WELCOME TO THE YEAR 4707. . .THE YEAR OF THE OX!

The most important, anticipated and festive of the Chinese holidays continues to be celebrated across China until this Monday. . .
"CHINESE NEW YEAR."

Chinese New Year is also widely recognized and known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival particularly among the Chinese people themselves. It is also the longest celebration of the year, lasting fifteen days. Historically, the Chinese calendar years are numbered from the reign of Huangdi, who was also known as the Yellow Emperor. He was a legendary sovereign and is considered to be the father of all Han Chinese. Chinese months, in turn, are determined by the Lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year's festivities start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is at its brightest. It is not uncommon for the Chinese to take weeks of time off work to prepare and celebrate.

We are in the Chinese year 4707, which began on January 26, 2009.

IT IS THE YEAR OF THE OX.

Tradition holds that, in very ancient times, Buddha invited all of the animals to meet and celebrate with him on the day of Chinese New Year. Twelve animals came and Buddha named a year for each of them. Those animals were the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. During Chinese New Year, people wear red clothes, decorate their doorways and homes with poems written on red paper and give children "lucky money" in red paper envelopes.

RED symbolizes not only prosperity and good fortune, but also fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The firecrackers and other fireworks that feature prominently in the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient belief. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling and spitting flames had the ability to drive away evil spirits. In China, this is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other's homes to visit and share huge meals, the most significant of which is on New Year's Eve. The Lantern festival is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the last day of Chinese New Year. This year the last day of the festival will be Monday, February 9th. Lanterns range from the simple to the extremely ornate and are hung in homes, temples and even carried in an evening parade under the light of the full moon. In many areas the highlight of the Lantern festival is the Dragon Dance. The Dragon - which might stretch a hundred feet or more in length - is typically made of silk, paper and bamboo. It symbolizes strength, protection, the embodiment of the yang (male) concept and success. In China it is taboo to desecrate the depiction of a Dragon, particularly since it also represents the embodiment of the Emperor. During the dance, the Dragon is held aloft by young men who guide and snake the beast throught the streets.