Spring Couplets, a Chinese New Year decoration, are an integral¹ part of China's New Year. Their beginnings go back as far as the origins of New Year's festivities.

春联，是中国新年的装饰，没有春联，春节就不完整。春联的来历就要说到新年的来历

According to legends in the China's ancient past there was a monster known as Nian who often came down from the mountains to eat livestock² and locals. It was discovered that he was afraid of the color red and so red paper was placed around doors and windows of houses and poems for good luck were added to them. The houses with the red paper were avoided by the monster, so its inhabitants were spared. The tradition has continued until today.

根据中国古代历史传说中记载，有一个叫“年的”怪物经常从山上到村子里吃牲畜。后来人们发现这个怪物怕洪泽，所以就在门上，窗户上贴红纸，红纸上面还写一些增加转运的诗。这样，怪兽害怕贴满红纸的屋子，所以这个风俗被流传了下来，一直直到今天。

Couplets are traditionally painted with black ink on two pieces of red paper which is then hung on either side of a door.

对联传统的来讲是用黑墨在两张红纸上写字，然后贴在门的两侧。

One half is hung on either side. There is an extra piece of paper painted with words of prosperity hung above the door frame. Traditionally the couplets are poems consisting of two lines of either four or five characters. They are painted from top to bottom, right to left.

一边贴张。另外还有一个横批写着意味繁荣之意之字贴在门框的上方。传统的对联，上联合下联是4个或5个字，是一对诗。写对联一般是从上到下，从右到左。

Different couplets have different themes. For farmers the couplets are meant to bring bounty³ to them, whereas⁴ businessmen's couplets are meant to bring money. Traditionally scholars would paint couplets and give them to their friends, relatives, and the public. Many people choose to create their own couplets. Many times Door God or the Character "Fu"is added to doors along with the couplets.

不同的对联有不同的主题。比如，给农民的对联是带来好收成，商人挣跟多钱。传统学者会自己写对联赠予朋友或亲人。许多人会自己设计属于自己的对联。门神和福字一般都是和对联配套的贴在门上的。