Here are some nice to know trivia and facts on how our Chinese friends celebrates the New Year, I think Chinese people have the most colorful and eventful New Year celebration in all.

Do you know that:

-    In Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. 15 days? Whew, I think that is the longest happy celebration ever. That even people can have weeks of holiday-break just to prepare and celebrate.

-    The ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal’s year would have some of that animal’s personality. Now, I am glad I was born on the year of the Rooster! In America rooster says cock-a-doodle-doo, here in the Philippines  rooster says tik-tilaok, but in Busby SEO TEST, the rooster says – Pinayspeak.com!

-    At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children “lucky money” in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits. Obviously, many of the Filipino’s tradition came from the Chinese. But, perhaps this is one cultural infusion I am not against continuing, because I think it made our celebration even livelier and happier. I just can’t imagine a Filipino New Year without this tradition of preparing for the good luck and avoiding the bad luck.

-    The lantern festival is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon. One highlight of these festival is the dragon dance, we may be not too familiar with the lantern thing, but I think most of us are familiar with the dragon dance. Some Filipino and tourist are actually looking forward in seeing a dragon dance in China Town, Manila.

By: infoplease.com

And here, check out the chart to see which animal is hiding inside your heart.

Chinese New Year Calendar 2009:

By: Busby SEO Test PinaySpeak says wishing you all the best in life... And God Bless Us all.