Greeting Customs In India

washing the feet

Our planet earth is divided into many different countries which have many different races of people, different customs, and different manners. Each country has its own way of greeting people when they go to another’s house.
I am an Indian and I come from New Delhi, the capital of my country, India. India consists of many different kinds of people. There are lots of different religions so there will be lots of different cultures and customs. Unfortunately I don’t know the custom of every state. But I can tell you one thing about all Indian people. Having a guest come to our home is a very big thing for us. In fact some say that guests are like God for them.
When guests come to visit, they get a lot of respect and caring from everyone in the family. The first thing we do when the guest is in the home is call every house member to meet the person. Then someone younger in the family has to wash the feet and hands of the guests in a big bowl of water and then dry them. Then we serve food at the table. We make the person sit down first at the dining table. Nobody can start eating food until the guest takes a bite of his share. After he is done eating, his plate will be taken away and he’ll be given one bowl and a mug of water at the table to wash his hands. This custom is not only practiced in India. We practice this customs in the U.S, too. If you come to my house, I will wash your feet too.
China is a beautiful country and has an interesting culture and manners. According to senior Caizhen Li, if any guests go to their house they want the person to feel that her family has a good relationship with them. “ The first thing we do for the guest at home is give them something to drink or anything they want, “ Caizhen said. All the younger people in the family have to greet them and show respect to them.
For Egyptians, guests are just like a blessing in their house and they treat them very respectfully, according to sophomore Ahmed Heiba. “In Egypt if people go to someone else’s house, they do not enter inside the house until the house keeper comes to the door and tells them to come in," said Ahmed. Guests of any age do not differ in how they are treated. “No matter who comes, young or old a guest is guest,” Ahmed added.
Senior Ashley Jurinka said that in American houses having a guest is “kind of a big thing.” She said they respect every guest who visits them. “The first thing we do when a guest is inside the house is introduce ourselves, and then we ask them if they need anything,” she said. She also said that the age of the guest matters. They treat young guests differently from older guests. They usually like to clean the house before anyone comes. “If the house is not up-to-date and someone is already home, then we feel embarrassed in front of the guest,” she said. If the guest is going to stay they also help by carrying the luggage in to their room.

The History Of Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-autumn Festival dates back over 3,000 years, to moon worshipping in the Shang Dynasty. Ancient Chinese emperors worshiped the moon in the autumn, as they believed that the practice would bring them another harvest year. The word “mid-autumn” first appeared in the Zhou Dynasty. During that time, worshipping the moon on the 15th night of the eighth month had spread to high officials and rich families. The practice entailed placing a large table in the middle of the yard under the moon, and they put offerings such as fruits and snacks on the table. However, not until the early Tang Dynasty was the day officially celebrated as a traditional festival. It then became an established festival during the Song Dynasty, and has become as popular as the Spring Festival since the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Appreciating the moon has been a custom since the Tang Dynasty (618–907). Not only the rich merchants and officials, but also the common citizens, liked appreciating the moon together at that time. The rich merchants and officials held big parties in their big courts. They drank and appreciated the bright moon. Music and dances were also indispensable. The common citizens just prayed to the moon for a good harvest.

The tradition of eating mooncakes during the festival bgan in Yuan Dynasty. At the end of Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368, a dynasty ruled by the Mongols), the Han people’s army wanted to overthrow the rule of the Mongols, so they planed an uprising, but they had no way to inform every Han who wanted to join them of the time of the uprising without being discovered by the Mongols. One day, the military counselor of the Han people’s army, Liu Bowen, thought out a stratagem related to mooncakes. Liu Bowen asked his soldiers to spread the rumor that there would be a serious disease in winter and eating mooncakes was the only way to cure the disease, then he asked soldiers to write "uprising, at the night of Mid-Autumn Festival" on papers and put them into mooncakes then sell them to common Han people. When the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival came a huge uprising broke out. From then on, people eat mooncakes every Mid-Autumn Festival to commemorate the uprising.

