Here Are Really Some Traditional Chinese New Year Traditions

Chinese New Year is one of the most important festivals for Chinese people and Chinese people descendants around the world. It celebrates the new year according to Chinese lunar calendar; thus, the date of Chinese New Year keeps changing from year to year in Gregorian calendar. Some countries including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and some other Asian countries observe the festival as a public holiday.

Many traditions are performed by Chinese people and Chinese descendants before and during Chinese New Year. Here are some Chinese New Year traditions carried out by Chinese people in several Asian countries.

Cleaning the House

Before the first day of the first lunar month comes, people usually clean their house thoroughly. It is believed that cleaning the house will sweep away the bad luck from the past. Yet, the house cleaning should not be done on the first day of Chinese New Year. Otherwise, all the good luck will be swept away together with the dirt.

Decorating the House

After being cleaned, the house is garnished with decorations made from red paper banners displaying wise and fortune words. Red becomes the main color of decorations since the color is considered lucky as the symbol of life and happiness. There is a legend regarding red being the major color during Chinese New Year celebrations.

The legend tells a story about the mythical beast Nian which ate the livestock and children on the first day of lunar new year. After seeing Nian fled away from a child wearing red clothes, people found out that Nian was afraid of red color. Thus, people put many red decorations in front of the doors during Chinese New Year to keep Nian away from their house.

Giving Red Envelopes to Children

On the first day of Chinese New Year, children greet their parents and the older people a happy new year while wish for their happiness, wealth, and health. To reply the children's sincere wishes and greetings, the adults give them pocket money. The money is usually placed inside red envelopes displaying cute pictures or new year greetings.

Eating New Year's Dishes

It is common for Chinese families to gather and have a feast on the eve of Chinese New Year. In this moment, pork, chicken, duck, seafood, and Chinese New Year's cake known as niangao are served. Niangao is a Chinese cuisine in the form of round cake made from glutinous rice. Consuming niangao during the celebration of Chinese New Year is considered lucky.

Visiting Temples

Many Chinese people visit the temples on New Year's day. They pray for their good luck, health, and wealth in the upcoming years. Prayers, offering foods, and incense are also addressed to the deceased family members in the hope that they may bring luck to the family.

Here Are The Top 7 Thanksgiving Traditions

Every family or group of friends have their own little practices and traditions that they go through during holidays and special get together.

From one group of people to another, those little details might change a bit but there are a couple that stay surprisingly consistent no matter who is doing them. Part of the reason for this is because those traditions and events are passed down from one generation to the next and part of the reason is because they are done on a larger scale. Here are the top 7 Thanksgiving traditions that most Americans practice when the Holiday rolls around.

7. The Turkey Trot

For the most part, people think of Thanksgiving as a time of year when you sit around and gain a little weight. One way to counter that is to run in a local Turkey Trot. There is also a nationally run race, but quite a few communities are coming up with these on their own. These are usually just races that go a couple of kilometers and allow for a little fun activity on a day known for eating.

6. Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie is more than an institution when it comes to the fall holidays. Eating pumpkin pie, or sometimes pecan pie is one of those Thanksgiving traditions that seem older than anyone can remember.

5. Travel

The Thanksgiving holiday is often a time when people are doing a ton of traveling. Most people are using the time to go see friends and family across the country, though others use the days off as a time to take a vacation. Either way, a ton of traveling is done.

4. Charity

Quite a few people feel that If you have an awful lot to give thanks for, you should help those who don’t have as much. Serving Thanksgiving dinner at a local soup kitchen or some other sort of charity is something some people consider a worthy Thanksgiving tradition.

3. Getting Ready for Black Friday

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year and is generally considered the kickoff day for the Holiday shopping season. Some people map out their shopping goals or strategies and even head out to the stores to get in line right after their Thanksgiving dinner.

2. Family Get Together

Not surprisingly, this is right near the top of the list of Thanksgiving traditions. People go out of their way to spend time with their families on this day. The beginning of the Holiday season means quite a few family reunions, sometimes for the only time that year.

1. Eating Turkey

There may not be any more a beloved Holiday tradition than eating turkey on Thanksgiving. There are many variations on what comes with the turkey, but that particular bird is a big part of this Holiday.

These DIY Adorable Kid's Halloween Costumes

The spookiest day of the year is just sneaking around the corner and what could be more terrifying than kids not dressing up on Halloween or trick-or-treating? Since, Halloween isn't really Halloween if kids are not gleefully running around trick or treating in their most adorable Kid's Halloween costumes.

There is no day of the year that I want to take more pictures than Halloween. For some reason, seeing little kids in adorable costumes makes me go paparazzi on them. But I’m also not the type to buy a new full-priced costume for children who will wear it once or maybe twice—ever! We go one of two ways when planning a costume: creative or consignment.

When my oldest Sophie was one, we found a pumpkin costume for 25 cents at a garage sale. I cleaned it, paired it with striped leggings, and she was good to go. When Halloween was over, we donated it for another child to wear the next year! We got a bumblebee costume for Maggie the same way.

To create costumes, we enjoy using what we have around the house and buying or making a small accessory to complete the look. One year, we used the accessories from Sophie's toy doctor kit and paired them with a white shirt and loose white pants to make her look just like a paramedic. Last year, she dressed as a black cat. I purchased kitty ears for $5, and drew whiskers and a kitty nose using my eye makeup. She wore her black jacket, leggings and boots, and we tied a black scarf around her waist to act as a tail. She loved it so much that she suggested she wear it again this year! Her logic was impressively eco-friendly: "We have kitty ears, black leggings, a black shirt, and boots! I should be a kitty again."

Artist: Take an old white dishcloth, paint it, glue a ribbon around, and tie. Add a winter beret-type of hat (she borrowed mine!). And have them hold their paintbrush and paints. You’ve got a masterpiece!

Sailor: We looked through drawers to find navy or white or stripes anywhere in her wardrobe, and actually found this perfect dress instead to made it work. I used an old white flour sack dishtowel and cut a strip, then tied it around her neck loosely. She added white tights and red shoes, and made her sailor hat out of a white sheet of paper. She loved holding her "telescope," and looking for pirates.
Making a Halloween costume doesn't have to be a big, complicated, or expensive thing. It can be something created in ten minutes and can be so fun. If you are partial to the store-bought, be sure to plan ahead and purchase next year’s when they go on sale after Halloween!

These Traditional Chinese Customs For Kids And Their Birthdays

People in China do their birthday celebrations a little bit differently than the Western culture. Even their ages are done differently than from the Western culture. When the child is born, the parents name the child and the name stands for something.

When the child is born they are swiped of their first birthday, this is the first of many Chinese customs for kids. When they are children, they do not turn to their next age on their birthday. They turn the next age when it is the New Year. This might be confusing if a child was born a week before the New Year, as it does not matter when you were born throughout the year. Even though the child is only a week old, they will consider the baby to be two years old. Even though it may be confusing for people that are not use to the Chinese customs for kids, after a while you will get used to it.

They really do not celebrate birthday until the person is 60. Then they celebrate birthday in equivalents of 10 years. The view of the Chinese people is that the older person has more of a reason to celebrate their birthday. They will keep celebrating birthdays at the ages of 70, 80 and 90; those are the only birthdays that they will celebrate. They do not celebrate the birthdays that are in between those years.

As one of the Chinese customs for kids, the parents give their child a name that has three syllables. The syllables consist of the family name and the given name each syllable has its own tone. It is also written in a single Chinese symbol.

There are people that changed the Chinese customs for kids and only have two syllables in their name. The amount of people that only have two syllables is one out of seven. On the other hand, less than 1/5 of 1% has more than four syllables.

Are you trying to figure out the Chinese customs for kids regarding the birthdays and want to know more about it? It would be best to go to China, so that you can fully understand what the different Chinese customs for kids are regarding their birthday.

Before you go to China, you should learn Mandarin Chinese first. By learning Mandarin Chinese, you will be able to understand the Chinese customs for kids. The more you know Mandarin Chinese, the more you will understand. The more you understand, the more information you will be able to understand.

If You Plan To Visit Korea You Must Know About These Korean Customs

Korea is not only famous in Asia, but also all over the world, it is not only famous for its top fashion, but also for its culture. Now more and more people like to travel to Korea on their vacations, in according to its old culture, there are so many ancient customs, if you want to own an exciting travel in Korea, you need to know more about Korean customs in advance.

1. Kimchi

Kimchi is sliced cabbage, fermented with red chili sauce and anchovy paste. It is pungent, spicy, and sour. Koreans love it and eat it every meal, though they also use it as an ingredient in countless other dishes. Kimchi is the symbolic of Korean culture, it’s strong, distinctive, and defiant. Some foreigners can’t stomach it, but if you can, you will earn the locals’ heartfelt respect.

2. Shoes off

When entering a Korean home, you must remove your shoes. To do any less is a sign of great disrespect. Koreans have a special relationship with their floor, on which they sit and often sleep. A dirty floor is intolerable in a Korean home, and they view Westerners as backward savages for remaining shod in our living rooms.

