Photo of the Day Archive for January 2006

by Albert Wen, Nov 15, 2006 | Destinations: Japan
Long ago, when many families lived on farms, they called Chinese New Year the Spring Festival. With clearer skies and warmer winds came anticipation for what lay ahead. Seeing spring on the way, they would get ready to plant fresh food, hope for a strong, new harvest, and welcome visits from old friends. "Gung hey fat choy!" they would say to each other, "Congratulations and wealth!" or "Xin nian kuai le!", which means "New Year happiness!"

Long ago, when many families lived on farms, they called Chinese New Year the Spring Festival. With clearer skies and warmer winds came anticipation for what lay ahead. Seeing spring on the way, they would get ready to plant fresh food, hope for a strong, new harvest, and welcome visits from old friends. "Gung hey fat choy!" they would say to each other, "Congratulations and wealth!" or "Xin nian kuai le!", which means "New Year happiness!"

Long ago, when many families lived on farms, they called Chinese New Year the Spring Festival. With clearer skies and warmer winds came anticipation for what lay ahead. Seeing spring on the way, they would get ready to plant fresh food, hope for a strong, new harvest, and welcome visits from old friends. "Gung hey fat choy!" they would say to each other, "Congratulations and wealth!" or "Xin nian kuai le!", which means "New Year happiness!"
During the New Year celebrations, A tray full of happiness sits by the door, ready to share with visitors. Sweet dried fruits like candied melon, lychee nuts, kumquats, longan and coconut sit beside salty, dyed red melon seeds, lotus seeds and peanuts. Each food represents something to hope for in the new year: good health, a strong family, prosperity, being together, happiness, many babies, good children and a long life.
Moon Festival (also known as Mid-Autumn festival, or "Tet Trung Thu" in Vietnam) falls on the 15th day of the eighth moon. On this evening, the moon (the 'harvest moon' to Westerners) always appears at its brightest and fullest. Children in many parts of Asia celebrate the Moon Festival with moon cakes and paper lanterns.
Every year on November 15, Japan celebrates Shichi-Go-San - Children's Day. Dressed in their very finest garments, girls and boys aged three, boys aged five, and girls aged seven, go with their families to nearby shrines, where they line up, sometimes for hours, to await their turn to be blessed by the presiding priest. After the blessing, the child is presented with a gift of long sticks of candy called chitose-ame, "thousand year sweets," wrapped in ornate bags decorated with cranes and turtles, both symbols of longevity.

Photo of the Day Archive for January 2006

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