PART C

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.
The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.
The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.
The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.

Christmas

Christmas is celebrated annually on every 25th December.Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.The specific date of celebration is believed to have been influenced by the dats of pre-Christian festival.The word Christmas originated as a contraction of "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038, compounded from Old English derivatives of the Greek christos and the Latin missa.

This festival is celebrated mostly by the Christians and the western people which also include the Eurasians and Americans.However,throughout the years,many non-Christians are also celebrating this festival. In this modern world,it is a custom for gift giving,church celebrations,and the display of various decorations.One major aspect for Christmas is the jolly mythological figure Santa Claus (Father Christmas) which never fails to put a smile on the people's faces. We believe that people of all ages love this annual holiday as much as we do as it's the last festival of the year which keeps everyone in a festive mood and children have the fortune of receiving whereas the adults have the joy of giving.It is also this period when Christians gather together and celebrate the birth of christ.

Wern Ching (24) Two-E-Seven7

PART B

Comparison to how I celebrate Chinese New Year to how Jess celebrate Christmas.

The way Jess celebrates Christmas is very different to how I celebrate Chinese New Year. Firstly, from the book 'Bridge to the Terabithia', people exchange gifts or give gifts including children while Chinese New Year, the married adults can only give red packets. The Chinese will have spring cleaning on the eve of Chinese New Year and decorate their house. Jess's family not only do not clean their house, the atmosphere and attitude towards the coming Christmas is not there. During the eve of Chinese New Year, the children had to stay up in the midnight as the traditional people believes that the later the children stay, their parents will have longer life. Christmas do not believe this. They will all sleep soundly, waiting for the Santa Claus to give out presents. From the information I got from the book, Jess celebrates his festival, Christmas with Leslie instead of his family. Chinese New Year is the day where everybody gathers around and chit-chat. They will also use the chance to get closer and reunion. When Jess opens up their presents, there is and arguement between his sisters of what kind of presents they get. I find that they should be contented with what they get and not grumble. One should be satisfied with what they get. Like Chinese New Year, the children should be satisfied with how much the red packets contain and not grumble like nobody's business. At least, it's better than having nothing.

Wern Ching <24> Two-E-Seven7

[Part A]

Every year, our Chinese will celebrate one important festival that is Chinese New Year. During Chinese New Year, our parents or uncle and aunty will give us money put inside a red packet, which we called “Hongbao”. Chinese new year have celebrate 15 days ,one day before Chinese new year are very important, the dinner during that night must whole family gather together to eat, it is important to everyone. In this year, as my parents are no in Singapore, so i celebrate with my friends. First day, I went out with my best friend, but many shops were closed, so I went to east Cost Park to cycling. In there had many people with their family members, after cycling we had our dinner in a Japan restraint.Second day I went to visited my primary school teacher, as we went to his house; he brought us to her brother’s house to eat. This teacher had given us the hongbao, and we had a nice day. Third day, our home teacher ms ho invite us to her house, and we had a great time in her house. And we celebrate the Chinese new year very happily.
-2e7 huang jiamei(07)

[Part A]

I still remember my family and i celebrating Christmas together as it was a fun-filled day and it was one of the festivals where my parents could really take out some time from their busy schedule to spent time with me as they are very busy people who very seldom can find the time to accompany me.

It was also a festival that left a deep impression on me as my parents had told me that they could not spent time with me on Christmas as they will be on a business trip abroad.Therefore,when they reached home in the afternoon on Christmas Eve,i was on cloud nine because with them accompanying me,it won't be another lonely Christmas!

Besides making the effort to reach home before Christmas,my parents each bought a present for me from abroad which make me felt like the happiest girl on earth.For dinner,my parents brought me to an Italian restaurant to eat.I can still remember that the Italian restaurant was very crowded and it was very well decorated.

On the way home,i told my parents how happy i was for the time and effort they had put in to spend Christmas with me.hearing what i had said,my parents promised to try their best to spent more time with me.That Promise they made really mean a lot to me even to this day.

After reaching home,we had a mini-countdown for Christmas where after that i opened my presents and without a doubt,the presents from my parents were the most precious to me.

After this day,my parents always make the effort to try and spent time with me on weekends and through the days,our relationship became stronger and i really appreciate the effort they had put in to spend more time with me.

I feel that family relationships is very important as without them,we'll feel very lose at certain point of our lifes and we have no one to rely on.They are the ones who will spent time and stand by us through our ups and downs in life.

-Wern Ching <28> Two-E-Seven7

[Part A]

I just cannot forget the time when me and my family gathered for Chinese New Year two years ago.It was indeed a very memorable one for me as that was also the last Chinese New Year i spent with my family before leaving for Singapore to study.

I can still remember that we started preparing for Chinese New Year a few days before the actual day buying food,clothes and what we needed.I really had fun buying all these items together with my family and i miss those times.

On Chinese New Year Eve,our dinner starts at 4.30pm and through all the talks and laughters,we finished our dinner only at 7.30pm.After clearing up the table,we would all take our baths,change into our new clothes and help my dog tidy up.We would then watch our television programmes while eating the Chinese New year goodies laid out on the table.

When the clock strikes 12 midnight,all of us went out of the house to light up firecrackers,watch the fireworks and play games(with my dog).It was about 1+am when i felt tired and went in to sleep.

In the next few days,my family and i woke up at 8 to get prepared and visit our relatives' houses.At the many different houses,i received many red packets and collected quite a big sum of money.

After leaving for Singapore to study,i really miss my family and Chinese New Year was certainly the last celebration i had with them which makes it very memorable for me as being in Singapore,i do not have any of my family members with me,therefore i have to be independent and rely on myself.

To me,family relationships are essential to have as family members are the ones who will help and support you in whatever you do.If they don't do so,who else will?

Overall,i really do miss my family back in China.Therefore,whenever i have the time to call back,i will do so and talk with my family members,sharing with them about my day.Although we're far apart,we still share a close relationship and a bond which no one can destroy.


lili <06> Two-E-Seven7