3. Soju

Korea is a drinking culture, and their national booze is soju, a clear, vodka-like drink. Soju is drunk out of shot glasses, and like all liquor in Korea, it’s always served with food. Koreans drink in boisterous groups, regularly clinking glasses, while shouting geonbae! (cheers) and one shot-uh! At night you will see men coming out of norae bang and staggering through the streets, laughing, singing and arguing. Just be sure to avoid the puddles of reddish-vomit often left behind, which are also known as kimchi flowers. Koreans have strict drinking etiquette: never pour your own drink, and when pouring for someone older than you, put one hand to your heart or your pouring arm as a sign of respect.

4. Rice

Like the Japanese, the Koreans eat rice with almost every meal. Unlike the Japanese, Koreans usually eat their rice with a spoon, and they never raise the rice bowl off of the table towards their mouths. Also, chopsticks must never be left sticking out of the rice bowl, as this resembles the way rice is offered to the dead.

5. Do not smile

Koreans are a warm and generous people, but you would never know it from the sourpusses they paste on in public. Sometimes, the chaotic streets of the peninsula resemble a sea of scowls, with everyone literally putting their most stern faces forward.

6. Beware of elbows

Korea is a crowded country. It’s a cluster of stony mountains with only a few valleys and plains on which to build. The result is a lot of people in small spaces, and folks will not think twice about pushing and jostling in order to get onto a bus, into an elevator, or to those perfect onions at the market.

7. Hiking

As Korea is a mountainous country, it should come as no surprise that hiking is the national pastime. Even the most crowded of cities have mountains that offer a relative haven from the kinetic madness of the streets below. Koreans are at their best on the mountain. They smile and greet you and will often insist on sharing their food and drink. Make sure to stop at a mountain hut restaurant for pajeon and dong dong ju.

Ancient Chinese Began To Celebrate The Double Ninth Festival Long Time Ago

The 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditional Chongyang Festival, or Double Ninth Festival. It usually falls in October in the Gregorian calendar. In an ancient and mysterious book Yi Jing, or The Book of Changes, number "6" was thought to be of Yincharacter, meaning feminine or negative, while number "9" was thought to be Yang, meaning masculine or positive. So the number nine in both month and day create the Double Ninth Festival, or Chongyang Festival. Chong in Chinese means "double." Also, as double ninth was pronounced the same as the word to signify "forever", both are "Jiu Jiu," the Chinese ancestors considered it an auspicious day worth celebration. That's why ancient Chinese began to celebrate this festival long time ago.

The Double Ninth Festival, also known as Chongyang Festival, is held on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. It is also known as the Senior Citizens’ Festival. According to records from the mysterious book Yi Jing, the number 6 belonged to the Yin character while the number 9 was thought to be of the Yang character. So, on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, both day and month are Yang characters. Therefore, the festival was named the Double Ninth Festival. In ancient times, people believed that the double ninth day was worth a celebration. Since folk people had the tradition of climbing a mountain on that day, the Chongyang Festival is also called the Height Ascending Festival. The Chongyang Festival also has other names, such as the Chrysanthemum Festival. As “double ninth” is pronounced the same as the word meaning “forever,” ancestors are also worshipped on that day.

The festival is based on the theory of Yin and Yang, the two opposing principles in nature. Yin is feminine, negative principle, while Yang is masculine and positive. The ancients believed that all natural phenomena could be esplained by this theory. Numbers are related to this theory. Even numbers belong to Yin and odd numbers to Yang. The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is a day when the two Yang numbers meet. So it is called Chongyang. Chong means double in Chinese.Chongyang has been an important festival since ancient times.

The festival is held in the golden season of autumn, at harvest -time. The bright clear weather and the joy of bringing in the harvest make for a festive happy atmosphere.The Double Ninth Festival is usually perfect for outdoor activities. Many people go hiking and climbing in the country, enjoying Mother Natures final burst of color before she puts on her dull winter cloak. Some will carry a spray of dogwood.
It is hard to say when these customs were created. But there are many stories which are closely related. The book Xu Qi Xie Ji ,written by Wu Jun in the sixth century has one such story. In ancient times, there lived a man named Huan Jing. He was learning the magic arts from Fei Changfang, who had become an immortal after many years of practicing Taoism. One day, the two were climbing a muntain. Fei Changfang suddenly stopped and looked very upset. He told Huan Jing,On the ninth day of the ninth month, disaster will come to your hometown. You must go home immediately. Remember to make a red bag for each one of your family members and put a spray of dogwood in every one. Then you must all tie your bags to your arms, leave home quickly and climb to the top of a mountain. Most importantly, you must all drink some chrysanthemum wine. Only by doing so can your family avoid this disaster.

Things Chinese Do in Double Ninth Festival – Chinese Folklore

As mentioned above, on Chongyang Festival, people climb a high mountain drink chrysanthemum wine, and wear Cornus leaves in order to protect themselves from danger and evil. Also on this holiday, some Chinese also visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects.

Indeed, the Double Ninth Festival may have started out as a day to drive away danger, but like the Chinese New Year, over time it has become a day of celebration. In contemporary times it is an occasion for hiking and chrysanthemum appreciation.

Most people drink chrysanthemum tea, while a few strict traditionalists drink homemade chrysanthemum wine. Children in school learn poems about chrysanthemums, and many localities host a chrysanthemum exhibition. Mountain climbing races are also popular; winners get to wear made of cornus.

Origin of Double Ninth Festival – Chinese Folklore

The Double Ninth Festival, also named Chongyang Festival, falls on the ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, hence it gets the name of Double Ninth Festival.

Chong means double and yang represents active, masculine. According to the traditional Chinese theory of yin and yang, both the 9th month and the 9th day of the month belong to yang, so is the name “Chongyang.

Want To Know What The Big Deal About Groundhog Day Is?

A tradition that has been celebrated in North America and Canada for years, since the 1800s to give you an idea, that is what Groundhog Day is all about. It is celebrated with a lot of color, cleaning and celebration in New York and Pennsylvania on February 2nd. You can even have an anticipation-spring party if you want to have some fun.

So what happens on February 2nd every year? A woodchuck, groundhog, ground squirrel or marmot comes out of its burrow and checks for its shadow. If it sees a shadow it will go back into its burrow for 6 more weeks of winter and if there is no shadow it will stay on the ground and this means spring is near.

History of Groundhog Day
Most people think that the Groundhog Day tradition was brought about by the German settlers in Pennsylvania, though this is true there is another significance. Groundhog day is exactly 40 days after Christmas and Christians have a close tie with 40 days. Groundhog Day is the first holiday in the New Year.
There is a Scottish poem that also plays a part in the tradition and history of Groundhog Day. This is how it goes:
"As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another light
If Candlemas be cloud and Snow
Winter will be gone and not come again
A should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day is throns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop."

Significance of February 2nd.
Since the first week of February falls between the winter solstice and spring equinox, it is the perfect time for the groundhog's peek a boo with the clouds and shadows. The month of February has been significant for many cultures including Christians who celebrate Candlemas and Romans who celebrate the mid-season festival. Also the pagans Irish celebrate the arrival of spring around the same time.

What is so special about the Ground hog?
Ok so most of us will find it strange that a day is dedicated to a groundhog, but those in Pennsylvania will not. The groundhog is an animal that hibernates for winter and when it leaves its burrow it means that may be, just maybe spring is coming and the cold harsh winter is over. This tradition started with the Germans who migrated to Pennsylvania, come February they would look for groundhogs to check whether it has left its burrow or not, in the hopes of an early winter. Though this may be superstition it is rooted in the fact that when you can see a shadow it means that winter is around because there are no clouds to insulate the earth.

Celebrating Groundhog Day
America can thank Clymer Freas and W. Smith for the celebrations that are seen these days on groundhog's day. These two people, the former a newspaper editor and the latter an American congressman and newspaper publisher, popularized a festival in Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania (where the Germans settled). This festival was centered on a groundhog that would help in predicting the weather and if spring were to begin there would be celebration all around. These days it is a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil that gets all the popularity on this day thanks to the movie called Groundhog Day. In Canada it is an albino groundhog called Wiarton Willy who has the same honor of predicting winter or spring.

Take A Leap Into The Quinceanera Traditions Of The Hispanic Culture

A few days back, when I was driving downtown to finish some shopping chores, a beautifully decorated house on the way caught my eyes. It looked festive with a lot of people dressed in their best clothes and chattering around in utter happiness. Some of the young girls had worn beautiful bridesmaid outfits. The flower decoration was engrossing with shades of white, pink and lavender. Then I saw a pretty hispanic girl step out of the house elegantly escorted by her parents. As she stepped out there was a lot of rejoicing. The girl was dressed in a full length white and pink dress embroidered with fancy frills and pastel stones. She wore an attractive headdress too. I was almost convinced that it was a wedding when a passerby commented something on this Quinceanera tradition. When I asked him more about it, I came to know this was an age-old custom in hispanic culture that rejoices the commencement of adulthood in a girl's life. It was indeed a captivating custom and compelled me to learn more about this tradition. So, after collecting some interesting facts and finds on quinceanera traditions, with great pleasure, I share them with my readers!

