剪纸是中国最为流行的民间艺术之一,根据考古其历史可追朔到公元六世纪,但人们认为它的实际开始时间比这还要早几百年.剪纸常用于宗教仪式,装饰和造型艺术等方面. 　　在过去,人们经常用纸做成形态各异的物像和人像,与死者一起下葬或葬礼上燃烧,这一习俗在中国境外有时仍可见到.剪纸艺术一般都有象征意义,也是这种仪式的一部分；此外剪纸还被用作祭祀祖先和神仙所用供品的装饰物. 　　现在,剪纸更多地是用于装饰.剪纸可用于点缀墙壁、门窗、房柱、镜子、灯和灯笼等,也可为礼品作点缀之用,甚至剪纸本身也可作为礼物赠送他人.人们以前还常把剪纸作绣花和喷漆艺术的模型. 　　剪纸不是用机器而是由手工做成的,常用的方法有两种：剪刀剪和刀剪.顾名思义,剪刀剪是借助于剪刀,剪完后再把几张（一般不超过8张）剪纸粘贴起来,最后再用锋利的剪刀对图案进行加工.刀剪则是先把纸张折成数叠,放在由灰和动物脂肪组成的松软的混和体上,然后用小刀慢慢刻划.剪纸艺人一般是竖直握刀,根据一定的模型将纸加工成所要的图案.和剪刀相比,刀剪的一个优势就是一次可以加工成多个剪纸图案. 　　在农村,剪纸通常是由妇女、姑娘们来做.在过去,这可是每个女孩所必须掌握的手工艺术,并且还被人们来品评新娘的一个标准.而职业的剪纸艺人则常常是男人,因为只有男人才能在作坊里一起劳作并挣工钱. 　　中国剪纸艺术英语介绍 　　PapercuttingcanbeseeninmanypartsofChinaduringtheSpringFestival.Peoplepastepatternsonthewindow,doorlintelordesksforthefestivalatmosphere. 　　It'sdifficulttotellwhenitoriginated.Onesayingisthatitoriginatedfromthereligiousceremonyorofferingsacrifices.Theancientpeoplecutpapersintoanimalsorpeople.Theyeitherburiedthemwiththedeadorburnedthemonthefunerals,wishingthatthingsthatpaperstandforcouldbewiththedead.Athousandyearsago,papercutwasusedfordecoration.Accordingtohistoricbooks,womenintheTangDynastyusedpapercutasheaddress.IntheSongDynasty,itwasthedecorationofthegifts.Peoplepastedonwindowsordoorsoruseditasdecorationsonwalls,mirrorsorlanterns.Somepeoplemadealivingbyit. 　　Papercuttingisallmadebyhand.Itiseasytolearntherudiments.Non-craftsmenneedonlyaknifeandpaper.Forcraftsman,theyneedknivesandgraversofvarioustypestomakecomplicatedpatterns.Itcanbeonepieceofpaperormanypieces.Simplepatternscanbecutwithaknife.Forcomplicatedpatterns,peoplefirstpastedthepatternonthepaperandthenusedvariouskindsofknivestomakeit.Nomistakecanbemadeduringtheprocessotherwisetheworkwouldfail. 　　Papercuttingcoversnearlyalltopics,fromflowers,birds,animals,legendarypeople,figuresinclassicnovels,totypesoffacialmake-upinPekingopera.PapercuttinghasvariousstylesindifferentpartsofChina. 　　Inthepast,womenlivinginthecountrysidegatheredintheirfreetimetomakepapercutting,whichisawaytojudgetheirskillfulness.Associetydevelops,fewerandfewerpeoplelearnthisskillwhiletherearesomewhostillregarditasaprofession.Atpresent,therearefactoriesandassociationsforpapercuttinginChina.Exhibitionsandexchangesareheldregularlyandbooksofthiskindarepublished.Papercuttinghaschangedfromdecorationtoakindofart.Atthesametime,papercuttingalsoappearsincartoons,onstage,inmagazinesorinTVseries.