Happy Chinese New Years

Happy New Years to everyone that is celebrating Chinese New Years all around the world. The Chinese year 4706 begins today. The New Years festivities normally start on the first day of the month of the lunar New Year and lasts through the fifteenth when the moon is the brightest. In China people can takes weeks off from work to plan for the festivities.

Legend has it that in ancient times Buddha called all the animals to meet him on the Chinese New Years and only twelve came, which Buddha named each year after each one. He announced that anyone born on that animal's year would have the some of the characteristics of that particular animal.

During Chinese New Years people wear red, decorate with poems on red paper and give children "lucky" money in red envelopes. According to legend red is suppose to drive away the bad luck. There are firework festivities and long ago people in China would lite bamboo stalks and it is said that the crackling would frighten the evil spirits.

The Chinese New Years is a chance for a family reunion. Families gather together for visits at each other's homes and share meals together. The marking of the end of New Years is the Lantern festival which is held on the fifteenth of the month. The lanterns are pieces of art painted with animals, flowers, zodiac signs, or legends in history. The lanterns are hanged in temples as well as carried to the parade under the light of the full moon. The dragon dance is the highlight of the lantern festival. The dragon may stretch up to a hundred feet long by young men guiding the dragon through the streets.

This is the year of THE RAT. People who are born in the year of the Rat tend to be leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They're also charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking.

*I also want to say Happy Vietnamese New Years to all those celebrating the Vietnamese New Years*