Chinese New Year Celebrations in London

Yuletide celebrations may have come and gone, but Sunday the 10th of February will see celebration of the Chinese New Year, ringing in what is in Chinese astrology, the Year of the Rat. As the biggest city in Europe and one with a sizeable ethnic Chinese population, London's Chinese New Year celebrations will be amongst the most extravagant around the world - last year it was the largest in the world outside of Asia, attracting over 300,000 visitors.

In London, celebrations of the Chinese New Year are naturally concentrated around Chinatown, located in the Soho area of the City of Westminster and occupying the area in and around Gerrard Street. The site itself is a must-see for any tourist, and contains numerous Chinese restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets and Chinese souvenir shops.

Chinese New Year celebrations start at 11 am with the Grand Parade from Charing Cross Road to Trafalgar Square and admission is free of charge.

Following opening speeches, including ones by appointed officials, such as the President of the London Chinese Community Centre and Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, the celebrations kick off with the 'Dotting of the Lions' Eyes'. In this good-luck ceremony, two dancers wear a giant lion costume and the eyes are painted in to drive away evil spirits and bring the lion to life. Accompanying the waking lion are drumbeats, gongs and cymbals, starting off softly and building into an erupting crescendo as the lion awakes and begins to flick its ears, scratch and breathe. The lion then starts to dance as firecrackers go off.

Following this is the mesmerising Dragon Dance, an essential part of Chinese festivals for over two millennia. Historically a part of harvest rituals, today it symbolises the bringing of prosperity and good luck in the year ahead. The Dragon itself is a long, brightly painted serpent-shaped body on poles, worn by up to 8 dancers, with an ornamental head and tail.

At 1 pm the centre stage becomes a showcase for different talents from local and visiting performers. These include both contemporary and traditional arts, from dances to martial arts and music. An impressive display of talent, it promises to be one of the must-see parts of the celebrations.

The skies will light up with fireworks around Leicester Square every hour from 2 - 6 pm, and the celebrations then move from Trafalgar Square into Chinatown. Although it is always a lively part of London, this New Year the festive spirit is expected to be higher than ever, with the Beijing Olympics and London 2012 being integrated into the festivities. Home to over 78 restaurants offering everything from westernized Chinese food to traditional and gourmet delicacies, Chinatown can provide anyone with an appreciation for Chinese food something to suit their tastes.

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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.

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Flower Delivery to the Rescue, when you need flowers

Are you still trying to please the woman that you ever wanted in your life? Or bothered where to order flowers? Are you still thinking what will be your best option in sending flowers to your loved one? There's always a solution in every problem! It's only a click away or just a digit of numbers through your phone! Flower Delivery is the answer!

Flowers bring colours to life. It brings joy and laughter to other people. It means a lot of things that no word could ever describe. For the receivers, it is one of the precious gifts that they received in their life.

Flower delivery is a trend nowadays. They are available anywhere locally and online. It's a fast and convenient way of sending flowers to your love ones. It is one way of showing someone you care and how important that person to your life.

Most people prefer flower deliveries than going to local stores. It is an easy and convenient way in ordering flowers in this generation. You can pick anything that you want and a florist will arrange your flower gifts the way you want it. They will give you a lot of options and even advised what would be the best pick!

Isn't it heart warming touching lives of other people by sending them flowers? Take a look into these. These are top sites where you can order flowers. Go ahead and check this out!

You can search From You Flowers on the web. They have same day delivery service but with limited set of arrangements. If you're a Google customer, you can take advantage of their $5 discount in every order. How does that sound?

You may try to visit Teleflora. They have simple and professional delivery site. They have yellow paged search on the web if you want to find a florist locally through FindAFlorist.com.

If you are looking for a flower that tastes good, Cookies by Design would be the answer! Their flowers actually taste good because they are hand made flower cookies. They have a lot of designs for kids and adults. You may try to visit their site if you want to know more.

1800 - FLOWERS (flowers.com) is just one of the top sites that lived up with their standards. They have phone and website service. They also offer international and same day delivery however for same day delivery they have limited selection.

And our top pick for flower delivery site is the ProFlowers.com. When you take a look at their site it's so easy to find what you wanted. They are not just selling flowers but they also offer gourmet gifts such as cakes, cookies and other stuff. They have good seasonal taste and live chat support for a customer which is very convenient.

Now, choose your best pick! I'm sure these will help you out in choosing best flower delivery sites that you may need. Try to search online for more sites and make your top pick as well!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Azlan_Irda

Valentine Gift Ideas Recession Friendly

Valentine's Day is coming soon and people are expecting the gifts as usual. However, the economic condition seems even worse this year. Should we cancel the Valentine gift this year for the recession? No matter yes or no, be optimistic about the future and your life is still on. If you are facing your life with a sweet smile everyday even in the hard time, you will be paid back in a whole life. So you can always find a recession friendly gift idea and celebrate your Valentine's Day.

The objective of the gift
A gift shows your love and care for him or her. It is not to buy something and then give it away. A right gift is a symbol of love which communicates with the other part. It can be a real one or even just a special kiss. The gift can show how much you know each other.

Tips for gift ideas
Everyone loves surprise for a special day, especially for Valentine's Day. When you develop your gift ideas, take the following tips into consideration. First, make your gift unique. You should know him or her very well to make your gift decision. Only if you know his or her habit and favorite, you can choose a unique, personalized gift. For example, a limited edition T-shirt or silk tie or a game ticket for his favorite team. Second, a bit more than expected can win a much bigger surprise and make it happier. Remember that the secret solution is only a bit more, not that much.

Recession friendly recommendation
Even in the current bad economic condition, you can still find a recession friendly gift idea. You could consider those suggestions for this special day. First, consider a sale event or even something free. For example, a short trip to the place of your first dating. Save your money and make your day meaningful. Second, buy something they really need, such as men's shaving cream, a collectible USB flash drive for a technical guy, or a star bucks gift set for a coffee lover. Those are for everyday use so you have no concern on another one day only gift.

Inspired ideas
Here is a list of Valentine's Day gift ideas with recession proof.
- a home-made cocktail with inexpensive wines
- planning a romantic, inexpensive dinner at home
- take a vacation with a huge discount
- a silk pillow both for home décor and for skin care
- a healthy, inexpensive spa package for both of you
This list could be endless. It shows your love and makes your Valentine's Day special with less money-spending.

Valentine gift you give do not have to be expensive but a very meaningful gift for your partner is giving him the benefit and the spirit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_T.