The journey of life from an innocent childhood to an aesthetic adulthood is an exciting phase in the life of a girl. The physical changes, the sudden hormonal surges and the maturing mind rush together marking the beginning of the adulthood. The feeling is special and this unique quinceanera tradition makes it all the more an alluring experience for the girl. The origin of this tradition goes back to the ancient Aztec culture, when the marking of adulthood in a girl transformed her into a young woman with responsibilities. The word quinceanera was derived from the Spanish word quince which means fifteen. Quinceanera tradition is prominently practiced in countries like Mexico, Puerto Rica and Cuba.

Quinceanera Traditions in Mexico
Mexico is a country with a rich culture which is a blend of Aztec, Mayan and Spanish cultures. One of the famous traditions of the Mexican culture is the quinceanera tradition, which has been a Christian adaptation of the Aztec culture. This custom signifies the "coming of age" in a female, thereby stating that she has attained the sexual maturity and is now eligible for marriage. Quinceanera tradition starts with the most important ceremony - The Mass, followed by a grand reception. Exhibits like Pinata are gifted to the little children in the ceremony and the function ends with an exquisite banquet.

The Thanksgiving Mass: This function starts with a mass prayer in church. The celibate girl is usually dressed in a white frilly ball gown and is gifted accessories like a tiara, bracelet, earrings and necklaces. The white color of the gown symbolizes purity and chastity. She also wears a headpiece before the prayer starts. This headpiece signifies her importance before the Almighty. She is then handed a rosary and a Bible. The Quinceanera Bible is an important asset for the girl, which is intended to remind her to follow the Lord's word in all walks of her life. Both the Bible and the rosary stand for her faith in God. The girl is then accompanied by 14 damas (the maids accompanying the girl who are mostly females close to fifteen or may have turned fifteen) and are made to sit in an honor seat near the altar. The Mass also known as Misa de acción de gracias starts with a thanks prayer that seeks the blessings for the celebrated girl for her coming of age and the new challenges that await her in life ahead. Usually, these prayers are conducted by the padrinos who accompany the girl to the church. The most important moment that ought to be captured is the time when the girl after the prayer gives the flower bouquet to Virgin Mary - Our Lady of Guadeloupe. As the ceremony proceeds, the parents place the tiara on the girl's head, marking the responsibilities that would come later in life.

The Reception: Once the Mass is over, there is a grand reception in the honor of the girl who is now referred as Quinceanera. Generally, the Mexican girls are forbidden to dance in public events before entering pubescence. However, after the coronation, the girl is accompanied for her first dance by her father or her brother or any family relation or friend, who plays the role of a chamberlain. Before the dance, the flat shoes of the girl are replaced by a pair of heeled sandals, marking the transition of a girl to a woman. This dance is often known as the First Waltz. After the dance, a traditional Las Mananitas is sung by a Mariachi band at the time of quinceanera cake cutting, marking the celebration of the birthday with its special meaning. Quinceanera cake is the major highlight of the reception. The cake is usually a huge one that has staircase leading from one tier to another. At the top of the cake sits the girl's gift - A pretty quinceanera doll! The cake cutting ceremony is an eye-catching ceremony when a customary toast is raised for the well-being of the girl. Las Mananitas is also played when the girl leaves for the church or exits after the ceremony.

Banquet: After the cake cutting ceremony, people settle down for the delicious Mexican foods. One of the famous dishes of a quinceanera banquet is Picadillo. This is a rich dish made of ground beef and is often used as fillings for tamales and tacos. Main course dishes include Cabrito which is a young roasted goat. Chocolate sauces like Mole is added to many dishes served along with meat. Some famous desserts prepared in the quinceanera tradition are Arroz (a rich rice pudding) and Pan de polvo (short bread cinnamon flavored cookies). Champagne is the drink to be served for toasts! Hard drinks like liquor, beer and wine are also served.

Quinceanera Traditions in Puerto Rico
The social rituals of quinceanera tradition of Puerto Rico follow in the same lines of commemorating the womanhood in a female. In the olden times, the girl on turning fifteen was taken away from her family to enlighten her about her history, culture and traditions. The returning of the girl from her journey of new learnings was celebrated as her "coming of age".

Nowadays, the celebration is marked by religious ceremonies in Catholic Churches followed by a grand party. After the mass, the girl offers her last quinceanera doll or her bouquet as an offering to the Virgin Mary, shedding her childhood image. Also, a cross necklace is presented to the girl which is a sign of her vow to God to remain chaste until marriage. The girl is also gifted Bible and prayer books that bear the words - "Today you devote yourself to the Virgin [Mary], ask that Her Life act as a model for your existence. May this beautiful and pious act be a sweet reminder that will last forever."

The most joyous event of this occasion commences after the Mass. The father daughter dance, which is much awaited by all in the family, is the spectacular show of this occasion. This is the moment when the father presents his daughter to the world as a young woman. Most of the customs are similar to that of the Mexican quinceanera. Nowadays, the music of cacophonist banda, cumbia and salsa also add to the much anticipated festivity to the event.

Cuban traditions are similar to that of the Mexican and Puerto Rico customs. However, the dance in Cuban quinceanera traditions is a delight to watch, where the girl is surrounded by sixteen couples dancing in a choreographed group dance. This dance is usually led by a dancer of her choice or her boyfriend. The most common and traditional quinceanera gifts in all these Latino dominated countries include the tiara, cross necklace, Bible, rosary, scepter, ceremony pillows and a quinceanera doll. Accessories for this occasion include flower bouquets, cake decoration and server sets, reception cards and guest favors. Nowadays, girls also have a choice of trendy quinceanera hairstyles.

One of the interesting facts about the quinceanera tradition is that every facet of this event adds a sensuous beauty to a pretty fifteen year old. Quinceanera tradition is a big day in the life of a hispanic girl, who awaits for this day with a lot of happiness and anticipation, as this time comes just once in a girl's lifetime. This tradition of hispanic people is 400 years old but still carries the charm of the rich hispanic heritage and reminds every hispanic individuals their family bonds and culture of their forefathers.

Come And Read All About This Exuberant Diwali Festival

Although it’s still a few days away, the air is already electric with the impending exuberance and joy that is about to light up and burst all around us. Yes, like every year, around the latter part of October or the early part of November, this delightful festival of lights and bursting fireworks – we call them crackers here – is here again. One can hear sporadic crackers going off already all over the city, the streets are already lined with fire cracker shops with people, both young and old, thronging around them, strings of colorful lighting have already begun lighting up the streets, and the city streets are choked with traffic and people – everybody feverishly doing their Diwali shopping.

During this five-day long festival, thousands of rockets will go whizzing up into the dark sky and burst open in myriad showers of bright colors, children in every little lane, nook and cranny of cities, towns and villages will light up fire wheels - we call them charkas - and watch in glee as they dance round and round, ear deafening bombs will be set off, flower pots will bloom open in fountains of brilliant hues, the little ones’ eyes will sparkle as brightly as the sparklers they swing round and round, and long strings of electric firecrackers will be set off with their unending spitting and spewing. According to tradition, the custom of lighting up homes with diyas, or oil lamps, and lighting up the skies with fireworks during the Diwali festival are a way of expressing reverence to the gods in the heavens for bestowing prosperity, peace, knowledge, wealth, and health.

One of the most loved festivals of India, Diwali is celebrated with great jubilation and rejoicing all over the country, as well as by the substantive Indian diaspora that has spread all over the world. It is called the ‘festival of lights’ because it is the custom to place lighted diyas all around the house – on windowsills, doorways, roof-tops, verandahs, balconies, courtyards, gardens, on the outer walls – in fact, in every nook and cranny. Beautiful rangoli patterns are made on every doorstep along with patterns of little feet, depicting Lakshmi (or prosperity) entering the house. Being a celebration of the Lunar New Year as well as a harvest festival, Diwali is also imbued with powerful astrological significance and energies.

Apart from lighted lamps – these days replaced to a large extent by strings of electric lights – the festival of Diwali is also marked by exchanging sweets and gifts between family, friends, and these days, more and more as expensive corporate giveaways. New clothes are bought and worn, houses are spruced up, something new is bought for the house as a mark of auspiciousness, and traditional food and sweets are made and enjoyed with great gusto. Basically, it is the enduring renewal of life itself that is celebrated with the transitioning of the old lunar year into the new lunar year according to the Hindu calendar. The word ‘Diwali’ itself, derived from the Sanskrit ‘deepavali’, which means ‘a garland of lamps’ is a vivid depiction of this joyous festival that brings so much sparkle and merriment into everybody’s faces.

