xiǎo nián
小年
：
chūn jié
春节
de
的
xù qǔ
序曲

Little New Year: The Prelude to Spring Festival

本站:Feb 10, 2026原文:Feb 10, 2026

jīn tiān今天shì是2026 nián2026年2 yuè2月10 rì10日，yě也shì是nóng lì农历là yuè腊月èr shí sān二十三。

Today is February 10, 2026, which is also the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month.

zài在zhōng guó中国，zhè这yī tiān一天bèi被chēng wéi称为“xiǎo nián小年”。

In China, this day is called "Little New Year."

xiǎo nián小年de的dào lái到来，yì wèi zhe意味着chūn jié春节de的xù mù序幕zhèng shì正式lā kāi拉开le了，rén men人们kāi shǐ开始jìn rù进入“guò nián过年mó shì模式”。

The arrival of Little New Year means the official start of the Spring Festival preparations, and people begin to enter "New Year mode."

zhōng guó中国fú yuán幅员liáo kuò辽阔，nán南běi fāng北方guò过xiǎo nián小年de的shí jiān时间bìng并bù不xiāng tóng相同。

China is vast, and the time for celebrating Little New Year differs between the north and south.

běi fāng北方dì qū地区tōng cháng通常shì是là yuè腊月èr shí sān二十三，ér而nán fāng南方dà bù fèn大部分dì qū地区zé则shì是là yuè腊月èr shí sì二十四。

In northern regions, it is usually the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, while in most southern areas, it is the 24th day.

suī rán虽然rì zi日子chà差le了yī tiān一天，dàn但dà jiā大家zhǔn bèi准备guò nián过年de的máng lù忙碌hé和xǐ yuè喜悦shì是yī yàng一样de的。

Although the date differs by one day, everyone shares the same busy and joyful spirit of preparing for the New Year.

guān yú关于xiǎo nián小年，yǒu有yí gè一个liú chuán流传hěn很guǎng广de的chuán shuō传说。

There is a widely spread legend about Little New Year.

rén men人们rèn wéi认为“zào wáng yé灶王爷”shì是jiā lǐ家里de的shǒu hù shén守护神，fù zé负责guān chá观察yī jiā rén一家人de的shàn è善恶。

People believe that the Kitchen God is the household guardian deity who observes the family's good and bad deeds.

zài在xiǎo nián小年zhè这yī tiān一天，tā他yào要shàng tiān上天xiàng向yù huáng dà dì玉皇大帝huì bào汇报qíng kuàng情况。

On Little New Year, he goes to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor.

wèi le为了ràng让zào wáng yé灶王爷zài在yù dì玉帝miàn qián面前duō多shuō说hǎo huà好话，dà jiā大家huì会zhǔn bèi准备tián甜tián甜de的“zào táng灶糖”gòng fèng供奉tā他。

To make the Kitchen God say good things about the family to the Jade Emperor, people prepare sweet "kitchen sugar" as an offering.

zhè yàng这样，zào wáng yé灶王爷de的zuǐ嘴jiù就huì会bèi被táng糖zhān粘zhù住，huò zhě或者yīn wèi因为chī吃le了tián shí甜食ér而zhǐ只shuō说hǎo huà好话。

This way, the Kitchen God's mouth is either stuck with sugar or he only says good things because he has eaten sweets.

chú le除了jì zào祭灶，xiǎo nián小年zuì最zhòng yào重要de的huó dòng活动jiù shì就是dà sǎo chú大扫除。

Besides worshiping the Kitchen God, the most important activity on Little New Year is a thorough house cleaning.

běi fāng rén北方人jiào叫“chú chén除尘”，nán fāng rén南方人jiào叫“dǎn chén掸尘”。

In the north, it is called "dust removal," while in the south, it is called "dusting."

jiā jiā hù hù家家户户dōu都yào要bǎ把wū zi屋子dǎ sǎo打扫dé得gàn干gān jìng jìng干净净，bǎ把jiù旧de的dōng xī东西rēng diào扔掉，zhè这dài biǎo代表zhe着“cí jiù yíng xīn辞旧迎新”，xī wàng希望bǎ把méi yùn霉运sǎo扫chū mén出门，yíng jiē迎接xīn新yī nián一年de的hǎo yùn好运。

Every household cleans their home thoroughly and throws away old things, symbolizing "bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new," hoping to sweep away bad luck and welcome good fortune for the new year.

zài在yǐn shí饮食shàng上，nán南běi fāng北方yě也yǒu有bù tóng不同de的xí guàn习惯。

There are also different food customs between the north and south.

běi fāng北方rén人xí guàn习惯zài在zhè这yī tiān一天chī吃yī一pán盘rè qì téng téng热气腾腾de的jiǎo zi饺子，ér而nán fāng南方rén人zé则xǐ huān喜欢chī吃ruǎn nuò软糯de的nián gāo年糕。

Northerners usually eat a plate of steaming hot dumplings on this day, while southerners prefer soft and glutinous rice cakes.

zhè xiē这些shí wù食物bù jǐn不仅měi wèi美味，hái还dài biǎo代表zhe着duì对shēng huó生活měi mǎn美满、bù bù gāo shēng步步高升de的qī dài期待。

These foods are not only delicious but also represent wishes for a happy life and continuous progress.

xiǎo nián小年dào到le了，lí离tuán yuán团圆de的rì zi日子yě也jiù就bù不yuǎn远le了。

With Little New Year here, the day of reunion is not far away.

xiàn zài现在，huǒ chē zhàn火车站hé和jī chǎng机场lǐ里dào chù到处shì是dài带zhe着xíng lǐ行李huí jiā回家de的rén人，dà jiē xiǎo xiàng大街小巷yě也tiē贴shàng上le了hóng sè红色de的chuāng huā窗花hé和duì lián对联。

Now, train stations and airports are full of people carrying luggage going home, and red paper-cut decorations and couplets are pasted everywhere on streets and alleys.

wú lùn无论nǐ你shì是zài在běi fāng北方chī吃jiǎo zi饺子，hái shì还是zài在nán fāng南方chī吃nián gāo年糕，xiǎo nián小年dōu都zài在tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：jiā家yǒng yuǎn永远shì是zuì最wēn nuǎn温暖de的dì fāng地方。

Whether you eat dumplings in the north or rice cakes in the south, Little New Year reminds us that home is always the warmest place.

zhù祝dà jiā大家xiǎo nián小年kuài lè快乐，wàn shì rú yì万事如意！

Wishing everyone a happy Little New Year and all the best!

By Easy Mandarin News|AI-assisted

xiǎo nián小年 ：chūn jié春节de的xù qǔ序曲

Try Easy Mandarin News in the Chinese Short Dialogue app

xiǎo nián
小年
：
chūn jié
春节
de
的
xù qǔ
序曲