Spring Festival in China

The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. All people living away from home go back, becoming the busiest time for transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival. Airports, railway stations and long-distance bus stations are crowded with home returnees.
The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC-c. 1100 BC) from the people's sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one.
Strictly speaking, the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid 1st lunar month of the next year. Of them, the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year.
Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today, but others have weakened.
On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, many families make laba porridge, a delicious kind of porridge made with glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Job's tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, longan and gingko.
The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month is called Preliminary Eve. At this time, people offer sacrifice to the kitchen god. Now however, most families make delicious food to enjoy themselves.
After the Preliminary Eve, people begin preparing for the coming New Year. This is called "Seeing the New Year in".

Store owners are busy then as everybody goes out to purchase necessities for the New Year. Materials not only include edible oil, rice, flour, chicken, duck, fish and meat, but also fruit, candies and kinds of nuts. What's more, various decorations, new clothes and shoes for the children as well as gifts for the elderly, friends and relatives, are all on the list of purchasing.
Before the New Year comes, the people completely clean the indoors and outdoors of their homes as well as their clothes, bedclothes and all their utensils.
Then people begin decorating their clean rooms featuring an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. All the door panels will be pasted with Spring Festival couplets, highlighting Chinese calligraphy with black characters on red paper. The content varies from house owners' wishes for a bright future to good luck for the New Year. Also, pictures of the god of doors and wealth will be posted on front doors to ward off evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance.

Customs Duty from the U.S. Customs Service

The U.S. Customs Service provides these 10 good tips for on its Web site for cruise passengers and others who are entering the United States. Don't rely on friends and shopkeepers for advice on what items "will clear Customs". Instead, obtain this information directly from the U.S. Customs Service.
Declare "duty free items", even if purchased in "duty-free" stores.
Do not attempt to bring unauthorized fruits, meats, and dairy products into the United States without first checking whether they are permitted.
Know the difference between goods for personal use vs. commercial use.
Know the difference between prohibited merchandise (such as ivory, tortoise shell products, absinthe, and counterfeit items) and restricted merchandise.
Be aware that many foreign manufactured items are not FDA-approved and, consequently, cannot be brought into the U.S. Also, when traveling abroad, bring only the amount of medication you'll need during the trip.
Do not attempt to return with Cuban cigars, unless they were purchased in Cuba while on authorized travel.
Know the rules governing the $800 exemption on goods brought back from abroad.
By law, Customs officers have the authority to conduct enforcement examinations without a warrant, ranging from a single luggage examination up to and possibly including a personal search.
Be sure and read U.S. Customs Know Before You Go brochure. You may request a print copy of the brochure by writing to USCS, P.O. Box 7407, Washington, D.C. 20044.

