，将元宵倒入装满沸水的锅中煮几分钟就可以了。

　　Yuanxiao is the special food for the Lantern Festival. It is believed that Yuanxiao is named after a palace maid, Yuanxiao, of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty. Yuanxiao is a kind of sweet dumpling, which is made with sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing. And the Festival is named after the famous dumpling. It is very easy to cook - simply dump them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes - and eaten as a dessert.

　　看烟火 Watch fireworks

　　元宵节的白天会有舞龙舞狮、划旱船、扭秧歌、踩高跷。而在晚上，除了各种大型灯会，灿烂的焰火也是一幅美丽的画卷。很多家庭在春节时会留下一部分烟花等着元宵节放。有的地方政府甚至会组织焰火晚会。当新年的第一轮圆月升上夜空时，人们都会因燃放的烟火和空中的明月而兴奋。

　　In the daytime of the Festival, performances such as a dragon lantern dance, a lion dance, a land boat dance, a yangge dance, walking on stilts and beating drums while dancing will be staged. On the night, except for magnificent lanterns, fireworks form a beautiful scene. Most families spare some fireworks from the Spring Festival and let them off in the Lantern Festival. Some local governments will even organize a fireworks party. On the night when the first full moon enters the New Year, people become really intoxicated by the imposing fireworks and bright moon in the sky.

　　猜灯谜 Guessing lantern riddles

　　猜灯谜也是元宵节活动的一个基本组成部分。灯笼的所有者将谜语写在一张纸条上，然后将纸条展示在灯笼上。如果赏灯者猜出谜语，就将纸条取出，然后找灯笼所有者确认答案。打对的话，他们就可以领取一份小礼品。这个活动起源于宋朝（960--1279）。猜灯谜活动极富情趣和智慧，因此在全社会广受欢迎。

　　"Guessing lantern riddles"is an essential part of the Festival. Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns. If visitors have solutions to the riddles, they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answer. If they are right, they will get a little gift. The activity emerged during people's enjoyment of lanterns in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom, it has become popular among all social strata.

　　英文灯谜猜起来。看看你能猜对多少？

　　Riddles: What building has the most stories?问：什么建筑楼层最多？Answer: A library

　　答：图书馆（注：story有楼层和故事两个意思）

　　Riddles: What is it that everybody does at the same time?问：所有人同时在做的事情是什么？Answer: grow older

　　答：长大

　　Riddles: Which is faster, hot or cold?问：热和冷哪个速度更快？Answer: Hot's faster. You can catch a cold.

　　答：热更快，因为你能抓住冷（catch a cold: 感冒）

　　Riddles: Why is an empty purse always the same?问：为什么空钱包永远是一样的？Answer: There is no change in it.

　　答：因为没零钱（注：change 变化；零钱）

　　Riddles: What is the smallest room in the world?问：世界上最小的房间是什么？Answer: Mushroom.

　　答：蘑菇

　　Riddles: What kind of dog doesn't bite or bark?问：什么狗不咬人不吠叫？Answer: Hot dog.

　　答：热狗

　　Riddles: How do we know the ocean is friendly?问：我们如何知道海洋是友善的？Answer: It waves.

　　答：海有波浪（注：wave 起波浪；招手致意）

　　Riddles: What month do soldiers hate?

　　问：士兵们最恨几月份？

　　Answer: March

　　答：三月（注：march也有行军的意思）

　　英语谜语:

　　1.What are two things people never eat before breakfast? 哪两样东西人们在吃早饭前从来不吃？

　　2.What can't be used until it's broken? 什么东西是坏了以后才能用？

　　3.Why did the man put the clock in the safe? 这个人为什么把时钟放在保险箱里？

　　4.Why did the man throw his watch out of the window? 这个人为什么把他的手表扔到窗子外面？

　　5.Which letter is always trying to find reasons? 字母表里哪一个字母最好奇？

　　6.Why is the A like a flower? 为什么说字母A像花朵？

　　7.Why is the letter A like noon? 为什么说字母A像中午？

　　8.What begins with T, ends with T and has T in it? 什么东西以T开始，以T结束，且里面有T？

　　9.Which room has no doors, no windows? 什么room没有门没有窗？

　　10.What do you call a fish that only cares about himself? 一条只关心自己的鱼是什么？

　　11.What man cannot live in a house?什么人不能住在房间里？

　　12.What kind of water should people drink in order to be healthy?为了保持健康应该喝什么水？

　　答案:

　　1.Lunch and supper. 午饭和晚饭

　　2.An egg. 鸡蛋(broken有坏了的意思，也有打碎的意思)

　　3.He wanted to save time. 他想节省时间。(在英语里save time是节省时间的意思，safe是保险箱的意思)

　　4.He wanted to see time fly. 他想看时间飞逝。(time fly在英语里是习语，表示时间流逝)

　　5.Y(因为Y的发音和Why/为什么是相同的)

　　6.Because the B (bee) is after it. 因为B(bee蜜蜂)总是追逐A。(蜜蜂bee的发音与字母B相同)

　　7.Because it's in the middle of the day. 因为A在day这个单词的中间(这是一个文字游戏，字母A在单词day中间，inthe middle of the day是指中午)

　　8.A teapot. 茶壶 (茶壶teapot这个词以T开始，以T结束，茶壶里面装的是茶tea，发音于T相同)

　　9.A mushroom. 蘑菇 (这是一个文字游戏，mushroom不是一个房间，是蘑菇的意思，所以没有门和窗)

　　10.Selfish自私(自私这个单词由self自我和fish鱼组合而成)

　　11.snowman雪人

　　12.Drink well water喝井水（注：well 井水；健康的）

　　元宵节祝福语

　　1.元宵节之际，祝你心中有首快乐的歌，新年快乐!

　　Wishing you a merry song in your heart at Lantern Festival and blessings all year long!

　　2.在元宵节来临之际，祝你平安，快乐，幸福。万事圆!

　　Wishing you peace, joy and happiness and everything all the best through Lantern !

　　3.致以热烈的祝贺和良好的祝福，元宵节快乐!

　　Warm greetings and best wishes for Lantern Festival!

　　4.快乐的元宵之际，谨致我的想念与祝福。

　　Thinking of you and wish you a Happy Lantern Festival.

　　5.元宵节转眼又到，快乐也到!我们向你及你的亲人们致以最美好的圣诞祝福，愿你在接下来的日子里事业兴旺，幸福美满!

　　It seems that Lantern Festival is here once again, and it is time again to bring in happiness. We wish the merriest of Lantern Festival to you and your loved ones, and we wish you happiness and prosperity in the days ahead!

　　6.愿你元宵节幸福无尽。

　　May Lantern Festival be filled with happiness for you.

　　元宵节常用词语：

　　the Lantern Festival 元宵节

　　rice glue ball 元宵

　　glutinous rice 糯米

　　lions/dragons dancing 舞龙/舞狮

　　guess lantern riddles 猜灯谜

　　play couplets game 对对联

　　enjoy beautiful lanterns 赏花灯

　　snuff 灯花

　　exhibit of lanterns 灯会

　　dragon lantern dancing 耍龙灯

　　walking on stilts 踩高跷

　　land boat dancing 划旱船

　　yangko/yangge dance 扭秧歌

　　beating drums while dancing 打太平鼓

　　drum dance 腰鼓舞

　　fireworks party 焰火大会

　　traditional opera 戏曲

　　variety show/vaudeville 杂耍

　　Lantern Festival's temple fair 元宵庙会

　　colored lanterns' temple fair 彩灯庙会

　　长沙环球教育祝大家元宵节快乐！