过去,家乡人在元旦过后就开始忙年。这时,男人们会把从圩堤上、墩子上修剪下来的树枝和下荡割来的柴草运回家堆满房前屋后。等他们备足年前蒸馒头、蒸米糕用的柴火和冬春期间的烧锅草之后,便开始与家人一起忙年活。男女老少夜以继日地打柴帘、做蒲席,赶在年前卖点钱,为家人买几尺布做件新衣裳,再置办一些年货,若是还有多余的钱,还能准备过年期间的一些礼金和压岁钱。人口多的家庭,主妇 In the past, hometown people began to get busy after New Year’s Day. At this time, the men would transport the branches pruned from the levee embankments and piers, and the firewood cut from the swamps, back into the front of the houses. After they boiled bread, steaming rice cakes and burning pots during the winter and spring, they began to get busy with their families. The men and women, young and old, hit the sun and the woods to make firewood and shade, to sell cash before the age of years, buy new clothes for the family for a few feet of cloth, and then put on some new year’s goods. If there were extra money, they could also prepare some gifts during the Chinese New Year And lucky money. Large population of families, housewives