國立教育廣播電臺

Hope:

Hey, Joey, you look so excited today.

Joey:

Excited?! I can’t be more excited! I am excited because it’s 除夕 today and there is a big 年夜飯 in my family tonight!

Hope:

Yes. It’s the Lunar New Year’s Eve today and there is also a big Family Reunion Dinner in my family tonight.

Joey:

I remember the Lunar New Year’s Eve is 農曆年 and the family reunion dinner means 年夜飯, right?

Hope:

That’s right! Reunion means 團聚or 團圓in Chinese.

Joey:

Finally, I can start my long holiday! Hooray! You know, 從早上開始，我媽媽就一直忙著準備the family reunion dinner.

Hope:

Same here, my mom and dad went to the traditional market to shop for some fresh vegetables this morning

and they have been busy preparing lots of traditional dishes for the Family Reunion Dinner tonight as well.

Joey:

Family Reunion Dinner is a really important occasion for every family member to get together.

Hope:

Yes, it is. On the Lunar New Year’s Eve, every family member, from near and far, always tries to make it to get home on time for the family reunion dinner.

Joey:

Yes, it is my favorite tradition in the year. I am excited not only because of the delicious family reunion dishes but also because of my adorable 姪子和姪女。

Hope:

Your nephew and niece are coming home?

Joey:

Yes, my brother’s son and daughter, my nephew and niece. They are twins. They live and study in Taipei with my brother and sister-in-law.

Hope:

So, what’s on the menu for your family reunion dinner?

Joey:

Well, my mom spend entire day making dishes like, dumplings, radish cake, fish, chicken, 豆干, and 年糕, 長年菜and a lot more.

Hope:

Well, 豆干 is soybean curd and 年糕, you can say “sweet sticky rice” or sticky rice cake. As for 長年菜, it is 刈菜, right?

So, we can call it mustard green or leaf mustard. Besides, people also eat 菠菜, spinach.

Joey:

I see, bean curd and sweet sticky rice. What about you, Hope? What’s on the menu for your family reunion dinner?

Hope:

Well, according to my dad, we’ll do hot pot this year.

Joey:

Hot pot? 火鍋?!

Hope:

Yes. This way, every one of us will stay at the dining table longer until my parents give lucky money to the kids.

Joey:

Yes, giving away and receiving lucky money is the 高潮of the Lunar New Year’s Eve!

Hope:

Yes, it is the highlight every year.

Joey:

Right. Giving away and receiving lucky money is always the highlight of the Lunar New Year’s Eve!

Hope:

So, do you do something while giving away or receiving lucky money?

Joey:

Yes, we do. When we receive lucky money from parents and grandparents, we have to say some 吉祥話 to長輩們。

Hope:

Say some blessings to the elders.

Joey:

Yes, we say some blessings to elders who give you lucky money. Blessings such as “恭喜發財、年年有餘、萬事如意，等等。

” 對了，Hope, how do we say, “恭喜發財、年年有餘、萬事如意” in English?

Hope:

恭喜發財, we can say, “I wish you happiness and prosperity!”

Joey:

I wish you happiness and prosperity! 恭喜發財。

Hope:

年年有餘, we can say, “May there be bounty every year.”

Joey:

May there be bounty every year. 年年有餘。

Hope:

And for萬事如意, we can say, “May everything go as you hope!”

Joey:

I see. May everything go as you hope! 萬事如意。

Hope:

By the way, on the Lunar New Year’s Eve, do you stay up late as a tradition?

Joey:

Yes, we stay up late, 守歲to wish our parents and elders 長命百歲。Do you?

Hope:

Of course! It’s a must! We stay up late to wish our parents and elders a long living! Happy Lunar New Year!

Joey:

Happy Lunar New Year! 新年快樂!