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(活动时间) 活动隔周举行 周三晚
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( 主 题 ) 节日(中西重大节日大比拼啦!)
(活 动 地 点) 上海理工大学综合楼中心花园
posted @ 2007-10-12 20:45
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编辑 收藏posted @ 2007-10-12 20:24
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Table of Contents
- National Celebrations:
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- New Year's Day (January 1)
- Martin Luther King Day (Third Monday in January)
- Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (February 12)
- Presidents' Day (Third Monday in February)
- George Washington's Birthday (February 22)
- Arbor Day (In April or close to April 22 or on that day)
- Mother's Day (Second Sunday in May)
- Memorial Day(Last Monday in May)
- Flag Day (June 14)
- Father's Day (Third Sunday in June)
- Independence Day (July 4)
- Labor Day (First Monday in September)
- Columbus Day (Second Monday in October)
- Veterans' Day (November 11)
- Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
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- Religious Celebrations:
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- Easter (A Sunday between March 22 and April 25)
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- Fun Days:
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- St. Valentine's Day (February 14)
- April Fool's Day (April 1)
- Halloween (October 31)
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- Ethnic and Regional Celebrations:
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- Chinese New Year (Sometime between January 21 - February 19)
- Mardi Gras (February/March)
- St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
- Cinco De Mayo(May 5)
- Native American Pow-Wows (March - August)
- Other American Celebrations
posted @ 2007-10-12 20:18
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Christmas holidays are important for both Christian and non-Christian communities across the globe. People throw parties, eat cakes, feast, play games, dance, sing and rejoice to the tunes of Christmas carols during these Christmas holidays. Christmas holidays are a great source of business all across the globe. Many sorts of businesses bloom in this festive season. People exchange messages, cards, gifts, sweets and many more things during this time. This is the reason of the proliferation of many businesses during Christmas holidays.
People across the world celebrate Christmas holidays with great pomp and show. The most popular of all the Christian holidays is Christmas, which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. This enticing event is celebrated as a happy holiday across the globe. Christmas holidays present Christianity in its purest form in front of all the people of the world.
Escape all the stresses of the city life. Instead enjoy a fantastic Christmas holiday into some far off land.
Santa Claus
Find all related information about Santa Claus, origin of Santa Claus and Christmas, and the history of Santa Claus on this website.
Can we even think of Christmas without the bearded old man, wearing his lush red and furry overcoat, darting across the snow in his open sledge and jingling his bells to spread the good cheer of Christmas? Oh! How we wait all throughout the year for the Christmas Eve, when we have our very own Santa Claus, showering us all the gifts and blessings to make our Christmas very unique and special.
The great historical and legendary personality, Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas is also called Father Christmas or simply 揝anta? It is believed that Santa Claus brings gifts for young children on Christmas. Children are very fond of this lovable character as he is a dear friend of children. |
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No one can think of celebrating Christmas without the bearded old and adorable man, Santa Claus. Children associate Christmas with Santa Claus and his gifts.
Many children have this question in mind that - Is Santa real? At some point of your childhood, you must also have asked this question from your parents. What will you tell your small children when they will ask you about the reality of Santa Claus?
Yes, of course Santa was a real figure. He was actually St. Nicholas born in 300 A.D. He lost his parents at an early age. After that he was brought up in a monastery. For quite a long time, Santa stayed in that monastery where he grew to the position of a 態ishop? Later he became a patron saint of giving. He acquired the reputation for giving because he used to give presents to the needy and poor people especially small children who were in need of money.
The depiction of Santa may change in different cultures but his giving nature is same in all places. His clothes may change but his nature will not. Santa was a religious saint who lived his whole life as per the Holy Scriptures.
Santa Claus and Christmas are closely related. It is now believed that on the Christmas Eve, Santa Claus loads his sleigh with umpteenth number of gifts, which he drops from the house chimneys for young children. He comes on his sleigh moved by his eight reindeers on Christmas Eve and moves through the skies at full pace. Then he lands on the rooftops of houses to drop the gifts. Children hang their stockings near the fire mantle for Santa to fill them with gifts.
Santa Claus and Christmas stockings are also related. There is a story that once there was a poor family where one man had three daughters. He didn抰 have money for giving the dowry in their marriages so those girls thought they would never get married. One day they washed their stockings and hung them over the fireplace mantle for drying up. That night when Santa was crossing from there, he took out pieces of gold and put them in the hanging stockings. Next morning when the girls saw their stockings, they were very happy because now they could easily get married. From then on people starting hanging their stockings on Christmas Eve so that Santa comes and fills them with gifts.