Befitting the great diversity that embodies India, with her innumerable languages, cultures, social mores, dressing styles, physical features of the people that inhabit this vast land, foods… the list is endless, really… so are Indian festivals. Hence, Diwali has different connotations in various parts of the country. While in North India Diwali is celebrated by burning effigies of Ravana, the demon king who Lord Rama defeated and then returned home victoriously to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, to be crowned king, signifying the victory of the virtuous over the unrighteous, in the western state of Gujarat this festival is marked by honoring Lakshmi, who is the goddess of wealth.

For the Jains, the day of Diwali is a commemoration of Lord Mahavira (a great seer who is held in as much reverence in India as is Lord Buddha) passing into Nirvana – which in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism means reaching a state of such beatitude that it transcends the cycle of reincarnation, characterized by the extinguishing of suffering, desire and individual consciousness. The lamps of Diwali are lit as a way of substituting them for the extinguishing of the light of divine knowledge with the passing of Lord Mahavira.

In the eastern state of Bengal, Diwali coincides with the much-celebrated Kali Puja (puja is the act of showing reverence to the divine through rituals, prayers, songs, and invocations). According to the mythology of Hinduism, Goddess Kali was one of the incarnations of the Goddess Durga. Kali, depicted with a terrifying and fierce face, is the more aggressive manifestation of Durga. She is revered as the Mother Goddess who fights fiercely for justice and destroys all evil. Like in the rest of the country, Kali Puja too is marked by bursting firecrackers, lighting lamps, decorating the house with colorful patterns made at the doorstep, and elaborate puja carried out at midnight, through which people seek the blessings of the Goddess, prosperity, happiness, and protection against adversity.

In South India, Diwali is a commemoration of the defeat of Asura Naraka, a demon king. Legend has it that when Lord Krishna finally subdued him and asked him for his last wish before being killed, the demon king replied that he wished to enjoy his last day celebrating in a grand manner, and hence giving birth to Diwali being celebrated with lighted lamps, firecrackers, sweets, doorsteps of houses decorated with kolam patterns, made with colored powders, new clothes, and so on – a tradition that continues to date.

In whatever form Diwali may be celebrated, this unique festival is about light, noise, joy, ebullience, and mirth, bursting boisterously all around, all of which is rooted in the ancient culture of this land. And while there are sanctimonious nay-sayers who talk piously about the so-called "terrible commercialization" of the festival and moan about the "terrible noisiness" of the celebration, Indians being Indians – we will just go ahead and send off another salvo of colorfully noisy rockets into the Diwali sky and wish everybody – including the pious moaners and the sanctimonious nay-sayers – A Very Happy Diwali to You! May the Season bring Enlightenment, Joy, and Prosperity to One and All!

Mexico's Annual Cervantino Festival Is A Great Cultural Event

The International Cervantino Festival (Spanish: Festival Internacional Cervantino) is held every year in the city of Guanajuato, Mexico. The festival, which began in 1972, is loosely dedicated to the memory of Miguel de Cervantes, author of the famous Spanish novel Don Quixote of La Mancha. Guanajuato has adopted Cervantes and Don Quixote as representatives of the city, and statues dedicated to the author and his creation can be found around town. The Cervantino Festival is dedicated to Cervantes in spirit, and always involves a number of events related to Don Quixote, but the festival also includes much more.

Cervantino's International Atmosphere

At its heart, Cervantino is a cultural festival. It takes place each year during October, lasting a full month. Over the course of the month, hundreds of cultural events are held in the city, ranging from plays, dance, and musical productions to lectures, art galleries, and public art displays. The diverse, international nature of the festival makes it a popular tourism destination, especially for the Spanish-speaking world. Each year, one Mexican state and one international community are invited to be guests of honor at the festival, and attention is focused on the culture of those locales. In once recent year, the Catalonia, Spain and the Mexican state of Campeche held the honored spots.

You Don't Have to Speak Spanish

Because many of the events of Cervantino are in Spanish, the festival is not widely known in the United States and other places where Spanish is not commonly spoken. This is highly unfortunate, because the intent of the festival is, traditionally, to create an international atmosphere where people from around the world can come together and share their culture. Indeed, this is the atmosphere that prevails in Guanajuato during the month of Cervantino. Although many events are in Spanish, there are many others that require no specific language, such as visual art exhibits and musical performances. Furthermore, a few of the Spanish language performances, including plays, are subtitled in English and other languages, making the Cervantino Festival accessible to everyone.

A Great Time on Any Budget

Cervantino is consciously designed to be inclusive, and there are events to suit nearly everyone. Many of the events require tickets, which can be purchased in advance of the shows. Tickets are available online at the festival's website and in Guanajuato at designated ticket vending locations. Tickets are generally reasonably priced, with different price levels according to various factors. Not all of Cervantino's festivities require tickets, however, and visitors can have an excellent time for absolutely no money. Art exhibits, which change periodically over the course of the festival, are often free, and there are always a few performances open to the public free of charge. The best of these are often held outdoors, either at the city's outdoor amphitheater or in plazas and squares around town. No matter what your interests, exploring Guanajuato during the month of the festival can be an enriching, fun experience.

Plan Ahead

For those thinking of attending the next Cervantino festival, there are a few important things to keep in mind. First, the festival is extremely popular throughout Mexico, and the city becomes very crowded as a result. Hotels, hostels, and other accommodations can fill up weeks or months before the festival starts. Therefore, it's crucial to book your accommodations early, otherwise you might be stuck without a place to sleep, or forced to stay in a place that doesn't suit you because all other options are full. The same goes for tickets to events. Although there are usually plenty of tickets available during the festival, some of the more popular events or famous performers tend to sell out early, so you should consider buying tickets online well in advance of your trip.

Something for Everyone

If you have heard rumors that the festival is rowdy, you may want to give it a second look. In recent years, the government of Guanajuato and the festival's organizers have been trying to cut down on the party atmosphere, placing more emphasis on the cultural and international aspects. These days, Cervantino is truly a festival for everyone. Consider making Guanajuato, Mexico your travel destination next October.

Ganesh Chaturthi Is A Very Prominent Festival Of The Hindus

Ganesh Chaturthi is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. As per Hindu calendar, it is celebrated on the "shukla chaturthi" (4th day of the bright fortnight) in the month of Bhadrapada. Usually, this day occurs sometime between August 20 and September 15. The festival lasts for 10 days and culminates on the Ananta Chaturdashi. This is a very popular festival observed by Hindus throughout the world. It is also called "Vinayaka Chaturthi" or "Vinayaka Chavithi". Lord Ganesha or the elephant-headed god is the Lord of power and wisdom. He is the first to be worshipped during any prayer and his auspicious name is chanted before any work is begun.

Story of Ganesh Chaturthi
Once while Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva, was bathing, she created a human figure, gave it life and asked to guard the door till she finished her bath. It so happened that Lord Shiva had completed a long span of meditation on Mount Kailash and desired to meet Parvati. However, he was stopped by the human created by Parvati at the door. Lord Shiva was infuriated and chopped off the human's head. Later, he discovered that the human was Parvati's son. To pacify Parvati, Lord Shiva ordered his attendants or "ganas" to procure the head of the first living creature they could find. Accordingly, they brought an elephant's head. Lord Shiva placed it on Parvati's son's body and brought it back to life. This day is celebrated as Ganesh Chaturthi. This elephant-headed god was named "Ganesha" or "Ganapati" which means "chief of the ganas".

Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi
About a couple of months prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, clay models of Lord Ganesha are prepared. These may be 3/4th of an inch or more than 25 feet high. Every locality sets up its individual pandal. For this, voluntary and generous donations are procured from the members of the locality. Every pandal has a priest. Just before Ganesh Chaturthi, an idol of Lord Ganesha is purchased and brought to the pandal amidst fanfare and revelry. On Ganesh Chaturthi, the priest, dressed in red dhoti, performs "prana-pratishtha". It means infusing life into the idol. Then, the "shhodashopachara" or 16 ways of offering tribute are executed. 21 "modakas" (rice flour preparation), 21 "durvas" (trefoil blades), red flowers, coconut and jaggery are offered. On the forehead of the idol of Lord Ganesha, "rakta chandan" (red unguent) is applied. During this entire ceremony, shlokas (hymns) from the Rig Veda, Ganapati Atharva Shirsha, Upanishad and Ganesh stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted. Food (not containing onions and garlic) is cooked to mark this day.

