Section: Festival
The start of the New Year has been celebrated in China for more than 3,000 years. New Year was a time when the farmers gave thanks for the harvest and prayed to the gods for a good harvest in the coming year. This was the one period in the busy farming year when there was time to have a celebration and when the family could get together, relax, and be merry.
Chinese New Year begins with a New Moon. The Lunar Year is calculated from the time it takes for the Moon to travel around the Earth, while the Western (Gregorian) calendar is based on the time it takes for the Earth to circle the Sun. The orbits of the Moon bear no relation to the time it takes for the Earth to go around the Sun, which is why the Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated on a different date each year. In China the New Year was renamed the Spring Festival, in 1911, when the Western calendar was officially accepted in China. However, it is still commonly known around the world as the Chinese New Year.
Chinese years are named after one of twelve animals. These have been used in the same order to name the years since the sixth century A.D. Each animal is said to have its own personality and emotions, which are present in people born within its year.
~~~~~~~~By Sarah Moyse
This article is copyrighted. All rights reserved.Source: Chinese New Year (0-7613-0374-X)
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Kids Search - powered by EBSCOhost: France and It's Celebrations - 0 views
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Holidays are very important to the French. The French begin the year with a celebration of the Jour de l'An, which is New Year's Day. They greet each other by saying "Bonne Annee!" (Happy New Year). On January 6th there is la Fete des Rois (the Festival of the Three Kings), where people have a King's Cake. Whoever finds the special toy that has been baked into the cake gets to be king or queen for the day. In February, the French celebrate la Saint-Valentin or Valentine's Day by giving, valentines and chocolates. Also the French mark the start of Lent (a religious time when people fast) with Mardi Gras celebrations. On the 1st of April people play tricks on each other and say "Poisson d'avril!" which means "April fish!" People have little paper fishes that they cut out and try to stick on the backs of their friends that day. Easter is an important holiday in France. On the morning of Easter Sunday, most French people go to church. Afterwards, they carry home candles that have been blessed by priests. For Easter, which is called Le Pacques, omelettes, (an egg dish) are usually eaten for breakfast. People also give each other chocolate eggs and chocolate bunnies.
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Holidays are very important to the French. The French begin the year with a celebration of the Jour de l'An, which is New Year's Day. They greet each other by saying "Bonne Annee!" (Happy New Year). On January 6th there is la Fete des Rois (the Festival of the Three Kings), where people have a King's Cake. Whoever finds the special toy that has been baked into the cake gets to be king or queen for the day. In February, the French celebrate la Saint-Valentin or Valentine's Day by giving, valentines and chocolates. Also the French mark the start of Lent (a religious time when people fast) with Mardi Gras celebrations. On the 1st of April people play tricks on each other and say "Poisson d'avril!" which means "April fish!" People have little paper fishes that they cut out and try to stick on the backs of their friends that day.
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Easter is an important holiday in France. On the morning of Easter Sunday, most French people go to church. Afterwards, they carry home candles that have been blessed by priests. For Easter, which is called Le Pacques, omelettes, (an egg dish) are usually eaten for breakfast. People also give each other chocolate eggs and chocolate bunnies. May 1st is May Day and French people wear corsages made of flowers like the lily-of-valley, which they also give to friends for good luck. During the summer months, there is the Tour de France, which is a bicycle race. The 14th of July is France's Independence Day, called Bastille Day. There are parades and fireworks, and people decorate their houses and celebrate all day. Christmas is a favorite holiday in France for the young and old. On Christmas Eve, families often attend midnight mass. After church, they return home for a big dinner called le reveillon. Dinner often consists of such foods like soup, turkey, goose, and oysters. A popular dessert at Christmas time is buche de Noel, a cake filled with chocolate and rolled into the shape of a log. The cake represents the Yule log that burns in the fireplaces of the French people during Christmas.
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Emu info. - 0 views
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over most of mainland Australia, although it avoids heavily populated areas, dense forest and arid areas
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one of an average of 11 (and as many as 20) very large, thick-shelled, dark-green eggs. The eggs are on average 134 x 89 millimeters (5.3 x 3.5 inches) and weigh between 700 and 900 grams (1.5–2 pounds),[21] which is roughly equivalent to 10–12 chicken eggs in volume and weight.
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Perentie info. 2 - 0 views
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a forked tongue, long slender neck, flattened head, strong tail, powerful legs with 5 clawed toes and numerous sharp-curved backward-pointing teeth.
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Perenties can be found living in arid regions from Western Queensland to coastal Western Australia, usually around rocky hills and outcrops.
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turtle eggs, insects, birds, other reptiles (including juvenile Perenties), mammals and carrion. On some of the islands they are often seen scavenging on the beaches for carrion, turtle eggs and almost anything that moves!
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Australian Crocodiles info. - 0 views
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The Estuarine crocodile, while it can live in salt water, is able to go quite far up river into fresh water. It is one of the most dangerous of all the crocodile family, being the biggest and heaviest. It grows to between 4 and 7 metres long.
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The Johnsons crocodile lives mostly in freshwater, but can also live in salt water. It grows up to 3 metres long. It is considered to be dangerous even though it is not known for attacking humans.
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Perentie info. - 0 views
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rapid swelling within minutes, localised disruption of blood clotting, shooting pain up to the elbow, with some symptoms lasting for several hours
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They can stand on their back legs and tail to gain a better view of the surrounding terrain. This behaviour, known as "tripoding", is quite common to all monitors large and small. Perenties are fast sprinters, running using either all four legs or just their hind legs.
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Perenties generally forage for their food, but are also known to wait for small animals to come to them. Prey include: Insects Reptiles, including their own kind Birds and birds' eggs Small mammals Carrion Large adults can attack larger prey, like small kangaroos.
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Emu info. 2 - 0 views
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soft-feathered, brownish emu is common throughout most of mainland Australia, although it avoids big cities, dense forests, and deserts.
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The emu is the second-largest living bird in the world (the ostrich is the largest), with adult female emus being larger and heavier than the males.
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can sprint at 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour) for quite a distance. Emus are the only birds with calf muscles. Their feet have three toes and fewer bones and muscles than those of flying birds. Their strong legs also allow the bird to jump 7 feet (2.1 meters) straight up. With good eyesight and amazing agility, emus can escape most any trouble!
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