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posted @ 2007-10-12 17:55
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| The New Moon on the first day of the new year-- the full moon 15 days later |
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 Click here for more words about the Spring Festival
Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon（新月）on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon（满月）15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival（元宵节）, 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（月运周期）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 （闰年）. 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（万物）, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.
The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals（仪式）, 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.
 The Origin of Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year is now popularly known as the Spring Festival because it starts from the Begining of Spring (the first of the twenty-four terms in coodination with the changes of Nature). Its origin is too old to be traced. Several explanations are hanging around. All agree, however, that the word Nian, which in modern Chinese solely means "year", was originally the name of a monster beast that started to prey on people the night before the beginning of a new year.
One legend goes that the beast Nian had a very big mouth that would swallow a great many people with one bite. People were very scared. One day, an old man came to their rescue, offering to subdue Nian. To Nian he said, "I hear say that you are very capable, but can you swallow the other beasts of prey on earth instead of people who are by no means of your worthy opponents?" So, it did swallow many of the beasts of prey on earth that also harrassed people and their domestic animals from time to time.
After that, the old man disappeared riding the beast Nian. He turned out to be an immortal god. Now that Nian is gone and other beasts of prey are also scared into forests, people begin to enjoy their peaceful life. Before the old man left, he had told people to put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors at each year's end to scare away Nian in case it sneaked back again, because red is the color the beast feared the most.
From then on, the tradition of observing the conquest of Nian is carried on from generation to generation. The term "Guo Nian", which may mean "Survive the Nian" becomes today "Celebrate the (New) Year" as the word "guo" in Chinese having both the meaning of "pass-over" and "observe". The custom of putting up red paper and firing fire-crackers to scare away Nian should it have a chance to run loose is still around. However, people today have long forgotten why they are doing all this, except that they feel the color and the sound add to the excitement of the celebration.
Traditional New Year Foods
 Probably more food is consumed during the New Year celebrations than any other time of the year. Vast amounts of traditional food is prepared for family and friends, as well as those close to us who have died.
On New Year's Day, the Chinese family will eat a vegetarian dish called jai. Although the various ingredients in jai are root vegetables or fibrous vegetables, many people attribute various superstitious aspects to them.
Other foods include a whole fish, to represent togetherness and abundance, and a chicken for prosperity. The chicken must be presented with a head, tail and feet to symbolize completeness. Noodles should be uncut, as they represent long life.
 In south China, the favorite and most typical dishes were nian gao, sweet steamed glutinous rice（糯米）pudding and zong zi (glutinous rice wrapped up in reed（芦苇）leaves), another popular delicacy.
In the north, steamed-wheat bread (man tou) and small meat dumplings were the preferred food. The tremendous amount of food prepared at this time was meant to symbolize abundance and wealth for the household.
The 15-Day Celebration of Chinese New Year
The first day of the Lunar New Year is "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth."Many people abstain from meat on the first day of the new year because it is believed that this will ensure long and happy lives for them.
On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.
 The third and fourth days are for the sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law.
The fifth day is called Po Woo. On that day people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on the fifth day because it will bring both parties bad luck.
On the sixth to the 10th day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.
The seventh day of the New Year is the day for farmers to display their produce. These farmers make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate the occasion. The seventh day is also considered the birthday of human beings. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success.
On the eighth day the Fujian people have another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven.
The ninth day is to make offerings to the Jade Emperor.
The 10th through the 12th are days that friends and relatives should be invited for dinner. After so much rich food, on the 13th day you should have simple rice congee and mustard greens (choi sum) to cleanse the system.
The 14th day should be for preparations to celebrate the Lantern Festival which is to be held on the 15th night.
Auspicious words:
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| Treasures fill the home |
Business flourishes |
Peace all year round |
Wishing you prosperity |
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| Harmony brings wealth |
May all your wishes come true |
Everything goes well |
The country flourishes and people live in peace |
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| Money and treasures will be plentiful |
Wishing you every success |
Promoting to a higher position |
Safe trip wherever you go |
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posted @ 2007-10-12 17:54
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"Astonishing ! Hundreds of naked female Japanese visitors are demonstrating in the Tian'an Square ." Today when I logged on QQ, I received this message . I clicked the address only to find that I was taken in . It said, "Astonishing ? Astonish your head !Happy April Fool's Day , you fool ! "Yes , it is April Fool's Day .
The celebration of western festivals in China is popular and a hot topic for years .
Celebrations
Who makes the festivities
Nowadays , western festivals are so hot in China .The festivals mainly incorporate Christmas Day , Valentine's Day , April Fool's Day ,etc . Let's see some Statistics from a newspaper survey . According to ages , the percentages of the young people under 18, over 28 , from 18to 25, from 25 to 28 ,who celebrate Christmas, are separately 7%, 29%, 46%,18% . According to careers , there are 84.6% workers of science and technology , education , medicine, 83.3% students , 71.4% administrators and office staffs, who keep Christmas .
