Thursday, February 19, 2009 ;
4:55 AM
Appendix 1.6A Section C
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Introduction
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 whole celebration is 15 days! unlike other holidays that are probably about only for one day) . New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving.
Customs
Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.(although a happy affair during Chinese New Year, let's not forget our departed ones right?) 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.It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.
Taboos and the Superstitions
The entire house should be cleaned before New Year's Day. On New Year's Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are put away. Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year's Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away. After New Year's Day, the floors may be swept. In sweeping, there is a superstition that if you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep one of the family members away.
Also, to sweep the dust and dirt out of your house by the front entrance is to sweep away the good fortune of the family; it must always be swept inwards and then carried out, then no harm will follow. All dirt and rubbish must be taken out the back door.
It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom so that is why everyone, even the sick, should get dressed and sit in the living room.
Do not use knives or scissors on New Year's Day as this may cut off fortune.
Christmas
Introduction
I'm sure all of you know about Santa Claus right? But do any of you know what santa actually means? Santa actually means SAINT! A Saint is a person who is kind and generous, and would
sacrifice himself for another fellow man. His real name is nicholas, Saint Nicholas.
What had he done?
There was a poor man who had three daughters. He was so poor, he did not have enough money for a dowry, so his daughters couldn't get married. One night, Nicholas secretly dropped a bag of gold down the chimney and into the house (This meant that the oldest daughter was then able to be married.). The bag fell into a stocking that had been hung by the fire to dry! This was repeated later with the second daughter. Finally, determined to discover the person who had given him the money, the father secretly hid by the fire every evening until he caught Nicholas dropping in a bag of gold. Nicholas begged the man to not tell anyone what he had done, because he did not want to bring attention to himself. But soon the news got out and when anyone received a secret gift, it was thought that maybe it was from Nicholas.
Who's the man?
St. Nicholas was a Bishop(A bishop is a SENIOR CLERIC) who lived in the fourth century AD in a place called Myra in Asia Minor (now called Turkey). He was a very rich man because his parents died when he was young and left him a lot of money( He was an orphan at a yougn age, but he did not want to spread his sadness, he wanted to spread happiness). He was also a very kind man and had a reputation for helping the poor and giving secret gifts to people who needed it.
What happened to him?
St. Nicholas was exiled from Myra and later put in prison during the persecution by the Emperor Diocletian. No one is really knows when he died, but it was on 6th December in either 345 or 352 AD. In 1807, his bones were stolen from Turkey by some italian merchant sailors. The bones are now kept in the Church named after him in the Italian port of Bari. On St. Nicholas feast day (6th December), the sailors of Bari still carry his statue from the Cathedral out to sea, so that he can bless the waters and so give them safe voyages throughout the year. Isn't that just sad?
What's Christmas for?
Christmas, the annual festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas Day falls on December 25 and celebrates the birth of Christ in Bethlehem as recounted in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It is, after Easter, the most important feast in the Church's year. Since the Gospels make no mention of dates, it is not certain that Christ was born on this day.
Now you know that...
Christmas
- Christmas celebrates the birth on Jesus Christ
- The real name of Santa Claus
- What Santa has done
- What happened to Santa
Chinese New Year
- What Chinese New Year is about
- What not to do during Chinese New Year (taboos)
- Chinese New Year Customs
By: Rudolph 117 (boonhoe)
Mission Acomplished