New Year Customs Celebration around the World

Do you make new year resolutions and keep fireworks and noisemakers handy for use to welcome the new year with élan? These acts that sound so natural to occur during any new year celebrations are actually popular new year customs practiced around the world to express jubilation and excitement. Not to mention, there are some very old country-specific customs of new year celebrations as well, which to this day are followed with full enthusiasm.India is a land of customs and cultures. There are a wide variety of customs that the people in India follow. Although the customs keep changing yet people enjoy following them as they bring joy and happiness. The people in India regard the New Year as a time to think of the future in hope and anticipation. The New Year is a time of festivities and a perfect time to think something new and forget the past. Dancing,partying, feasting and enjoying throughout the night of the New Year are essential New Year customs that the people in India follow on New Year.
The various states in India celebrate New Year on different dates. Although the customs in the states differ but the spirit of the people in celebrating the New Year remains the same throughout. Some states in India especially the Hindu celebrate diwali which is the festival of lights as the New Year.
The people in India on this day worship goddess lakshmi. She is believed to bring wealth and good fortune on New Year. Lighting lamps and worshipping her are important New Year customs that the people in India follow.
The people in Punjab regard baisakhi as their New Year. There is a fair held and as custom has it dances and shows are organized to celebrate the New Year. The people in Gujarat consider lights to be a symbol for the New Year.
Food, flowers, and gifts are kept on a special tray in Kerala that is situated in Southern India. The children on New Year's Day keep their eyes closed until they are led to the tray. Making New Year resolutions are important New Year customs that the people in India regard as essential and close to their heart.
New Year Customs in US
Of all the new year customs observed in the United States, possibly the most famous that's watched the world over with abated breath, is the dropping of the lighted New Year ball in Times Square (New York City) at dot 11:59 PM. As it happens, mass hysterical cheers and rain of confetti mark the start of new year.
Having Hoppin' John with black-eyed peas and ham hocks to go with it, is another time-honored new year custom that stays young to this day. It is believed that eating peas on new year day will bless the family with prosperity and good luck for the rest of the year.
New Year Customs in UK
The most popular of all new year customs in UK is called "First footing", where neighbors pay visit to each other to wish New Year, shortly after midnight. It is considered very lucky if the first visitor to the house happens to be a tall, dark and handsome male carrying along with a piece of coal, a loaf and a bottle of Whisky for gift. The custom also holds that the visitor should not either speak nor should be spoken to until he has gifted the coal to the fireplace, loaf on the table and glass of drink to the head of the family. The visitor should then break the silence first by wishing "Happy New Year" to all the members of the family and ideally leave the house through the back door. It is believed that such a first footing brings good luck and prosperity in the house.
Chinese New Year customs - The Chinese New Year "Yuan Tan" is celebrated for 15 days. It is based on the Lunar Calendar and the New Year falls between January 21 and February 20. The new moon is the bas for calculating the new beginning.
It is a Chinese New year custom to enjoy feasting during the celebrations. With the change of time the customs have also altered. In the cities, spectacular processions take place which includes giant dragons and hand made lanterns. It is custom to exchange red envelopes with coins in it. It brings fortune and good luck to the family. The members of the family pay homage to all the ancestors.
Korean New Year customs - The Korean New Year is celebrated in January and is based on lunar calendar. It is known as ‘Sol nal' and is time for family gatherings. On the New Year eve the Korean people place straw scoopers, sieves on their door and walls of the home to protect them from evil spirits.
It is a Korean custom to wear new clothes and start the day fresh with all the rituals. The younger family members bow to the elder ones and gathers in the home of the eldest male member of the family. Wishes and greetings are exchanged and prayers are held for good health and prosperity. One of the Korean New Year customs is to calculate the age of every person with the New Year day. This means that everyone becomes one year older on this day.
Persian New Year customs - The Persian New Year is also, known as ‘Noruz' which falls during the spring. The Persian family members gather to offer prayers. They sit around haft sin table and pray for happiness throughout the year. When the clock struck 12 o'clock all the members kiss each other and enjoy the special feast arranged.
The customary meals include special rice made with herbs which is called "sabzi polo", fish cuisines, "kuku sabzi" which is a quiche made with herbs. During the New Year people visit each other and younger ones receive ‘Eidi' from the elders. This is a gift sum given by elders as the New Year gifts.
German New Year customs - In Germany most of the customs have changed but, many of the traditional families still celebrate the New Year with all the rituals. The German people drop molten lead into cold water and predict the future from the shapes created in the water. Like – heart shape means love, a ship denotes journey, ring shape means wedding and pig means plenty of food in the coming year.
People leave some food on their platter on the New Year eve as a tradition. It is believed that this would ensure stockpile for the rest of the year. Carp is also part of the custom as, it symbolizes wealth and fortune.

