Currently I am writing something about Lunar New Year. I would like to share with you what I have written. It is about how the locals celebrate the Lunar New Year. A series of conventions are listed below in time sequence for reference only.

1 Kitchen God Worshipping
Kitchen God Worshipping generally takes place on Lunar December, 23rd or 24th. Kitchen God refers to the god residing in the kitchen. The locals believe each family has a Kitchen God who protects and supervises the family.
2 House Cleaning
After Kitchen God Worshipping, the Chinese people will start to sweep up the house. If you travel around China at that time, you will find the whole country, men and women, old and young, is busy with the house cleaning, washing whatever can be washed such as all sorts of utensils, all the bedding and curtains, etc.
3 Lunar New Year Decoration
It is a convention too for the Chinese to decorate the house with Lunar New Year ornaments including Spring Festival Couplets, the portraits of Door Gods, Lunar New Year Paintings, paper-cuts for window decoration, Reversed Fu, and Chinese knots, etc.
4 Sacrificing Ceremony
Before the Family Reunion Dinner, the Chinese are used to holding a worshipping ceremony to offer sacrifice to the Heaven, gods and ancestors.
5 Dinner on Lunar New Year Eve
Dinner on Lunar New Year Eve is an important element of Chinese Lunar New Year. It is also known as Family Reunion Dinner. Every family member should be present and enjoy the dinner together. It is considered the last meal of the year.
6 Lucky money
It is a festival gift given by the elder member of a family to the minors. On the Lunar Ney Year Eve, the parents and grandparents will give lucky money to the children after the family reunion dinner or put it secretly under the pillow after the children fall asleep. When paying Lunar New Year visits to their relatives, the children will receive lucky money too.
7 Lunar New Year Eve Staying-up
The Chinese people are used to staying up on Lunar New Year Eve. The old people stay up on Lunar New Year Eve to show that they cherish the time. The young people stay up for good health and a long life of their parents. It is often the happiest and freest moment for the kids. They are allowed to hang out late and no one asks them to go to bed on time.
8 Greeting Spring Festival
Year in year out, at 00:00 o’clock on the Lunar New Year Eve, the Chinese all over the nation set off firecrackers to show their greetings to the Spring Festival. And you will find the whole country is immersed in consecutive bangs of firecrackers, which bring about the climax of Spring Festival.
9 Lunar New Year Calls
Paying Lunar New Year calls to relatives and friends is an important convention in China. It is a way of giving one’s best wishes to others.

It is just a brief introduction and is not quite informative. I have tried my best to make myself clear so that you can understand it better. I hope you all enjoy it.
PS: If you want to re-paste it, please specify the source: http://www.absolutechinatours.com.

2010 - Year of the White Tiger

The Tiger (associated with good fortune, power, and royalty), is viewed with both fear and respect; hence, their protection and wisdom is sought after. Many people believe the tiger, and not the lion, as the true king of beasts.

Position in the Zodiac: 3rd

Chinese Name: Hu

Ruling Hours: 3:00 am - 4:59 am

Season/Month: Winter/February

Similar to Western Horoscope Sun Sign: Aquarius

Planet: Venus

Gemstone: Sapphire

Lucky Color: Green

Lucky Numbers: 2, 3

Direction of Orientation: East Northeast

Polarity: Yang (Male)

Fixed Element: Wood (But in 2010 - Metal)

Positive Traits: Agile natural leaders, alert, energetic, independent, far-sighted, charming, friendly, well-liked, loyal, intelligent, confident, courageous, powerful, strong, self-reliant, sacrificing, optimistic, relentlessly competitive, good strategists and tacticians

Negative Traits: Unpredictable, vain, distrustful, impatient, impulsive, quick-tempered, quarrelsome, rebellious, tend to risk their luck too often, often disregard others, are sensititive to criticism and have difficulty keeping their restless nature under control

Associated with Food: Bread, poultry

Associated with Human Anatomy: Respiratory system and lungs (Chinese Medicine)

Associated with Following Countries: Russia, Rumania, Spain, Turkey, El Salvador, North Korea

Very Compatible with Following Animals: Horse, Dragon, Dog and Pig/Boar

Incompatibile with Following Animals: Rabbit, Monkey, Snake, and Ox

Ideal Careers for Tigers: Music, Acting, Writing, Advertising, Management, Aviation, Travel, Entrepreneur, Politics

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