The pandals are made attractive so that crowds throng to have their view during the 10 days of the festival. Some pandals have electrical lighting that sways as per the music or popular songs from Bollywood or other regional songs. Other depict some historical, political or mythological scene by using statues, which may be static or movable. Some may simply have some paintings portraying some event. One will unmistakably find a loudspeaker playing songs of various types. Particularly after sunset, a large number of people leave their houses to savor the ambience of these pandals. At least in big cities, this creates a traffic problem and necessitates the deployment of special traffic police to ensure that the movement of the masses is disciplined and no untoward incident takes place. "Aarti" (a ritualistic puja with hymns) is performed in the morning and the evening at every pandal. All the people in the locality around the pandal make it a point to attend at least the evening Aarti. On every occasion, Aartis of several gods are recited. Then, the devotees experience the heat of burning "kapoor" (camphor) placed on a plate, with their palms. They offer red flowers and "durva" grass and bow down before the Ganesha idol. Every day after each Aarti, a different "prasad" (small quantity of eatable) is distributed amongst all devotees.

Generally, after 12 noon on the Ananta Chaturdashi (10th day after Ganesh Chaturthi), all the Ganesha idols from the pandals line up on the roads. A procession of the idol is carried out. This is accompanied by singing, dancing and merrymaking. Eventually, the idol is immersed in a water body (river, lake or sea). Crowds sing quotes in the regional languages which mean "Lord Ganesha is returning to his home and hence we are uncomfortable" or "O Lord Ganesh! Come back early next year". This immersion procession continues for almost 24 hours. It ends around 12 noon the next day. The idol along with the garlands is immersed after a final Aarti.

Public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh puja is a tradition in Maharashtra state since ancient times. However, it was Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak who began the practice of public celebration. It was in 1894, that he placed an idol of the Lord in Vinchurkar Wada in Maharashtra and started this practice. At this time, the social condition of the Hindus was unstable. They were not practicing their religion diligently and were not united. The supremacy of the Westerners suppressed their natural prowess. In such circumstances, Tilak started public Ganesh Chaturthi with the following aims:

• to create awareness about Hindu religion
• to nullify the feelings of animosity among people
• to revive the good religious customs
• to increase the awareness of the hidden prowess among Hindus
• to make people realize their rights and duties
• to start crusades that were essential at that point of time

Some famous pandals
Ganesh Chaturthi is very ornate in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh as these were parts of the former Maratha empire. Nevertheless, it is not only held in other parts of India but also outside India. In the city of Pune, there are five pandals called "Ganapati of Honor". These are "Kasba Ganapati", "Tambadi Jogeshwari", "Guruji Talim", "Tulsibaug Ganapati" and "Kesariwada Ganapati". The "Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Mandal" and "Akhil Mandai Mandal" are a seat of tremendous reverence for crores of worshippers throughout the world.

Peril of modern Ganesh Chaturthi
Earlier, the idols were made of "shaadu mati" or earth/natural clay and did not evoke any criticism. However, with time plaster of Paris replaced shaadu mati as it was easier to mold, lighter and cheap. After immersion, plaster of Paris requires more time to dissolve and also releases toxic elements in the water bodies. Additionally, chemical paints are used to enhance the aesthetic look of these idols. These paints contain mercury and cadmium. On the day of immersion, thousands of these idols are submerged in the water. This causes a raise in the acidity and heavy metal content of the water. As a result, several fish perish in these water bodies.

Amazing Brazilian Carnival Is The Globe’s Most Spectacular Party

The spirit of camaraderie, the depth and vibrancy of Brazilian culture and the very best in music and dance are illustrated to the world at the Brazil Carnival.

Get ready for Brazil Carnival. Rio de Janeiro is the mother of all Carnival celebrations in Brazil. But there's also much fun in the streets of Recife and Olinda. Decide to follow one of the Trio Eletricos in Salvador de Bahia and you will have a blast. What about Sao Paulo with its every year more popular and always affordable parades? But you can't do it all in one year, can you? Learn it all here.

Bahian superstar Carlinhos Brown says, "We play, not for money, but to celebrate happiness. Our carnival is a street carnival. It is for everyone, not just for those with money." The carnival is one of the most celebrated festivities of Brazil. Brazil's carnival culture has spilled out of its boundaries and has taken the world by storm.

History
The carnival has taken its roots from the ancient Greek spring festival of honoring Dionysus, the god of wine. The Romans adopted the festival, which later, the Roman Catholic Church changed to suit its own religious needs. The Brazilian Carnival is an annual festival, celebrated four days, preceding the Ash Wednesday. It has a religious flavor, as it marks the beginning of the fasting days of 'Lent'. Carnival literally means to remove meat, one of the important observance to be followed during Lent, while practicing repentance, to honor the death and resurrection of Christ. The Carnival is celebrated on different scales all over Brazil. A lot of time and effort is involved in its preparation. Each place has its own distinct style. Among the many interesting aspects of the Carnival, King Momos deserves a mention. He is considered as the 'King of Carnivals' and signifies the beginning of the festivity.

Rio de Janeiro Carnival
Rio de Janeiro, the cultural capital of Brazil, has parades since the 1930s. Presently, it holds the parade in a large permanent structure called 'Sambadrome'. The Carnival parade is full of participants from various samba schools. The parade serves as means to compete with other schools, resulting in a visual treat. The group or blocos as they are known, parade through the city telling short stories through their music, dances and costumes. The winners are announced at the closing of the carnival.

Bahia Carnival
The music and dance of the Bahia parade are heavily influenced by the African heritage. It's held in the city of Salvador, also known as the 'Capital of Happiness'. Their parades combine the samba and reggae rhythm, using giant speakers mounted on a truck and a platform for the artist to perform called trio-elétrico.

Pernambuco Style
The Carnival is held at 'Pátio de São' Pedro Square in Recife, Brazil. It's unique in many aspects. They do not have any competitions, instead perform side by side. The Galo da Madrugada is the biggest carnival parade in the world. Their dance style is acrobatically influenced with frequent arm and leg movements. The main rhythms used are the frevo and maracatu.

Minas Gerais Style
The Carnival is influenced by Rio de Janeiro and Bahia style. It fuses the themes and adds to it, its own unique music of drums and bands. The important carnival parades in Minas Gerais are mainly held in the historic cities of Ouro Preto, Mariana and Diamantina.

Costumes
The costumes and mask are of extreme importance, as they depict their own story. Their creation requires a high level of understanding of the roles they are meant to play. Like music, even the costumes are influenced by the African heritage. Fabrics of different textures, mostly adorned with feathers and sequins, are used. While designing such elaborate costumes, the freedom of movement to the dancers is an essential aspect. Carnival make-up, creates an enchanting persona.

Food
No carnival is complete without the Brazilian national dish, Feijoada, a pork and bean stew. Streets are full of food, cooked either in houses or restaurants. The cuisines differ from place to place with each adding its unique flavor to its carnivals. Dancers often eat light meals, but enjoy the full course after the parade is over. Drinks are equally important, to beat the heat. Brazilian soda 'Guaraná' and beer are the preferred choices.

A carnival goes beyond providing entertainment, it reflects the culture for the world to see and appreciate. The Brazilian Carnival rejoices life, it spreads euphoria through its dance, song, music, food and people.

Irish Wedding Reception Customs For Its Proper Fulfillment

We have all heard the expression “the luck of the Irish”. When a bride begins planning a wedding based on Irish customs, it is very true that much of what she does will be based on trying to bring good luck to the marriage and to shun bad luck at the same time. Irish weddings are rich with traditions, some of which are very familiar to Americans, and others which may not be. From Claddagh rings to beautiful marriage vows to mischievous fairies, this is a look into the wedding customs, superstition, and lucky traditions of Ireland.

In a previous article, I listed numerous Irish customs that couples can incorporate into their wedding ceremony. In this followup article, I will describe other Irish customs for a wedding reception.

Decorating the Path. In nineteenth century Ireland, it was common for people to decorate the way from the bride's home to the church on the day of her wedding. Floral garlands, evergreen boughs, lanterns, and torches were often used to lead the way to the church.

In Irish Wedding Traditions, Shannon McMahon Lichte offers several suggestions on how this tradition can be adapted for more modern weddings, to help guests find their way to the church and from the church to the reception (42). You could decide to attach flower bouquets to trees and signposts, or less expensive balloons and bows. For a more distinctive Irish touch, you could use Irish symbols such as the Tricolor flag, shamrock, harp, or the Claddaugh to adorn trees and signposts along the way.

Reception Decorations. Placing a pot of shamrocks in the center of each table would be very Irish and very festive. But if you prefer traditional flower arrangements, talk to your florist about having flowers native to Ireland, such as the Burnet rose, violets, hydrangeas, foxglove, Bells of Ireland, daisies, Irish orchids, ivy, ferns, and primroses.

Food and Drink. Talk to your caterer about serving Irish dishes. You can find numerous recipes in a Irish cookbook at any major bookstore. For drinks, have plenty of Irish whisky and Guinness on hand. Also, make sure your bartender knows how to make Irish cocktails, such as Irish Spring, An Irish Dog, An Irish Highball, An Irish Seaman, An Irish Lady, and Irish Lady Champagne Punch. The recipes for these drinks can be found in Lichte's Irish Wedding Traditions.

