New Year of Dragon

When new life begins you have no time to dwell on old grudges, stirring the cup and inflicting suffering on someone else. When a new chapter is here you couldn’t care less about what others think it should be like or it should develop into, the world is YOUR oyster, don’t let other people decide what it’s going to be/look like. You only have one life to live, so do it well and stop trying to indulge every creature under the sun. It’s not happening… unless you are chocolate, even then… even then someone might object.

The new year of Dragon is coming to bring peace, prosperity, success… I want you to make it happen today as if there is no tomorrow. Your future is in your hands. Good fortune to you and yours in 2024! Live long and prosper every day in every way.

Chinese New Year – Year of the DRAGON, Due February 15, 2024. 24th Annual Chinese New Year Swap.

The date of the Chinese New Year is determined by the lunar calendar. The holiday falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Each year the New Year in China falls on a different date than on the Gregorian calendar. Dates range between January 21 and February 20. The Chinese New Year 2024, Year of the DRAGON begins on February 10, 2024 – the second New Moon after the Solstice.

The “Spring Festival”, beginning on the new moon, is the start of Chinese New Year, and is China’s longest and most important traditional festival. It is celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar, which consists of both Gregorian and lunar-solar calendar systems. Chinese New Year can begin anytime between late January and mid-February. The Chinese New Year’s festivities end two weeks later on the 15th day of the first month (Full moon) and is celebrated with what is known as the Lantern Festival. The Chinese horoscope predicts that the Year of the Dragon in 2024 will bring luck, wealth, and power.

There are many traditions/beliefs associated with the New Year: The Chinese believe that as they enter a new year, they should start a new beginning. They pay off all of their debts, purchase new clothes, paint their doors, and even get new haircuts in order to have a fresh start. The night before the New Year begins, it is important to completely clean the house and sweep it. If you sweep or clean on Chinese New Year Day, it is bad luck, because you are sweeping out your good luck from the New Year. The same goes for bathing/showering. Instead of washing the morning of Chinese New Year, you are supposed to bathe the night before, then wait until the day after to shower again. Otherwise, all your (New Year) good luck gets washed away. New Year day is spent with family and friends, and usually there is a big family dinner. Flowers on the table each flower has meaning, fruit in bowls, and each traditional dish made, symbolizes something.

For this swap, your cards can be depictions of this year, 2024, which is the Year of the Dragon. But you may also depict any Chinese New Year Animal, and there are 12 Chinese New Year animals to pick from. Usually the U.S. post office (as well as the Canadian Post Office) releases a stamp to celebrate Chinese New Year. This year the post office is offering a blue rat. This stamp calls to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon dance often performed in Lunar New Year parades. This three-dimensional mask depicting a rat is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created during this time of year. It is not available yet, but I will post a link when it is.

You can have the the Spring Festival, or the Lantern Festival, or red envelopes, or peonies, pineapples, mandarins, kumquats, or koi. You can create cards about New Year beliefs/celebrations/traditions regards things to do, and other items which are BAD LUCK to do.

You can have celebrations such as Lion Dancing, Dragon Dancing, Dragon Boat Races, parades and/or fireworks. The dragon is a very popular symbol for the Chinese New Year. It is a symbol of strength and good luck. A Chinese New Year celebration would not be complete without a giant dragon parading down the street. The dragon costume is always very colorful and can be up to 100 feet long. People inside the costume make the dragon move up and down as it zigzags past the spectators.

You can have Chinese New Year traditions, like the gifting of money in red envelopes/red pockets. On Chinese New Year, it is good to be a single person because all the married people give unmarried people red pockets with lucky money inside. Others say red envelopes are only for children.

Fish, which are synonymous with Chinese New Year, Koi in particular. Koi are very positive symbols and the different colors all have their different meanings! So when you fill you Koi pond, make sure you get the right color mix! All very feng shui!

You can depict flowers. Flowers are great alone, and can also make excellent backgrounds. The Peony is known as “flower of riches and honor” or “king of the flowers”, and is used symbolically in Chinese art. It is a flower much favored for Chinese New Year. The Narcissus is a symbol of the beginning of a new year. It is a symbol of good fortune and prosperity in Asia. Cherry Blossoms symbolize spring, the new year, and new beginnings. Daffodils are for luck. Peach Blossoms feature in the Lunar New Year celebrations.

You can depict fruit such as mandarins or kumquats, symbolizing good fortune and prosperity. In Lam Tsen there is a Wishing Tree where people throw Wishes tied to Mandarins into the Wishing Tree. Pineapple is considered a auspicious fruit for festive season. There are always pineapple tarts in every home during the Chinese New Year. Red Lotus seeds mean fertility. And pistachio nuts are lucky.

