Zhuazhou is a special tradition in China that takes place on a child’s first birthday. Parents place different things in front of their child to choose from. The picked thing is said to give predictions about their future interests and talents. This custom started a long time ago, during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279).
抓周是中国的一项特殊传统，在孩子一岁生日时举行。父母把不同的东西摆在孩子面前供他们选择。据说，被选中的东西可以预测他们未来的兴趣和才能。这个习俗在很久以前的宋朝就开始了。
Zhuazhou does not mean big parties or exorbitant gifts: the hosts do not even send out invitations. Instead, relatives just come over naturally to celebrate. They usually bring simple gifts like toys or a little bit of food, not expensive things like gold or silver.
抓周并不意味着盛大的聚会或昂贵的礼物:主人甚至不发出邀请。相反，亲戚们自然会过来庆祝。他们通常会带一些简单的礼物，比如玩具或食物，而不是像金银这样昂贵的东西。
The Zhuazhou ceremony usually takes place before lunchtime. People put a table on the bed and things like a book, a Chinese brush pen, an abacus (算盘), coins, a cake and toys are placed on the table. If the baby is a girl, the following things might be added: a scoop, a cooker, scissors and a ruler. They stood for skills like cooking and sewing back then.
抓舟仪式通常在午餐前举行。人们在床上放一张桌子，桌子上放着书、毛笔、算盘、硬币、蛋糕和玩具等东西。如果宝宝是女孩，可以添加以下东西:勺子，炊具，剪刀和尺子。它们代表着烹饪和缝纫等技能。
What children pick can be really exciting! For example, picking a book or pen might mean they will be smart and love studying, while choosing an abacus could mean they’ll be good with numbers. Picking up a toy or a piece of cake suggests they’ll know how to enjoy life.
孩子们挑选的东西真的很令人兴奋!例如，选择一本书或一支笔可能意味着他们很聪明，喜欢学习，而选择一个算盘可能意味着他们擅长数字。拿起一个玩具或一块蛋糕表明他们知道如何享受生活。
Even though some parents don’t really believe this will tell the future, they still enjoy the tradition because it’s a fun way to guess what their child might grow up to be like. It’s also a way for everyone in the family to show their love and hopes for the child’s future. That’s why Zhuazhou has been a popular tradition for many generations and is still celebrated today.
尽管有些父母并不真的相信这将预示未来，但他们仍然喜欢这个传统，因为这是一种有趣的方式来猜测他们的孩子长大后会是什么样子。这也是家庭中每个人表达对孩子未来的爱和希望的一种方式。这就是为什么抓周一直是许多代人的流行传统，今天仍然在庆祝。
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