Spring Festival is the most important festival in China.It lies on the first day of the first lunar month（农历）in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar .On the evening before the Spring Festival ,families get together and have a big meal .In many places people like to set off firecrackers .Dumplings are the most traditional food .Children like the festival very much ,because they can have delicious food and wear new clothes .They can also get some money from their parents. This money is given to children for good luck . People put New Year scrolls on the wall for good fortune .

Chinese people held the first New Year Festival more than 3,000 years ago. Farmers gave thanks for the harvest and prayed. They asked the gods for good crops in the coming year.

But there is a story behind all the celebration.According to legend, there was a man-eating wild monster（怪兽） "Nian" with an extremely large mouth, capable of swallowing several people in a single bite. The monster seemed too strong to be defeated. So all the villagers would take their old and young deep into the mountains to hide from Nian.One day, a wise old man passed through the village and told the villagers that "nian" was afraid of loud noises and the color red, The villagers came together and agreed that when it was time for Nian's annual visit towards the end of winter they would start a fire in front of every door and not go to sleep but rather make noise.Nian had not come down the mountain to cause any trouble thereafter. This eventually become a tradition of China and leads to the celebration for another year of safe life. Chinese people celebrate in remembrance of this legend and still continues till today! This custom has spread, became the most solemn of traditional Chinese folk festivals "have the spring festival".

Pace Melody from France has lived in China for 13 years. As the daughter-in-law of a family from Hunan, Melody often visits her husband’s hometown in Yiyang, Hunan. It was there that she fell in love with the Chinese countryside for its friendly villagers, local foods, and beautiful scenery.

With sweet air and fresh vegetables, the rural life in Hunan brought Melody a deep sense of comfort and happiness. She is thankful to be welcomed by her Hunan family members, who are very close to her. “My mother-in-law often tells me that I am like her daughter,” she said.

This love and acceptance touched her, as it was quite different from the customs in France. In her home country, it was common to address one’s mother-in-law by name, but in Hunan, she was encouraged to call her mother-in-law “mom”.

Working in the fields with her mother-in-law became one of Melody’s favorite activities. Her mother-in-law took her to dig wild vegetables and taught her how to make tofu. Melody also learned Chinese square dancing from her mother-in-law and they celebrated Spring Festival together.

Melody is amazed by how quickly the villages in China are developing. Before, there were no highways near their village, but now there are good roads and buses that come regularly. The southern part of Dongping town has changed a lot. It used to be a remote (偏远的) and mountainous area, but now it’s a busy place with lots of people. Life in Hunan has given Melody rich experiences. “I have many surprises and learn a lot every day. I am very happy and grateful (感恩的).” she said.

In summer, it’s common on the street to see many Chinese women holding umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. But when Amy, an exchange student in Beijing from the US, first saw this, she found it strange, even impossible to understand. She wrote on her blog（博客）, “Unlike Chinese women, American women prefer to put on their tank tops (背心) and sunglasses during summer.”

This may be caused by the different standards of beauty between the US and China. Many Americans don’t want white skin. They would rather be tanned (晒黑). Amy also wrote, “Having darker skin is so popular that many women and men will pay for fake tans (假晒黑) so that they can keep their sun-kissed appearance during the winter months, too.”

Why do they like tanned skin? Michelle Louis reported in her research, “The process of tanning can help make people’s skin smooth and hide marks.” She further explained, “Tans make people’s skin appear healthier and make them appear thinner than when they have pale skin.”

Perhaps there is no real ideal standard of beauty. In different cultures and at different times of history, the standards change. On Amy’s blog, she also gave two examples: Some women carried umbrellas around trying to keep their white skin in the US 150 years ago; During the Tang Dynasty in China, heavy women were thought beautiful. But now, Chinese women prefer to be thin.

In a word, different standards of beauty should be respected. People may grow up with only one idea of what beauty is, but it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily the correct or the best idea.