You can add Lucky Coins. Tie the coins together by red or gold string/ribbon to activate them. Group them in 3s, 6s or 9s. They obviously attract wealth! Odd numbers are better than even numbers. You can have fireworks or firecrackers. There are many beliefs about why fireworks are used. One belief is that the noise of the fireworks is supposed to scare away all evil spirits, allowing the new year to begin without misfortunes. ( Taken from https://atcsforall.com/ )

Old New Year Celebration

#cooking #newyear #traditions

The Old New Year is a traditional holiday observed informally in some countries. It is the first day of the new year in the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the universally adopted Gregorian calendar. Therefore, the Old New Year is celebrated on January 14.

Although the Gregorian calendar was officially adopted in all European countries, the Eastern Orthodox Church, some Oriental Orthodox denominations, and Berbers in North Africa still follow the old Julian calendar. Due to this, some countries celebrate the arrival of the new year twice by both calendars. January 1 is usually a public holiday, whereas January 14 is an unofficial celebration.

In the liturgical calendar, the Old New Year corresponds to the feast day of Saint Basil the Great. In some countries, it is reflected in the holiday’s name or traditions. For example, the Old New Year in Macedonia is also known as Vasilica. And Serbians celebrate the day by baking vasilica, round cornmeal loaves that are served for the Old New Year dinner.

In the former Soviet republics (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan), the Old New Year is celebrated by non-religious people as the final day of the holiday season. For devout Christians, the holiday season concludes with Epiphany, which is observed by the Eastern Orthodox Church on January 19.

The Old New Year in ex-Soviet states combines secular traditions associated with New Year’s Day and Christmastide customs that stem from pre-Christian rites and rituals. One of such customs is kolyada. Kolyada is basically a hybrid of mummers’ plays and carol singing. It involves young people and children in costumes going from house to house and signing carols. In return, they expect to be given money and sweets.

Although the custom isn’t as widespread as it used to be, it still persists. In cities, it’s mostly children expecting to get some sweets from their relatives and neighbors, much like Halloween trick-or-treaters in the West but without scary costumes. For most people, it’s a nostalgic family holiday that involves a large meal and celebratory drinking. (Taken from Anydayguide.com)

The winter is here, believe it or not. We are at home baking all things imaginable, since it’s a snow day one needs to keep warm and cozy while staying in. The highlight of this gastronomic celebration is baked apples, what are you cooking/baking today? What are your go to activities on a snow day? Are you experiencing inclement weather conditions as well?

Magic Tea

When you want to have a private conversation with someone just invite them for a cup of tea. It is always a pleasure to chat with an old or a new friend while drinking something as delicious as green, black, white or herbal tea.

I have been wanting to order a tea ceremony for a long time now since I really dreamed of something authentic. You know what, it is coming in May next year fingers crossed, or should I use legs crossed instead?

In my family tea drinking is like a religion, food for your soul. We are really serious about having it at least 5 times a day in spite of the season. The reason for it is to get enough caffeine in your body to keep it going. Or maybe having enough meaningful talks with each other to feel loved and appreciated?

Tea drinking is especially good in cold weather. Some people add sugar or honey into it. Some like it really hot with lemon but one thing they all have in common is that time stops when you indulge yourself in a cup of tea. Say, you are having a bad day at work or the weather is bringing you down, or you name it. After having just one cup of a good tea the world around you gets better. No you don’t have to add vodka into it but some people do so.

Ukraine

August 24 is Independence Day in Ukraine. It’s a big deal for Ukrainians since latest events have not been the greatest. Lots of people immigrated different places still dreaming to come back one day. Who knows maybe in the future things will be back to normal? Keep praying and hoping for the better.

If you ever want to travel somewhere nice and cheap go visit Ukraine. I miss it terribly! Kyiv is the best city I have ever lived, for me it’s the place where miracles happen and history is still alive. Explore and you will be surprised how much more there is to discover…

This country has a lot of problems and stuff but it feels real with four seasons, good and bad smells, street markets and all the pleasures of public transport. People are so direct, sometimes you wish they weren’t that way and women are so beautiful that it’s hard to keep up to par. Population is mostly poor, there is no middle class but it doesn’t seem that way.

Ukrainians love foreigners thinking that all of them are milliners. Foreign culture is considered to be better, a lot of loan words are used just because it’s cool. Traditional food is great, hospitality depends on the money paid and part of the country you are in. If you want to see the contrast go to Lviv where people speak Ukrainian and Odessa which is mostly Russian, fantastic tourist destinations with tons of things to enjoy. I wish I was there to be your guide…