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ORIGIN OF THE CELEBRATION 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)

RELIGIONS AND RITUALS Section: Festival Although the New Year celebration is not mainly a religious one, many Chinese will visit a temple at this time of the year to make an offering to the Buddha or to the gods in the hope of making the New Year a good one. Ancestors and gods are honored with ceremonies in the home around a family altar decorated with flowers. Incense and candles are burned at the altar. At important family banquets the ancestors may be recognized as "spiritual guests" and first offered food that is afterward eaten with the meal. The Chinese have three main systems of ideas that are important to them: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Although these systems are very different, many Chinese follow some or all of the rituals associated with them just to be safe. Confucius lived in the fifth century B.C. and spoke about the value of good behavior in private life and in government. He said that politeness, honesty, courage, and loyalty were what made good people. He believed in self-development through education and thought that people gain in wisdom as they grow older. It is part of the Confucian tradition to honor parents and ancestors.

Daoism comes from the teachings of Laozi, who lived at the same time as Confucius. His book, the Dao De Jing (The Way and Its Power), describes the way (dao means "way") to live at peace with nature so as not to upset natural balances. The Way involves balance between opposite forces. They are called yin and yang. While yin is dark and female, yang is the opposite, being light and male. When yin and yang are balanced, there is perfect harmony with nature. Unlike Confucianism and Daoism, which started in China, Buddhism came from India and is based on the teachings of the Buddha -- a holy man. Buddha taught that people need to let go of earthly desires and become fully aware of what they are doing in the present. Buddhists believe that after death each soul moves on to another body, which may be animal or human. What one is chosen for in the next life depends on how good or bad the person has been in this life. The Chinese also pray to other gods, holding the view that the more gods who can look after them the better. The important ones are the Kitchen God, who watches the family in the home, the Jade Emperor, who is the most important god in heaven, the God of Wealth, who determines how wealthy people are, and the Door Gods. ~~~~~~~~By Sarah Moyse This article is copyrighted. All rights reserved.Source: Chinese New Year (0-7613-0374-X)

Section: Festival The Lunar New Year is the most important festival of the Chinese year. It is the celebration to welcome the start of a new year and a festival of family reunion. Families who live apart come together to celebrate. Although outside the Chinese-speaking world (China, Taiwan, Singapore, and some parts of Malaysia) Chinese New Year is not a public holiday, people still celebrate with a family get-together and a special meal, either on Chinese New Year's Eve or on the first weekend after the Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is a family celebration that takes place in the home. The Chinese place particular importance on caring for the family. This is particularly true at the New Year Festival when the very young are treated specially because of their importance for the future, and the old are honored for their connection with the past. Public celebrations of Chinese New Year happen all over the world; cities with Chinese communities celebrate with Lion and Dragon Dances and parades with traditional costumes. They also welcome the new year with firecrackers. In China many places have traditional celebrations that last for several days. ~~~~~~~~By Sarah Moyse This article is copyrighted. All rights reserved.Source: Chinese New Year (0-7613-0374-X)

The introduction of Western cultural values, which had flooded Japan by the late nineteenth century, led to a dichotomy between traditional values and attempts to duplicate and assimilate a variety of clashing new ideas

Japanese aesthetics provide a key to understanding artistic works perceivably different from those coming from Western traditions.

Within the East Asian artistic tradition, China has been the acknowledged teacher and Japan the devoted student.

Japan entered into its second major prehistoric period, a civilized era known as the Yayoi period.

he name Yayoi is derived from an area Tokyo known as Yayoi, where the first documented pottery from this period was discovered in an archaeological excavation in 1884.

ron and bronze materials are believed to have been exchanged with Japanese envoys either for token tributes or prisoners of war.

Dog showing, in which dogs compete to earn the title of champion and other honors, is a popular sport in many parts of the world.

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sport

As a celebration steeped in American history, you might expect it to be a day of remembering our forebears and displaying patriotism. However, in modern times, consideration of the first Thanksgiving is generally relegated to schoolchildren. Although that first celebration was a landmark moment in the history of America, beyond giving thanks for freedom and safety, you won't typically find the flag waving of the Fourth of July or Memorial Day. Instead, the holiday remains centered on family, friends, and food. Some see the holiday as a last bastion of non-commercialization. Beyond a few centerpieces and themed party supplies, Thanksgiving doesn't receive the same marketing push as Valentine's Day, Halloween, or especially Christmas. It feels more pure in this regard. However, the time and money required to create a traditional Thanksgiving spread doesn't make the day completely free of pressure. As a national holiday, Thanksgiving means a day free from school and work for most. Even television seems to conspire to bring families closer together, with spectacles such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, big football games, and themed marathons on numerous cable channels inviting everyone to gather 'round. Although giving thanks for the many blessings of life is easily interpreted as a religious sentiment, there is no particular creed or belief system associated with the holiday. A community might host an ecumenical service in honor of the holiday. Families often say a prayer over the food before beginning dinner. Churches sponsor holiday dinners as outreach to the poor and lonely. However, all of these actions are founded on the basic, secular premise of giving thanks. From preschoolers making handprint turkeys to adults remembering the most important people and moments in their lives, it is easy to answer, "Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?" Like the Pilgrims did on that long-ago day, we all gather to give thanks for the many bounties life offers.