The 15-Day Celebration of Imlek

The first day of the Lunar New Year is "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth."Many people abstain from meat on the first day of the new year because it is believed that this will ensure long and happy lives for them.

On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.

The third and fourth days are for the sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law.

The fifth day is called Po Woo. On that day people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on the fifth day because it will bring both parties bad luck.

On the sixth to the 10th day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.


The seventh day of the New Year is the day for farmers to display their produce. These farmers make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate the occasion. The seventh day is also considered the birthday of human beings. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success.

On the eighth day the Fujian people have another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven.

The ninth day is to make offerings to the Jade Emperor.

The 10th through the 12th are days that friends and relatives should be invited for dinner. After so much rich food, on the 13th day you should have simple rice congee and mustard greens (choi sum) to cleanse the system.

The 14th day should be for preparations to celebrate the Lantern Festival which is to be held on the 15th night.

in the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do

Traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Imlek. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Imlek parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Imlek parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source : http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/15-day_celebration.html

Tradition Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.

The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.

The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.

in the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do

Traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Chinese New Year. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Chinese new year parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Chinese new year parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source : http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/chinese_new_year.html

The Art of Dating and the Adage of the Red Rose

If there is something that has represented love and dating, it is the red rose. It is the commonest of all rose flower species that make many conjure with the valentine day and love at its highest intensity. It gives one the ideas of love and romance as it has been the iconic symbol of endearment at its most passionate level. Over the years, it has become one of the best expressions of affection and true love.

Amidst being the best way for a man or woman to express his or her desires of affection and love, the red rose has in its character the warmest and most strong meanings of love and dating. It breaths of significance as one samples the long history that it has. It has single-handedly incorporated itself into the hands of men. It has been featured into the most beautiful and classical work of literature, from poetry to the imaginative world of paintings. It has provided a platform for people to create inspiration among the writers, loves and artists at the heart of myriad cultures.

It was Shakespeare, who is known to have sparked off the red rose when he eluded the flower in the book of love: Romeo and Juliet, as well as filling Robert Burns, a poet, with such endearing love as to create a masterpiece on the greatness and immense beauty that the red rose has. The red rose has changed over the years in places where it is used, not only in the dating and love issues but also in the modern media and music to the world of politics and religion.

It is through these tenets of the society that the red rose, conjures symbols of respect, prosperity and courage. It is thus transforming it into what we would like to have when we want to create a show and make a statement that is full of drama and glamour. All these meanings of the red rose have been unsuccessful in making people, from the young to the old, to know and speak of the red rose as the best symbol of ones love and unending romance in the art of dating.

The red rose, is the standard symbol of true love that is deep down the heart of a human and fidelity. For dating lovers, the red rose, seems to have become the choice while exchanging tinges of love since it sends and draws some of the strongest love messages. It is one of the single most existing traditions that have not waned with time.

Before a dating instance, sending red roses to your lover still stands out not only as the most popular way of saying how much we love someone, but also appears as the symbol of love. It represents true romantic feelings as well as love that exceeds the pain that a thorn can cause. In a relationship where the dating has just taken root just bouquet of red roses deliver the intentions of commitment and romance, as well as the idea of taking the relationship you have to a higher level.

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