Wedding Cake. A traditional Irish wedding cake is fruitcake. If you prefer not to use fruitcake, you can ask your baker to decorate it with Irish symbols, such as swans, a harp, or the Claddaugh and green ribbon and flowers.

Music. Music has always been an important part of any celebration in Ireland, and weddings are no exception. Having traditional Irish music at your wedding presents little problem. If you prefer live music, search for Irish musicians in your area. Or if you decide on a disc jockey, prepare a play list to include Irish musicians such as The Chieftains, Celtic Thunder, Gaelic Storm, Da Danaan, Christy Moore, James Galway, U2, The Wild Rovers, Loreena McKennett, Altan, Druid Stone, and Enya, to name a few. Compilations of Irish party and dancing songs are also available for purchase. Two of these are titled "New Irish Dance Party" and "130 Irish Party Songs" by Rego.

Toasting. In Ireland, it's customary for the bride and groom to share a cup for their first drink as man and wife, rather than two separate wineglasses. An internet search can direct you to many sites which sales chalices and goblets with Irish designs. And rather than sharing the usual champagne, why not toast each other with mead?

Kissing. In her book, Irish Wedding Traditions, Lichte describes a wonderful variation to the custom of guests clinking a glass with a spoon to induce the bride and groom to kiss. She reports that at a recent Irish wedding, guests were asked to stand up and sing a song or recite a poem with the word "love" in it whenever they wanted the newly-wedded couple to kiss (Lichte 140). This involvement of the guests is in keeping with the ancient Irish tradition of storytelling and merrymaking.

Sharing Riches. In Ireland, it is customary for the bride and groom to make a donation to a charity, as it is believed that they will have bad luck in their marriage if they do not. Lichte offers several suggestions for couples to re-create this custom at their own wedding. You may decide to have a supply of Irish pence for you and your spouse to throw to guests when you leave the reception, you could give each guest a small pouch filled with Irish pence and confetti to toss rather than rice, or you both could make a donation to the charity of your choice in your spouse's name to ensure good luck in your marriage.

These are only a few suggestions on how to incorporate Irish customs into your wedding; there are many, many more which can be found in a book on Irish weddings, of which there are several on the market.

Traditional Indian Weddings Are Quite Unique In Their Celebrations

Traditional Indian weddings are a grand affair and involves lavish preparations. The number of people attending a wedding could be anywhere between 500 - 1000. Here, the sanctitude of the ceremony is preserved through numerous traditional rituals and is accompanied by lots of entertainment, fun, colorful dresses, jewelry, lip-smacking foods, music and dance. One can see lots of variations in the Indian wedding traditions according to the cultural community, religion and region. However, most of the basic ceremonies which we are going to discuss in the following sections of the article are more or less the same.

Pre-Wedding Rituals
The main wedding ceremony is preceded by two major events. One is the engagement ceremony and the other is the 'Mehendi' or 'Sangeet' ceremony. The engagement ceremony takes place on an auspicious date fixed by the elders of the family after consultation with the priest. As compared to the wedding, this is a small affair which is attended mostly by close family members and friends of the girl and the boy. During this ceremony, the couple exchange wedding rings. It is followed by exchange of sweets between them as well as the members of both families. The occasion concludes with music, dance and loads of fun.

'Mehendi'/'Sangeet' is another fun-filled event that takes place at the bride's house just a day before the actual wedding. On this day, henna (mehendi) is applied on the bride's palms and feet with intricate patterns. Other women attending the occasion also get mehendi done on their hands. This occasion is also celebrated with song, dance and merriment.

Wedding Ceremony
The main ceremony begins with the arrival of the 'Baraat' which is a formal procession that includes friends, family members and relatives of the groom . The members who join the Baraat are called the 'Baraatis'. There is lot of music, dance and enjoyment in this gathering.

When the Baraatis reach the beautifully decorated wedding venue, the bride's family gives them a warm welcome. The groom can enter the venue only after the bride's mother performs a ritual called 'Aarti' by rotating a small holy earthen lamp in front of the groom. Soon after the entry of the groom, the auspicious 'Jaimala' ceremony takes place. Here, the bride and groom meet each other and exchange garlands. This ceremony signifies that the couple accept one another as spouse and pledge to show mutual respect to each other throughout their life. Once this ritual is over, the guests and relatives present the couple with wedding gifts and congratulate them.

Then, comes the most important section of the wedding, where the bride and the groom exchange vows in front of God while chanting slokas (hymns) with the priest. After that, the 'Phera' or 'saat phere' ritual takes place where a knot is tied with a part of the bride's dress and the groom's dress, and they move around the ceremonial fire for seven times. Each round or phera has its own significance. In the first three rounds, the groom follows the bride which signifies that the bride will take charge in the earlier part of their life and in the next four rounds the groom leads which means he would lead in the later part.

In various communities, there is a ritual of putting 'sindoor' or vermilion on the bride's parting of the hair and a gold or silver chain with black beads called 'mangal sutra' around her neck. Most of the married Hindu women are supposed to wear sindoor in their hair parting and mangal sutra for the rest of their married lives. These two are considered as the sacred symbols of marriage by them.

The wedding ceremony is followed by a grand feast in which the most sumptuous food is served. The best possible delicacies are prepared for the occasion. The food largely depends upon the region to which the couple belongs to. Like in some communities, only vegetarian foods is served, while in others you will find all types of food. Sweets are an important part of the wedding reception menu. There are at least 4-5 different varieties of sweets, if not more, served on the occasion.

Korean Wedding Customs Are An Important Part Of Engagement

Like the Chinese, Koreans also exchanged the "eight characters" or "four pillars" to determine if the match was suitable. When that process was over, a local fortune-teller was summoned to see if the couple could live harmoniously. Koreans call this kung-hap. This Korean Wedding Customs is still important among many older Korean Americans. As the old saying goes, straw sandals are useful only if they fit your feet.

The Engagement

Gifts are an important part of an engagement. Traditionally, gifts from the groom's side would be delivered on the eve of the wedding day. With faces blackened with dried squid's ink and in costume, friends of the groom would parade a box, or hahm, filled with gifts. As they approached the bride's house, they would chant, "Hahm for sale, buy a hahm." Her family would rush out to greet the gift-bearers, enticing them with money and food. These days, the families are likely to meet in a restaurant, but gifts--and lots of them--are a must. Some Korean American families can spend $30,000 to $40,000 on engagement gifts alone.

The Wedding Outfits

The two dresses worn by the bride were once the costume of the noble class. The simple lime-green wonsam and the more elaborate hwarrot, or "flower robe," are embroidered with flowers and butterflies. Underneath, she wears the hanbok, the doll-like traditional dress of Korea. On the bride's head is a black cap studded with gems. On her feet are white socks and embroidered shoes. Her makeup is simple, except for three red circles, yonji konji, the size of nickels. These circles, traditionally made of red peppers, but now often drawn on, are supposed to ward off evil spirits. The groom's faruotsu is also the dress of the nobility. It is made of dark green damask with auspicious symbols woven in gold. The headdress is the tall black cap of high-ranking officials made of silk. Traditional costumes can be rented in Korean dress shops or even some banquet halls starting around $150.

The Ceremony

Traditionally, the groom would give a live goose--a symbol of fidelity because it takes only one partner in its life--to his new mother-in-law as a sign of his faithfulness to her daughter. Today's Korean families substitute the live goose with a wooden one called a kirogi. The ceremony takes place around a table, or teresan, in an area set off by a screen with images of peonies. The highlight of the ceremony is the sharing of a special white wine called jung jong. Traditionally, this wine was poured into cups made from two halves of a gourd grown by the bride's mother. The bride and groom sip from their separate cups and then the wine is mixed together, poured once more into the gourd cups and sipped again. This is kunbere, the wedding vow. One ritual often seen at Korean American weddings is the peh beck ceremony. At this ceremony, usually only attended by family and close friends, the new wife offers her new in-laws gifts of dried dates and jujubes, symbols of children. They in turn offer her tea, a subtle but significant gift. At the ceremony's conclusion, they toss the dates and chestnuts at the bride, and she tries to catch them in her large skirt.

The Food

The Korean wedding banquet is called kook soo sang, the "noodle banquet," and can include a variety of dishes to suit the season. It begins with a toast of jung jong, a sort of Korean sake, downed quickly like a shot. The highlight is the meal's namesake, a noodle soup called kook soo. Wheat noodles are boiled and added to a clear beef broth, garnished with vegetables and eggs. Here, as in China, noodles are a wish for a long and happy life. Wedding desserts often include dok, a sticky rice cake that comes in a number of forms--sweetened, filled with bean paste, dotted with sesame seeds. Another popular dessert is yak shik, a sticky rice ball sweetened with brown sugar and speckled with chestnuts, jujubes, raisins and pine nuts, symbols of children.