The Latitude Festival

In partnership with Sony UK Limited, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts will open this year’s festival with a screening of Hitchcock’s silent film The Lodger accompanied by a live orchestra. Activity continues over the weekend with exclusive Q&As with acclaimed filmmakers Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually), Shane Meadows and Mark Herbert (This is England, Dead Man’s Shoes). All films will be shown using Sony’s top-ofthe-range technology.
On Thursday evening, BAFTA and Sony will screen Alfred Hitchcock’s first silent black and white thriller The Lodger (1929) at sundown on the Lake Stage. A live orchestra, conducted by Robert Ziegler, will provide spine-tingling accompaniment to the film using a score by critically acclaimed composer, Joby Talbot (The Divine Comedy). Film critic, Mark Kermode will host the evening.
BAFTA and Sony then move inside to the Music and Film Tent. On Saturday night BAFTAwinning Richard Curtis will discuss film and its effect on politics with journalist Tracey Macleod.
The Q&A will be followed by a screening of Curtis’ film The Girl in the Café. This film follows the journey of Lawrence (Bill Nighy) - a lonely bureaucrat working for the Chancellor of the Exchequer - after he meets Gina (Kelly Macdonald) in a café. After a couple of dates, he invites her on a weekend trip to Reykjavik, where he'll be working at the G8 conference. The film is a passionate plea to humankind - wrapped in a love story, a comedy and a unique drama.
On Sunday night, BAFTA and Sony are joined by award-winning writer and director Shane
Meadows and producer Mark Herbert, the creative duo behind the critically acclaimed This is England. The fifth feature film from Meadows (Dead Man’s Shoes, Twentyfourseven), This is England tells the story of Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), an 11 year old kid growing up in the north of England. Set during the summer holidays of 1983, it follows his rites of passage from a shaggy-haired ruffian grieving the loss of his father into a shaven-headed thug whose anger and pain is embraced by the local skinhead fraternity. Radio 1 film critic James King will be hosting the interview.
Amanda Berry, Chief Executive of BAFTA said: “We are delighted to have such a strong presence at Latitude Festival this year. Sony, with their reputation for visual excellence, is the perfect partner for us, and with them we hope to bring an incredible series of events to the Latitude festival goers.”
Sony UK Limited is delighted to partner with BAFTA as a sponsor of the Latitude Festival 2007. Through its sponsorship, Sony is celebrating imagination and innovation, which are values inherent to the Sony brand as well as the ideals of both Latitude and BAFTA.
“We are excited about partnering with BAFTA to present the film programme at this year’s
Latitude Festival. Both Sony and BAFTA have a rich heritage in supporting excellence and
innovation in the film industry, and Latitude gives us an ideal platform to continue this,” says Mikah Martin-Cruz, General Manager of Central Marketing, Sony UK Limited.
Notes to Editors
About BAFTA
The Academy exists to support, develop and promote the art forms of the moving image, by
identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the viewing public.
About Sony
Sony delivers excellence throughout the film journey - from movie production studios in Los Angeles to the best in home entertainment systems through its high definition BRAVIA LCD televisions, BRAVIA theatre audio and Blu-ray players.
Sony’s Blu-ray Discs offer superior 1080p High Definition video and audio. With 5 x the capacity of a DVD you can experience outstanding picture quality, breathtaking sound quality and leading edge interactive features. Blu-ray Disc is taking Hollywood by storm, with seven out of eight major studios supporting the format. Sony’s first European Blu-ray Disc player, the BDP-S1E, is launching in summer 2007.

