Beekeeping, Gardening and Quilting in Eastern Wake County, North Carolina









Sunday, February 14, 2010

Chinese New Year - Year of the Tiger


Chinese New Year 2010: Year of the Tiger – One of the most ancient civilization is that of the Chinese. Every New Year, a lot of people look forward as to what the Chinese New Year has in store for them. They believed that through this Chinese New Year, somehow, their lives will be influenced depending on their animal signs.
The Chinese New Year 2010, which is the Year of the Tiger will officially start on February 14, 2010, Valentines Day!

One of the traditions during Chinese New Year is the giving of red envelopes and red packets called “Ang Pow”. These Ang Pows are usually are passed out during the Chinese New Year’s celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. Red packets almost always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. Per custom, the amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers. The number 8 is considered lucky (for its homophone for “wealth”), and $8 is commonly found in the red envelopes in the US.
In addition to red envelopes, which are usually given from elder to younger during the Chinese New Year, small gifts (usually of food or sweets) are also exchanged between friends or relatives. Gifts are usually brought when visiting friends or relatives at their homes. Common gifts include fruits (typically oranges and never pears), cakes, biscuits, chocolates, candies, or some other small gift.
Furthermore, one of the traditions in the Chinese New Year celebrations are fireworks. The Chinese believed that using these firecrackers will drive away evil spirits from the nearby surroundings and will bring luck. In terms of clothing, the color red is commonly worn throughout the Chinese New Year because it is believed that red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. In addition, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize a new beginning in the new year. Wearing new clothes also symbolizes having more than enough things to use and wear in the new year.
So what’s in store for you in this Chinese New Year 2010 which is the Year of the Tiger? According to Chinese, the animal Tiger is said to be lucky, vivid, lively and engaging. Another attribute of the Tiger is his incredible bravery, evidenced in his willingness to engage in battle or his undying courage. The Chinese say having a Tiger in the house is the very best protection against the evils of fire, burglary.
People born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger have the following qualities and characteristics: Courage, Vehemence, Self-Reliance, Friendliness, Hopefulness, Resilience, Vanity