小年在各地有不同的概念和日期，北方地区是腊月二十三（也就是1月14日），部分南方地区是腊月二十四（也就是1月15日）。
小年意味着你要开始准备年货、大扫除……等等正式开始为春节做准备了，一般离家在外的人大部分也会争取在今天回到老家、和家人一起过小年。It marks the start of the countdown as the festivities begin to gear up for Spring Festival.
从今天起，逛商场你会听到各种喜庆的拜年音乐、你要想着开始买新衣服、为家人朋友准备春节礼物……总之，你将被各种春节氛围承包啦！千万不要去随便百度一个“off year”✘去敷衍老外，因为“off year”虽然被国人普遍使用，但它其实是“非大选年”的意思，同时“off year”在英文中还指果树、竹子的歉收年。所以如果你告诉老外“小年”就是"off year"，他肯定会晕。根据《现代汉语词典》的解释，“小年”一词其实有三个义项，而每个义项对应的英语不同。义项一：指农历腊月是小建的年份，也就是说，农历腊月只有29天，没有年三十的年份。即：lunar year in which the last month has 29 days
义项二：节日，腊月二十三或二十四日，旧俗这天祭灶。即：festival on the 23rd or 24th of the 12th month of the lunar year, when sacrifices are made to the kitchen god
即：off year; non-bearing year (for fruit trees, bamboo, etc.)
显然，我们今天所指的小年就是第二个义项。那么，小年到底如何译为英文呢？我们来看看官媒的报道↓知道了“小年”英文怎么说，再来看看小年有哪些习俗吧——Today kicks off Xiaonian (literally minor New Year), the day when people celebrate the beginning of the Spring Festival. The day falls on the 23rd (Northern China) and 24th (Southern China) of La Yue, the last month on the Chinese calendar. On this day, people clean their homes and pray to the Kitchen God, asking him to say good things for them when he reports to the Jade Emperor.今天是小年，是整个春节庆祝活动的开始。这个节日一般在腊月（最后一个月）二十三（北方）和腊月二十四（南方）。在这一天，人们会打扫房屋、拜灶神，求灶神向玉皇大帝汇报时为他们说好话。There are numerous customs associated with honoring the Kitchen God and preparing for the Spring Festival. Here are some traditional things you should know about the Little New Year.敬灶神和迎春节有各种各样的习俗。下面就让我们来看看关于“小年”的一些传统习俗：Offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God
祭灶神
In one of the most distinctive traditions of the Little New Year is the burning of a paper image of the Kitchen God, dispatching the god's spirit to Heaven to report on the family's conduct over the past year. The Kitchen God is then welcomed back by to the home through the pasting of a new paper image of him beside the stove. From this vantage point, the Kitchen God will oversee and protect the household for another year.小年最具特色的风俗就是“祭灶神”，具体来说就是将旧的灶神像烧掉，送“灶神”上天去禀报这家人在过去一年的善恶。到时（译者注：大年三十的晚上）将新的灶神像贴在灶台旁，也就是“接灶”。这样，来年“灶王爷”就能继续监视并庇佑这一家人。The offerings to the Kitchen God include pig's head, fish, sweet bean paste, melons, fruit, boiled dumplings, barley sugar, and Guandong candy, a sticky treat made out of glutinous millet and sprouted wheat. Most of the offerings are sweets of various varieties. It is thought that this will seal the Kitchen God's mouth and encourage him to only say good things about the family when he ascends to heaven to make his report. The Kitchen God will be invited to sit in a sedan chair for his trip to heaven.人们往往会给灶神供上猪头、鱼、豆沙、瓜果、煮熟的饺子、麦芽糖、灶糖和关东糖（一种用麦芽、小米制成的粘糖）。大部分供品是各式各样的甜品。传说这样是为了封住灶神的嘴，让他坐轿上天汇报时，只说这户人家的好话。Between Laba Festival, on the eighth day of the last lunar month, and Little New Year, families throughout China undertake a thorough house cleaning, sweeping out the old in preparation for the New Year.从腊八(农历最后一个月的第八天)到小年期间，中国各地的家庭都要进行一次彻底的房屋大扫除，除旧迎新。According to Chinese folk beliefs, during the last month of the year ghosts and deities must choose either to return to Heaven or to stay on Earth. It is believed that in order to ensure the ghosts and deities' timely departure people must thoroughly clean both their persons and their dwellings, down to every last drawer and cupboard.根据中国民间习俗，鬼魂和神明都要在腊月选择返回天上或是留在人间。传说为了确保他们及时离开，人们必须彻底清洁身体和住所，抽屉和碗柜犄角旮旯的地方也都要打扫干净。Paste paper-cuts to windows
贴窗花
In the Little New Year, old couplets and paper-cuts from the previous Spring Festival are taken down, and new window decorations, New Year's posters, and auspicious decorations are pasted up.小年当天，人们会取下前一年的春联和窗花，贴上新的窗花、年画和各种吉祥的装饰品。Among all the preparation activities for the new year, cutting window paper is the most popular one. The content of the window paper includes animals, plants and famous folk stories.