[color=orange]How people celebrate[/orange]
When these festivals come along , many young people become quite exuberant .They exchanges gifts with classmates , friends , colleagues , valentines. They chat , sing , and laugh happily .And they go to the pubs and restaurants . When Christmas falls , there are a variety of decorates such as Christmas trees , miscellaneous toys , vermilion hats , little candies , elaborate cards , blessings, ribbons and festoons in various stores , the campuses , offices , houses, etc . And on Valentine's Day , the streets are stuffed with cerise roses . People send boxes of chocolates, diamond rings , and write love poems to the their beloved . And they sit drinking the grape wine in the bar and kissed each other on the streets .
To cut long story short , many young people are really fascinated by the western festivals .
[colou=red]Controversy : For or Against[/color]
Though the western festivals become more and more popular, there is much controversy over this phenomenon. Many people ,including the experts ,turn to worry about the disadvantages and potential harm of the celebrations. And many people think otherwise .Different people have different views towards it .
Part 1 :
Viewpoint 1
Some people comment that the festivities are meaningless . "They are foreign. And why should we Chinese keep their festivals . They have nothing to do with us ! What should we do that for ? " they said , "don't do this sorts of stupid things again ! " One people says online jokingly ,"April Fool's Day ? Forget it .Don't you know that we are keeping Fool' Day every day ?" We celebrate the festivals even without knowing their meanings .
Viewpoint 2
Others believe that the western festivals serve as a kind of cultural aggression . And we should drive them out of our country lest they should undermine our traditional culture and system . Some festivals such as Christmas are highly religious .As the 'imported 'festivals become hot , our own native festive occasions turn cool . What's worse , if our own distinctive culture be destroyed , then the whole nation will not exist .
Viewpoint 3
Some people point out that the youngsters are misled by the market sellers , who exert great efforts to advertise and propagate their products and provide all kinds services related to the west festivals . And the young people are just following the trends indiscriminately . It will cost them an arm and a leg to buy the gifts ,which is especially inappropriate for the campus students . Some stores hold contest of kissing , in which the couple who kiss each longest will be rewarded . Many young people including the students take part in it .
Viewpoint4
A lot of people assume that the phenomenon is actually a kind of blind worship of western things . They condemn the people keeping the Occidental festivals as lacking the backbone . They should strength their confidence of our own country and our own traditional festivals . It is better to celebrate our own .
Viewpoint5
Someone employs as a protest a Chinese idiom –Tungshihhsiaopin ,meaning blind imitation with ludicrous effect .This mainly refers to the April Fool's Day . Some people make excessive jokes and do some foolish things .It may generate harmful effects . Some severe consequences are really made because of it .
Part 2 :
Viewpoint 1
Some people argue that there is no harm of the festivities . For one thing , it helps to consolidate the relationships between friends , lovers , classmates , colleagues , etc . Through the activities , we can know each other better . If you want to pursue a boy or a girl , then Valentine's Day is a great chance .You can boldly show your love to him or her under the cloak of festival.
Viewpoint 2
The festivals brings happiness to us . It can contributes t o alleviating the pressure of study , work ,etc . In modern society , everyone may feel some stress. Since the celebrations are beneficial , why should we keep them out of the door . And happiness is indispensable part of our life . Just for fun and for relaxation . There is no conscience of religion . Many people accept the festival without knowing their original significance .So don't worry about the influence of religion . A lot of good memories will remain in our brain .
Viewpoint3
The western festivals are colorful . And they emphasize more on the individualism and liberalism .Some aspects of our traditional festivals not fit to many people . For example , to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival , people traditionally make Tsung Tzu (a pyramid-shaped mass of glutinous rice wrapped in leaves) at home . But it is not convenient for people who live in the big cities to do it . And the Ghost Day has an ambience of gloom and horror . But people in the west celebrate the Halloween Day with a more happy attitude.
The Conclusions
We can see that there are advantages and disadvantages of the celebrations of western festivals . It is impossible to totally refuse them . And it is not wise to take them all . So what should we do ? And how should we face the it ?
1 .Western festivals are not patents of the west .
We can also do some festivities during the days . To celebrate the western festivals , we should not go to far . But we should not waste too much money . And on the April Fool's Day , we should limit the acts of mischief lest we cause disaster to other people .
2 . We should know our own culture well .
The Chinese culture emphasize on collectivism . It is helpful to the country's united force .We should cherish the traditional festivals .
3.We should do something to make the traditional festivals more enchanting .
We should modernize our festivals and diversify the festivities .For example , we can make the dragon-boat racing as a national contest .
posted @ 2007-10-12 17:52
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