Italian Marriage Customs

There exists just one thing so romantic about Italy. It truly is the wine, the meals, the ambience, and above all, the warmth and passion in the Italians. Possessing a location wedding in Italy could be genuinely amazing. But even though you can't transport your wedding towards the Tuscan countryside, it is possible to bring a number of the exuberant spirit of an Italian wedding dwelling.
Weddings are a very massive deal in Italy. They may be about greater than just the marriage of one man and one particular girl; weddings are also the union of two families and all of their friends. That is a cause for wonderful celebration! Italian weddings typically start out with a Nuptial Mass in the morning, followed by feasting, drinking, and dancing which can last effectively in to the following day. (Tip: should you be having a full Catholic Nuptial Mass, it must be indicated in your invitations.)
Speaking of feasting, food is of paramount significance for any Italian exceptional occasion. Food has powerful associations with household and togetherness in Italy, so certainly at a wedding reception, every person will want to mange. The wedding dinner often consists of as much as fourteen courses, followed by cake with espresso and coffee (to aid in dancing right up until dawn, no doubt). No matter if your wedding is within the United states of america or in Italy, treat your guests to a appropriate Italian wedding feast. In case your wedding is in America, a amazing strategy to honor your Italian ancestry will be to serve the dishes that happen to be the specialty of the area from which your family hails. Skip generic Italian-American dishes in favor of real genuine Italian cuisine.
Italian wedding customs date back to ancient Roman ceremonies, which tends to make them a number of the oldest on earth. It was the Roman goddess Juno, who's the guardian of marriage, property, and childbirth, who deemed June to become one of the most common month of your year for weddings, which, to this day nevertheless holds true. Whenever you start booking vendors to get a June ceremony, you may discover that it's a busy time for weddings.
Classic Roman brides had been needed to put on veils for the reason that they were believed to shield them from evil spirits. They had been also necessary to carry bouquets of herbs, which symbolized fertility and fidelity. IT was customary for guests to toss rice in the couple as they created their way down the aisle following saying their vows, as a wish of fertility. Do any of those traditions sound familiar?
It was, and nevertheless is really a common customized for Italian weddings to involve fede which implies faith as an Italian wedding blessing. In the course of the fede, the priest elaborates on the couple's vows and what they suggest.
Also incorporated in a conventional Italian wedding ceremony is often a nuptial blessing, wherein the priest blesses the bride and groom and wishes them a life full of worship and serving God. Immediately following the nuptial blessing, the couple partakes in communion also as a last prayer. At this point they may be pronounced husband and wife.
Since most standard Italian weddings were Roman Catholic, and really lengthy, they would commence in the morning and end late in the evening following a complete course dinner and dancing.
It's also an Italian wedding tradition for that bride and groom to give their guests mesh bags complete of chocolate covered almonds. These candies represent the bitterness and sweetness of life, together with the almond symbolizing the bitterness, as well as the chocolate symbolizing the sweetness. These goodies are provided out at weddings across the world to this day.
Some Italian couples would opt for to have an Italian blessing ceremony. This sort of service even now will take spot to this day, and normally within a vineyard, garden, or courtyard. The Italian blessing ceremony is often a celebration with the couple's union, but just isn't a legal marriage.

Newest Trend in Custom Kitchens and Bathrooms

Kitchens and bathrooms are the most frequently visited rooms in a home. How they look can give a positive impression of the home. Styles have changed dramatically. There also some wonderful new products available that just did not exist a few years ago. Small little cramped kitchens just don't cut it anymore. Big open styles or slim sleek efficient kitchens are what people want. Well designed kitchens and bathrooms are what people are looking for. Custom kitchens and bathrooms are not just made they are created.
A custom kitchen New York contractor is going to be up on the latest styles and upcoming trends. They have to. People in New York don't just want the best they want it to be unique as well. Custom kitchen New York contractor needs to be on the cutting edge of modern technology. Kitchens are not just for cooking food anymore. They need to be able to fit into our modern lifestyles. Not only that, a Custom kitchen New York contractor will build a room that reflects you. Custom kitchens can be a statement, not just a place to cook. There are new types of stoves, ovens and even fridges that are visually appealing but are also more efficient. Custom kitchens look great, work better and save energy. Tile work, flooring and even counter tops have undergone some technical changes. There are new products that last longer, are easier to maintain and can resist water damage and mold growth. They have the look and feel you want but are just better products then what you may have had.
Custom bathroom Manhattan contactors try to combine functionality with luxury. People spend a lot of time in the bathroom. It might as well be a place of beauty and function. Most Custom bathroom Manhattan contactors are constantly learning about the newest high quality bathroom features available. It is not about replacing a bathtub but installing a raindrop shower or deep Jacuzzi bathtub. Custom bathroom Manhattan contactors work at combining visual style with modern luxuries. This can be seen in outstanding heated floors. The material is water and mold resistant but looks absolutely stunning. Or unique toilets that look great and are designed with water conservation in mind. A modern bathroom is not just about how it looks, but how well it works in water conservation and reducing mold.