所有准备工作中，剪贴窗花是最盛行的民俗活动。内容有各种动、植物等掌故，如喜鹊登梅，燕穿桃柳，孔雀戏牡丹，狮子滚绣球，三羊（阳）开泰，二龙戏珠，鹿鹤桐椿（六合同春），五蝠（福）捧寿，犀牛望月，莲（连）年有鱼（馀），鸳鸯戏水，刘海戏金蝉，和合二仙等等。
As the old Chinese saying goes, whether they're rich or poor, people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival. The activity of taking bath and haircut is often taken on the Little New Year.民间有“有钱没钱，剃头过年”的说法。小年时，人们常要沐浴理发。Both adults and children need to bath and cut their hair at this time. One of the old saying goes, with or without money, cutting hair to celebrate the new year.
大人、小孩都要洗浴、理发。汉族民间有“有钱没钱，剃头过年”的说法。这天傍晚，婆姨汝子都用开水洗脚。不懂事的女孩子，大人们也要帮她把脚擦洗干净，不留一点污秽。汉族民间传有“腊月二十七，婆姨汝子都洗脚。一个不洗脚，流脓害水七个月”的俗语。Preparations for Spring Festival
办年货
People start to stock up necessary provisions for the Spring Festival since the Little New Year. Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors, entertain guests, and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.从小年开始，人们就要为春节置办年货了，包括给祖先的供品、招待客人的用品，还有过年期间一家人的吃食都要提前买好。Before setting out to the market, a Spring Festival shopping list must be made, including items such as meat, poultry and eggs, fruit and vegetables, rice and flour, cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, and tea. Incense and candles, snacks, new calendars, and toys must also be purchased. Not to be forgotten are new clothes for children and firecrackers to welcome in the New Year.在出发采购前，一定要列一份春节购物清单，包括肉禽蛋、果蔬、米面、烟酒糖茶；还要买香、蜡烛、零食、日历、玩具；给孩子们的新衣服和迎新年的鞭炮也不能忘。
【置办年货】
Preparations for Spring Festival
中国人几千年来总把过年当做件大事。过年之前要做很多准备，要买很多东西，有吃的、用的、穿的、戴的、耍的、供的、干的、鲜的、生的、熟的，统名之曰“年货”。一进腊月，各闹市皆拥挤不堪，都是买年货的人，但各种东西也都涨了不少，商人趁机作一笔好生意，故有“腊月水土贵三分”之谚。
People start to stock up necessary provisions for the Spring Festival since Xiao Nian Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors, entertain guests, and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.
【放烟花】
Set off fireworks
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过小年时，还有放烟花、鞭炮的习俗，因为这是年前的第一炮，很重要。中国人过节都喜欢热热闹闹的，鞭炮的声响，可以渲染过节气氛，但是由于空气污染等因素，近年很多城市都是不让小年卖鞭炮、放鞭炮了。其实最重要的只要人团圆，家就热闹了，节日的气氛也就有了。
Chinese people traditionally set off fireworks during Spring Festival, in the belief that this helps scare off the Nian and brings good fortune at the beginning of the year and good luck throughout the year.
【拜年】
Pay lunar New Year’s calls/visits; give Spring Festival greetings
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拜年是中国民间的传统习俗，是人们辞旧迎新的一种方式。家长带领小辈出门谒见亲戚、朋友、尊长，以吉祥语向对方祝颂新年，卑幼者必须叩头致礼，谓之“拜年”。
It’s important that you pay relatives and friends a new year’s call during the holiday. This is done at people’s homes from New Year’s Day to the 15th day, or the Lantern Festival. People give each other best wishes and gifts. This is also a time for the younger generation to bow or kowtow to the elders for health, good fortune, work, and so on and to get a red package in return
北方的每个节日几乎都会有饺子的身影，而小年夜吃饺子，取意“送行饺子迎风面”。上供时，饺子要端端正正摆上供台。此外，民间有“好吃不过饺子”的俗语。每逢新春佳节，饺子更成为一种应时不可缺少的美食。过了二十三，民间认为诸神上了天，百无禁忌。娶媳妇、聘闺女不用择日子，称为赶乱婚。直至年底，举行结婚典礼的特别多。中华民族历史源远流长，各地习俗也多有不同。但不管在南方还是北方，小年的到来，就意味着新年不远。小年无论是哪一天，都表达了人们辞旧迎新的美好愿望。节日既是一种仪式，也是一种期盼。过年，便是每一个中国人心中对美好生活的期盼。
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