Chinese New Year

I read this story at Penguin Dossiers site. On 22nd January 2004 the Chinese new Year started. It is not 2004 in the Chinese calendar. It is the year 4701. The Chinese calendar is very old!! Each year of the Chinese calendar has the name of an animal.4701 is the year of the Monkey. All the new babies in this year are monkeys! I was born 1987, which is the year of the Rabbit. So I am rabbit.

Before the New Year, Chinese people clean their houses and wash their clothes. Many people put red paint on their windows and doors. Red is the colour of good luck in the Chinese tradition. They usually get a haircut. At New Year they give red envelopes with presents of money. These are called Hong Bao which means red packet. They buy new clothes and have a big party called the "Festival of Lanterns". They sing , dance, and carry light.

Christmas Time is here again!

At the Penguin Dossiers site, I read that in Britain they prepare for Christmas for many weeks before the 25th December. It is a special holiday and it has a very long history.

There have been festivals at this time of year for 4000 years. First,it was to celebrate the end of the growing season and to help the dark and cold winter pass. Then, to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Usually, they put a star on the top of Christmas trees, which are an important sign of Christmas. Around the tree are bigger presents which families open together on Christmas morning.

Christmas is a magical time for children. Father Christmas comes to each house from the north, and he brings presents in his sleigh pulled by reindeer. He comes down the chimney in the night and leaves presents for them. The history of his magical person began in Turkey where people told stories.