忙年

Busy in Preparing for the Spring Festival

过去的年节毕竟最像是个年节，办置年货不必说，年前的腊八就开始忙碌起来，那时母亲总是把我们兄妹招呼在灶前，命我去把屋檐下连秸编成辫子的大蒜摘下，然后说：剥蒜。腌制腊八蒜是每年都要进行的传统项目。母亲说这天腌制的腊八蒜到了年夜饭的时候开启食用才最是腊八蒜了。

The Spring Festivals in the past were more like festivals. In addition to the special purchases for the Spring Festival, people got busy from the 8 th day of the 12 th lunar month. Pickling Laba garlic was a traditional custom for each year. Nowadays, on top of the hectic transport during the Spring Festival period, what are typical of the festival are just the family reunion dinner and the Spring Festival Gala watched by all the family members seated around. In the old days we had to make steamed buns. Admittedly, many families also make steamed buns in the Spring Festival, but when I was young we cooked 8 potfuls of steamed buns and a potful of steamed sponge cakes. The steamed sponge cakes were not very tasteful, but they suggested a better new year. Calling for good luck was very important in the12 th month of the lunar year.