Japanese Greeting Custom You Must Know

Japan is one of the few countries where some of the traditions and customs are followed rigidly in order to fulfill the expectations of social behavior. In westernized culture, you come across what is commonly known as Etiquette while in Japan, they have certain standard traditions such as Bowing, specialized use of chopsticks, gift-giving and hospitality. Some of the conventions, traditions and customs are restricted specific regions and thus it may not be followed all throughout Japan.

Many customs have also changed over historical traditions and some conventions have also entered into Japan from the Western Cultures. When it comes to family traditions and customs, Japanese follow more or less customs similar to many other Asian countries such as India, Indonesia and Thailand. In some part of Japan, it is as good as mandatory to conform to the region and religion specific customs and behaviors. Japanese are generally rigid about their customs and traditions and therefore they expect their visitors to follow the same until they are in the Land of Rising Sun.

Japanese Greeting Custom is very important and though they stem from ancient Japanese culture, they are followed to this date, of course with a few adaptations to modern times. We've all heard about important social conventions and customs in Japan. However, it is time to take a look at what these conventions are, and how knowing them will affect the perception of Japanese people for you as an outsider. Though some customs in Japan are regional, the customs mentioned here are generally and widely accepted all over Japan.

GreetingsJapanese Bow  Almost everyone is aware that the Japanese way of greeting is bowing. It is such an integral and vital part of Japanese etiquette, that employees of various companies are trained to bow in the right manner. The reason why bows are so important are because they express reverence for the opposite person. As such, the practice of bowing while greeting should not be taken lightly.

Bows are informal and formal. While the general norm for men is to maintain the hands at their sides and bend forward from the waist, for girls it is the same with the hands placed on the lap, with the eyes looking down. Formal bows are deeper than informal bows. A bow is returned with a bow and should normally last only up to 2-3 seconds. Shaking hands, sometimes in combination with a bow, has now become a common practice in Japan, especially with outsiders and tourists. As a tourist, if you are applying this greeting, ensure you bend to the left and not straight, to avoid knocking down the opposite person. Any greeting should portray a dynamism, else it is considered rude.

While speaking to superiors and customers, there are very important rules of politeness that are followed. The Japanese are a cooperative lot, and do not believe in individualism, but conformity. They believe in universal good rather than individual gain. They are never forthright about their opinions, and are rather diplomatic in putting forth any point of view.

Japanese Festivals Are Delightful For Tourists And Locals Alike

Much like American festivals, Japanese festivals are usually public celebrations where the participants find that they have a main event to look forward to, and in the meantime will have plenty of food, entertainment and carnival games to keep them occupied. Some festivals will have competitions, while other festivals will feature amazing displays of fireworks or music. While some festivals are religious in nature, like the ones that are held close to the holidays of Obon and Setsubun, there are plenty that are simply held to celebrate secular events.

If you watch anime  you will see that festivals, or matsuri, as they called in Japan, are a great place for the characters to go and unwind. Given the celebratory air and the masses of people who are out to have a good time, a Japanese festival can provide a great backdrop for the story, and you’ll find that there are plenty of characters who love them as well as plenty of characters that absolutely cannot stand them!
For instance, in the anime Gintama, the main characters Gintoki, Shinpachi and Kagura are all geared to have a great time until they learn that there is to be an assassination attempt on an important figure who is attending. While they try to make sure that this doesn’t happen, fourteen year old Kagura still manages to find time to shoot a rifle for prizes, even if she “misunderstands” and starts shooting at the booth owner instead!

Similarly, Gintama also shows off a winter festival, where all of the inhabitants of Kabuki-cho decide that they will compete in a snow sculpture competition in order to win a money prize. Gintoki and his friends have very little hope of winning, and instead choose to sabotage other people’s sculptures and then graft broken pieces onto their own. Tempers get hot and before you know it, there’s plenty of obscene sculptures and plenty of snowballs filling the air.

You will also see that festivals play a large part in the show Ranma 1/2. In one story arc, Ranma in his girl body and his fiancé Akane Tendo both attend the festival in their casual yukata robes, only to realize that they have been set up by Ranma’s rival Mousse. Everyone except the main characters are having a good time, as Mousse’s tactics get dirty, and Ranma needs to dodge festival goers and games alike to beat Mousse at his own game.

Japanese festivals are delightful for tourists and locals alike, and if you have a love of American festivals, watch some anime on DVD to see how it’s done in other parts of the world.

Culture, Traditions And Customs Of Afghanistan

The glorious land of the Afghans is now the focus of much political attention and social divide. However, a closer look at the region makes it easy to understand current events. The people here flaunt a culture and tradition that are the result of ancient trade and migration. The customs that have emerged and survived greatly compliment its geo-strategic location, and a long tryst with invaders and individual empires. Modern Afghanistan is well grounded in its beliefs and customs, even as it is open to change. This buffer state is no more one; it has emerged as a power to reckon with. Afghanistan has always influenced world cultures and heritage, more than their military or political mindset. A rich tradition in ancestry and pride in personal honor are characteristics that offer a glimpse of the land and its people. Modern Afghanistan is hardly any different from the older version, physically. However, the influence of neighboring countries and the remnants of a terrible civil war have made the people vary of foreign intervention. The people of Afghanistan are friendly and hard-working. Their lives and vocations are centered around the home. Women are treated with utmost respect and honor.

People
Afghans are very proud of their land, religion and ancestry. They value their independence beyond life. This particular trait is the result of consistent foreign invasion. Their loyalty is first to their local leaders and their tribe, and their identification with an abstract Afghan nation has always been fragile. Afghanistan has never been inhabited by only one ethnic group, but various ethnic groups like the Pashtuns, Hazaras, Tajiks, Uzbeks and other Iranian and Altaic groups. While these ethnic groups differ in language and culture they do share some common characteristics. Religion is a common thread that binds all these people. Islam is followed by almost all Afghans and it dominates much of their personal, political, economic and legal lives. Their fierce loyalty towards their clan, tribe and courage is another common facet of almost all Afghanis. Hospitality and honor are two vital characteristics or rather defining characteristics for all Afghans. They will do their utmost, even give and take lives, to uphold their honor and extend hospitality towards their guest. This lends a touch of mystic romanticism to the Afghan people.

Architecture
Afghanistan has lost quite a few of its historic monuments in recent wars. Architectural remnants of all ages can be found across Afghanistan. Remnants of Greek civilization and Buddhist stupas (shrines or reliquaries) and monasteries, intricate Islamic minarets, arches and monuments have made this place rich in history and architectural significance. The 1000-year-old Great Arch of Qal'eh-ye Bost; the Chel Zina (Forty Steps) and rock inscriptions made by Mughal emperor Babur in Kandahar which also houses the prophet's cloak. Ghazni and Balkh are remnants of architectural extravagance and grandeur. The famous Minaret of Jam have been declared a 'heritage site' by UNESCO.

Sport
A lot has changed since the fall of the Taliban for Afghan sports and athletes. Soccer is the most popular sport, followed by cricket. Of late, the popularity of cricket has seen a surge with the national team making it to the international stage competitions. Basketball is also slowly gaining in popularity. During the Taliban regime sports was banned for men and women both. Since the fall of the Taliban many traditional and local sports have become popular again. Buzkashi is the national sport of Afghanistan and played mainly in the northern part of the country. It is a form of polo that is centered around claiming the carcass of a goat, placed in the center. Hound racing is another popular sport of the highlands. Now, more and more women are also taking up various types of sports, such as martial arts and boxing.

Poetry and Language
Persian poetry is a very important part of Afghan culture. Poetry is a major component in education. Mushaeras or poetry competitions are a common indulgence with the ordinary people. In fact, most homes have exclusive collections of poetry. They have given to the world, poets like Rabi'a Balkhi - the first poetess of Persian poetry, Farrukhi Sistani - the Ghaznavid royal poet, Jami of Herat and Ali Sher Nava'i. The language commonly spoken by the Afghans is the eastern Persian dialect called Dari. The name refers to the 'language of the royals'. Dari is the official language of more than one-third of the population. Pashto is spoken in eastern and southern Afghanistan, while Tajik is spoken prominently in the north. There are many other languages and dialects spoken throughout the country.

Ideas For Homemade Halloween Costumes

Making costumes for Halloween and similar festivals is always a better option. The costumes for Halloween makes use of many different themes. Homemade costumes save a lot of money. However, apart from saving money, advantage of using homemade costume is that customizing them as per our needs is possible. There are many ideas which can be used in making costumes for Halloween. The different themes could be anything from pumpkin shapes to superhero costumes.

The following paragraphs contain information about different homemade Halloween costume ideas. Household materials need to be used in preparing these costumes. Homemade Halloween costumes would save both, time and money. The Halloween costumes to make at home presented below should prove to be useful.

Batman Costume: A batman costume is easy to make. The main requirement for this costume is a black dress. Black cloth would be required to make a cape. The mask can be prepared with cardboard painted in black color. Belt is the important component of any superhero costume. Again, cardboard can be used in making the belt. It can be covered with duct tape. The color used for belt should preferably have a bright shade and which appears to be in contrast with the black batman costume. For additional information you can also refer to creative Halloween costumes 2010.

