Happy New Year, everybody! 2013 is the Year of the Snake. Below is a pretty good video describing the history of Chinese New Year. To better understand the video, here are some keywords along with their definitions:

• parades  (noun)  many people walking down the street to celebrate a holiday or special occasion
• firecrackers   (noun) small explosives that make a loud noise
• celebrate   (verb) to do something special for a holiday
• joyous   (adjective) very happy
• customs   (noun) traditions
• tradition   (noun) a custom 
• lunar calendar   a way of measuring the year by the moon
• abundance   (noun) having a lot of something
• auspicious   (adjective) bringing good luck
• feast   (noun) a big meal
• lantern   (noun) a special light that hangs down
• evil spirits   bad ghosts, demons, devils, etc.
• good fortune  good luck