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A new term begins, and hopefully you had a fantastic holiday. Those who were overloaded with assignments and exams might have missed Christmas and the New Year celebrations. But do not feel bad. Although we are in 2012, it is not the end of the world, because we are welcoming the Chinese New Year, or as the Chinese call it, the Spring Festival.
The Spring Festival is not only one of the most important traditional events in China, but also an indispensible part of Chinese culture. Food, legends, and arts all play a role in it. It also reflects the ups and downs of China’s economy. It will be reasonable to say that the Spring Festival draws a full picture of the life of Chinese people.
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, you can start with decorating your room, making it more cosy, shiny, and red. Paper-cutting, a traditional Chinese decorative art, is definitely the thing you need. You can buy some from China Town, or if you like, cut some yourself. It’s easy. All you need is a piece of paper and a pair of scissors or a knife.
First, you need to take out a piece of paper in the shape of a square. You can choose any colour you like. You can also dye it when you finish cutting. Since it is for celebrating the Chinese New Year, it is better to use red paper, because in Chinese culture, red stands for harmony, happiness, and good luck.
Second, you need to fold the paper three times. In fact, this depends on how you want to do it. The more times you fold, the more complex the final shape will be, and the more beautiful it will be.
The third thing you need to do is to draw something you would like to cut, say animals, flowers, snowflakes, etc. Be careful! If you draw more than one figure, do make sure they are connected to each other, so that they will not separate. I hope I make sense here.
Here comes the key step of paper cutting, you need to CUT! Cut the paper along the lines you draw. You need to be careful and patient. Finally, when you finish cutting, unfold it, and you have a beautiful paper cutting of flowers and butterflies! You see, it is not difficult. Then you can stick it to your window, mirror, wall, door, etc.
It is cold outside these days, so why don’t you create an atmosphere of spring in your flat? After a busy week, it is time to give you another reason to relax and celebrate something.
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