Animal Halloween Costumes: It is one of the best ideas to use homemade Halloween costumes with the animal theme. The easy homemade Halloween costumes with animal theme look good. Children would love to wear the costume which represents their favorite animal. Here is the procedure to make the octopus costume. To make this Halloween costume one would require following items: sweatshirt (hooded), grocery bags, socks (4 pairs), scissors, glue, duct tape and felt sheets (white, black and pink). The eyes and other facial features of octopus can be prepared by cutting felt sheets. These features need to be glued on sweatshirt with the help of glue. Next step in the process is making the legs of octopus. The 4 pairs of socks need to be used to make the legs. The plastic grocery bags need to be stuffed inside the socks to make them appear like legs. Socks need to be taped inside the waistband of sweatshirt. All these features and embellishments altogether create an attractive looking octopus costume.

Pumpkin Costume: Materials needed to make this costume include the following: orange fabric, paper plate, hot glue gun, needle, thread and plastic grocery bags. The orange fabric should form the external pumpkin shape. Paper plate should cut in a manner that the head of one who wears this costume should comfortably fit inside. The orange fabric should be glued to the paper plate with glue. Holes for arms and legs need to be made into the orange fabric. Needle and thread should be used in sewing the edges properly. The plastic grocery bags need to be stuffed inside the orange fabric to give it a fluffy pumpkin-like shape. Also browse through ideas for Halloween costumes which shall definitely help.

Homemade Halloween Props
The information about Halloween props along with that of costumes mentioned above, should prove to be useful. These props can be made using materials available at craft stores. Skeletons, scarecrows and similar items make for good Halloween props. Cardboard-made spooky signs can also act as props for Halloween.
The article deals with some of the easy to implement homemade Halloween costume ideas. There is literally no limit as to ideas which can be used for homemade Halloween costumes. These ideas are just a snapshot of different ways in which Halloween costumes can be decorated. There is great scope to use creativity in making these costumes. One should therefore, think about enjoying this year's Halloween with homemade costumes.

Many Of The Ancient Chinese Traditional Customs Are Followed Till Date

A custom is often an established behavioral pattern that prevails through years. It is commonly the result of social influences on the people of a society. Traditional customs have their own analogies. They associate certain things or actions with certain happenings in life. Traditional customs are meant to invite good omen while warding off the evils. Let's find out all about the ancient Chinese traditional customs.

Traditional Customs of China

• Chinese considered tea as one of their seven basic necessities. Firewood, oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar were some of the other basic needs. Ways of tea preparation, the ways of tasting it and the occasions on which it is consumed make the Chinese tea culture unique. Children serve tea to their elders as a token of respect. People of lower order are supposed to serve tea to people of higher ranks. This custom is still practiced on formal occasions. When a person is served tea, he knocks on the table with bent index finger and middle finger to say, "thank you". Chinese tea is not only their drink but also an ingredient of herbal medicines.
• Chinese weddings have certain traditional customs associated with them. As a form of expressing gratitude, the bride and the groom kneel in front of their parents and offer them tea. In response to this, parents drink a small portion of tea and gift the pair a red envelope. The tea ceremony was once an occasion of the families of the newly wed couple to know each other. In olden times, drinking the tea offered showed acceptance of marriage while refusal represented opposition to the marriage.
• As a part of the Chinese tradition, the husband has to carry his wife over a pan of coals so that she can successfully pass through labor. Pregnant women are supposed to be very careful in everything they do, as it is believed that their actions influence the unborn baby. The hour, day, month and year in which the baby is born determine the Eight Characters of Chinese Astrology under which the baby falls. The Chinese believe that these characters are highly influential throughout the life of the newborn.
• Chopsticks form an integral part of Chinese cutlery but few know what they stand for. Chopsticks are believed to symbolize kindness and gentleness. Confucianism taught the Chinese to abandon knives and forks from the dining table. So they have their food cut to bite-size before it comes on the table.
• New year is one of the most prominent festivals of the Chinese calendar. According to a Chinese myth, Buddha had asked animals to visit him on the New Year's Day. Twelve animals came and Buddha named the year after each of them. The Chinese celebrate the lantern festival on the fifteenth day of each lunar month. New Year is about getting together. Red is believed to abolish bad luck. So people clothe in red for the New Year celebration. A long dragon made of silk, bamboo and paper is carried along streets. Young men hold the dragon and dance while carrying the dragon along. The Dragon dance is an ancient Chinese tradition.
• On meeting someone for the first time, the Chinese shake hands. A handshake may be accompanied by a bow to show respect. According to the Chinese customs, guests always gift their hosts on visiting them. It is best to present the host, fresh flowers or fruit. The hosts are not supposed to unpack the gift until the guests leave. Hosts usually escort their guests to a considerable distance when they leave.
• In ancient times, people used to cover the bodies of the dead with brushwood and clay and leave it in the family's home. They left utensils filled with food near the corpse. They thought the spirit of the dead would re-enter the body and would need food. Food items, which would not perish soon were kept beside the dead body. The ancient Chinese dwelt in natural or artificial caves. The Chinese tradition of burying the dead in caverns emerged from this kind of dwelling. As time passed, people sought a separate place to bury their dead and this ancient practice changed.

Many of the ancient Chinese traditional customs are followed till date. They have undergone modifications and reforms due to the changing times. But if you visit China, you will realize that hospitality is a Chinese tradition!

Water Splashing Festival Onto Each Other Symbolizes Good Wishes

Feeling  jinxed?  Had  a  run  of  bad  luck lately?  You  must  make  your  way  to  the laidback  southern  China  city  of  Jinghong. There they have an excellent cure for misfortune—a  bucket  of  water  in  the  face. Apparently,  there  is  nothing  like  a  good drenching to wash away the blues and this city of black and white pagodas and yellow robed  Buddhist  monks  becomes  a  frenzy of water dunking every April as the locals grab  buckets,  basins,  and  bottles  and soundly soak whoever crosses their path.

From  a  distance,  the  city’s  streets  and square take on the appearance of an anarchic  fountain  with  white  arcs  of  water stretching  across  the  air  before  descending  into  peals  of  screams  and  laughter. Everybody   is   fair   game,   so   don’t   go expecting to avoid a soaking. There are no wet  blankets  at  this  shower  party.  The good thing is you can retaliate by grabbing the nearest receptacle and throwing back.

The annual Water-Splashing Festival is most important holiday of the Dai people. Held during the sixth month of the Dai calendar, usually falling in the middle of April, it is also known as the Festival for Bathing the Buddha.

Water is regarded as a symbol of holiness, goodness and brightness by the Dai  people. The water splashing onto each other symbolizes good wishes.

The Water Splashing Festival falls during the New Year of the Dai Calendar. It is the most important festival observed by the Dai ethnic group in Xishuangbanna in southwestern China’s Yunnan Province. The festival is similar to Thailand’s Songkran, three days of festive activities in which everybody gets doused with water.
Traditionally, friends and neighbors sprinkled  each  other  with  drops  of  water to  wish  them  luck  for  the  New  Year:  The 3-day festival takes place during the local Dai people’s New Year party. Then somebody  realized  it  was  much  more  fun  to saturate  and  be  saturated  in  turn. 

Girls huddle and scream as youths attack them with  water.  Even  the  monks  join  in  and jump in the river or nearest fountain. Buddha himself gets wet during a ceremonial bathing in the Mekong river. While all this happens,   homemade   bamboo   rockets scream into the air and tiny, magical hotair  balloons  float  through  the  sky  before being consumed in their own flames. Candle  rafts  float  away  down  the  river  and small  bean  bags  known  as  love  pouches are thrown at whomever you fancy; catch one of those in the face and you know you have an admirer.

There is lots to admire about the province  of  Yunnan  itself.  Scenic  valleys  and fertile  hills  lead  to  lush  paddy  fields  and tropical jungle. Here the people are more laidback  than  their  northern  cousins  and the  pace  of  life  much  less  frenetic  than Beijing  or  Shanghai.  The  people  themselves  are  different,  made  up  of  several minorities,  the  most  prominent  of  which are  the  Dai  people.  Their  fun  and  relaxed attitude  is  more  in  line  with  their  Thai, Laotian, and Burmese neighbors.

The area has become a popular tourist destination with  lots  of  trekking  and  biking  possibilities  in  the  surrounding  area.  Of  course many  come  for  the  New  Year’s  celebrations which run from the 12th to the 18th  of  April.  As  well  as  the  water  party,  an amazing  dragon  boat  race  takes  place  on the river with each craft holding 50 rowers, pilots, dancers, and drummers. An extravagant  parade  rolls  through  the  town  with colorful  floats  surrounded  by  traditional dancers.

 On  the  final  night  a  massive  fireworks display takes place on the riverbank opposite, distracting tired and wet revelers with an awesome display.