春节，是中国人心目中最重要的节日，春节凝聚着中国人最浓厚的情感、最质朴的愿望，让中国人不惜艰难险阻、不惜跋山涉水也要在春节前夕赶回来，合家团聚。对于现代很多人来说，也许春节已经简化成一段假期、几顿家宴，然而，春节的意思不仅在如此。从腊八的腊八粥开始，年味儿就已经徐徐展开，到腊月二十三起始，过年的准备工作就该正式启动了，一直到正月初七，每天都有安排，每天都有讲究，这才是中国人真正的、醇正的春节。

苏槿，资深媒体人，行摄家、专栏作者，传统文化传播者。著有《四时之歌：节气里的风物生活》，“中国节”系列丛书，旅游指南类图书《走遍中国》系列，《迷藏——藏地秘境·大穿越》《摄友最爱的100摄影胜地》（中国篇、外国篇各一卷）等。

Preface
The New Year is Coming
Chapter I Origination of the Chinese New Year
Section 1 Origins of the Chinese New Year
Section 2 Legends of New Year's Eve and Shou Sui
Section 3 The Twelve Zodiacs and the Chinese New Year
Chapter II Celebrating the New Year
Section 1 The 8th Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Celebrating the Laba Festival with Sweet Laba Porridge
Section 2 The 23rd Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Worshipping the God of Kitchen with Candies
Section 3 The 24th Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Cleaning the House
Section 4 The 25th Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Making Tofu, or Bean Curd
Section 5 The 26th Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Butchering Pigs
Section 6 The 27th Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Killing Chicken for Good Luck
Section 7 The 28th Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Steaming Bread and Rice Cakes
Section 8 The 29th Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Visiting Friends and Drinking Alcohol
Section 9 New Year's Eve:Peace and Good Luck
Section 10 The 1st Day of the First Lunar Month: Paying New Year Visits
Section 11 The 2nd Day of the First Lunar Month: Showing Gratitude to Parents
Section 12 The 3rd Day of the First Lunar Month: Wedding Day of the Rat
Section 13 The 4th Day of the First Lunar Month: The Return of the God of Kitchen
Section 14 The 5th Day of the First Lunar Month: The Reception of the God of Fortune
Section 15 The 6th Day of the First Lunar Month: Sending Away the God of Poverty
Section 16 The 7th Day of the First Lunar Month: Going on an Outing
Chapter III Spring Festival and Celebration Activities
Section 1 Different Nationalities Celebrate the Same Spring Festival
Section 2 Spring Festival Travel Rush, the Largest Periodic Migration of Human Beings
Section 3 Spring Festival Temple Fair Brings Supreme Fun
Section 4 Firecrackers and Fireworks
Section 5 Dragon and Lion Dances
Section 6 Shehuo, a Show in the Rural Areas of China
Section 7 New Year's Gala on New Year's Eve
Section 8 Golden Week for Traveling Around
Section 9 Door God and Fu
Section 10 Red Packet
Section 11 Flowers for Worshiping Gods
Chapter IV Chinese New Year Feast
Section 1 The Family Reunion Dinner on New Year's Eve
Section 2 Jiaozi, a Must-have for the Spring Festival
Section 3 Rice cake, Tangyuan, Spring Rolls Indicating people's Wish for a Better Life
Chapter V Celebrating the Spring Festival with Wishes for Happiness and Good Luck
Section 1 Auspicious Designs
Section 2 Spring Couplets on Red Paper
Section 3 New Year Paintings