The new year is just around the corner, and people around the world celebrate this day in different ways. Share your thoughts and ideas on how people in your country or area celebrate this holiday, including ideas on foods, activities, and vacation plans.
Best,
Randall
In Taiwan,no metter we will in the north or south , we both have different choose for the new year.If u were in taipei,u could see the fireworks in taipei 101,and if u were in kaohsiung,u could see the wonderful barnstormers from world wild.
ReplyDeletei wish next year we will peace and happy.
I am a Vietnamese girl. Although I don't know too much about Vietnamese culture, I can still tell you the most important holiday in Viet nam. It's Tet holiday. We use 2 kind of calendar: one is the same as the world: solar calendar, and the other is the lunar calendar which based on the moon's orbit ( the same with Chinese calendar). So we always celebrate the new year on January the 1st , but it's the date in lunar calendar, and it comes after 1/1 in solar calendar about 1 month. And Tet is the biggest holiday in Viet nam, everybody come back home, gather with their families,it is the warm time of getting together. The week before the Tet holiday is the busiest time of shopping, we buy flowers, the special trees for Tet, "chung" cake, "giay" cake, chicken, lean pork paste,... The housewives have alot of things to do, all kind of stuff. And in the new year's eve, we usually go out, some go to the temple to wish the good thing for new year, some go to the lake or the yard.. to see the fireworks sparkle, and some are still home. And we have the special custom. THat is " xong nha" . It relatively means " go into the house". There is a conception that if the first person come to your house is a good person, you'll be lucky and happy all year long. So everybody already prepare their own guests before the new year's eve.But my family doesn't do that, we usually "xong nha" (go into the house) by ourselves in the first moment of new year. And three days after that, we absolutely enjoy the Tet holiday, everybody just eating and visiting. The first day, you'll visit your parents, the second day, you'll come to your relationship's house and the third day, you'll drop in on your friend's house. You can also stay home in the last 2 days if you want and welcome friends. But you need to be careful with your wallet because the more places you go, the more money you give. It's not about buying and selling, it's just another custom. Before the Tet holiday, you'll have to prepare money in some red evelopes and when you are visiting your friends, if you meet their children, you'll give them those evelopes as the New Year's Day present with the wishes about health, education, happiness... The day after that, somebody have to go to work, but almost can still be home. In brief, Tet holiday is a wonderful holiday!!
ReplyDeleteBong hoa ly, thank you for sharing. I never knew that We Chinese celebrate Spring Festivel almost in the same way as Vietnamese celebrate Tet holiday. For example, adults also need to give the red evelope with money called "Ya shui qian" to young children as new year's present when they go to greet them. However, there are still some differences. For the food part,people living in the north or China ususally make and eat Dumping(jiaozi) on New year's eve. We do not make cake at home. Also, we don't have the custom of "go into house". In the first day of New Year,in stead, we neither sweep house or taking out trash because doing that means you "sweep" or get wealth out. Of course, people make houses very clean before the holiday. That means you get rid of bad luck or say good bye to old year and welcome the new beginning.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that it is a happy and wonderful holiday!
The Lunar New Year is the most important of the traditional holidays in Taiwan.
ReplyDeleteWe wear red clothes throughout the Chinese New Year because we believe it will bring in the good luck of the new year.
The first day of the Chinese New Year is a time my family visit my grandmother.
The second day of the Chinese New Year is a time my aunt come back home.
Here in Brazil, people usually get together on Copacabana beach to see the fireworks. There's usually a crowd of people from different states and even from other parts of the world who come to Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the turn of the year. There, on the beach, people sing, drink and watch free live concerts-- sometimes famous international musicians.
ReplyDeleteJapanese do a lot of things to celebrate New Year. People start preparation from Dec. Almost people clean up own house and their office to remove the year’s dirt in the year. We eat Soba in Dec 31st, and we have to finish eating by New Year. Mothers make traditional special food in Jan 1st, and eat it with relatives. Children can get money from relatives. Also people visit Shinto shrine to wish their safe. Some people get Omamori that bring us protection. The official holiday is only Jan 1st, but most companies don’t work from Dec 29th to Jan 3rd. Children was doing traditional play in the past, but now almost children don’t.
ReplyDeleteJapanese traditional special meal for New Year's Celebration have a lot of meanings for each menu. For example, shrimp means "living a long life" because when we boil a shrimp, their back is bent, and also the old person is bent with age.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of other meanings of Japanese traditional foods, so if you interested in it, please learn about it more.
HI
ReplyDeleteI from mexico and I love new year because i love to be with my family and frendesand with the people i love. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008.
FELIZ ANO MUEVO A TODOS 2008
i like new year because i like the moment when the years turns and when its like 10 seconds and everyone is ready to cheer. i love that moment that's the most fun moment ever. i also like new year because everyone celebrates all over the world and i like it because we get a day off.
ReplyDelete