--新年 2011--

新年指中国及其他汉字文化圈地区的农历一月一日，传统上称为元旦（与中国现行的公历元旦不同）、岁首、正旦，现在一般称为新年、大年，口头上亦称为过年、 度岁、庆新岁；是东亚许多国家和地区庆祝新年的主要节日。越南语称为“Tết Nguyên Đán”（節元旦）、日语称为“正月”（明治维新后改称旧正月）、韩语称为“설날”（此乃固有词，即新年之意）。
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春节和年的概念，最初的含意来自农业，古时人们把谷的生长周期称 为“年”。《说文·禾部》：“年，谷熟也。”在夏商时代产生了夏历，以月亮圆缺的周期为月，一年划分为十二个月，每月以不见月亮的那天为朔，正月朔日的子 时称为岁首，即一年的开始，也叫年，年的名称是从周朝开始的，至了西汉才正式固定下来，一直延续到今天。但古时的正月初一被称为“元旦”，直到中国近代辛 亥革命胜利后，南京临时政府为了顺应农时和便于统计，规定在民间使用夏历，在政府机关、厂矿、学校和团体中实行公历。

1949年9月27日，在中国人民政治协商会议第一届全体会议上，通过了使用世界上通用的公历纪元，把公历的元月一日定为元旦，俗称阳历年；农历正月初一通常都在立春前后，因而把农历正月初一定为“春节”，俗称阴历年。

　　传统意义上的春节是指从腊月初八的腊祭或腊月二十三的祭灶，一直直到正月十五，其中以除夕和正月初一为高潮。在春节这一传统节日期间，我国的汉族和大多数少数民族都有要举行各种庆祝活动，这些活动大多以祭祀神佛、祭奠祖先、除旧布新、迎禧接福、祈求丰年为主要内容。活动形式丰富多彩，带有浓郁的民族特色。

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~http://www.hudong.com/wiki/新年
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~http://baike.baidu.com/view/67771.htm
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~http://www.qicaispace.com/count/newyear/
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~http://baike.soso.com/v173264.htm

--Gong Xi Fa Cai

Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. Despite its winter occurrence, in China it is known as "Spring Festival," the literal translation of the Chinese name 春节 (Pinyin: Chūn Jié), owing to the difference between Western and traditional Chinese methods for computing the seasons. The festival begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: Zhēng Yuè) in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival which is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve, a day where Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as Chú Xī (除夕) or "Eve of the Passing Year."
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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_Xi_Fa_Cai#Greetings
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~http://goodcharacters.com/newsletters/gong-xi-fa-cai.html
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~http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gong+Xi+Fa+Chai&defid=441970
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~http://mangaweekend.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/%E6%81%AD%E7%A6%A7%E5%8F%91%E8%B4%A2-gong-xi-fa-cai/

--除夕夜--

除夕：读作chú xī ；英文： Chinese New Year's Eve，又称Lunar New Year's Eve。除夕是我国传统节日中最重大的节日之一。指农历一年最后一天的晚上，即春节前一天晚，因常在夏历腊月三十或二十九，故又称该日为年三十。一年的最后一天叫“岁除”，那天晚上叫“除夕”。除夕人们往往通宵不眠，叫守岁。苏轼有《守岁》：“儿童强不睡，相守夜欢哗。”除夕这一天，家里家外不但要打扫得干干净净，还要贴门神、贴春联、贴年画、挂门笼，人们则换上带喜庆色彩和带图案的新衣。
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Chinese New Year - often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar - is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. Despite its winter occurrence, in China it is known as "Spring Festival," the literal translation of the Chinese name 春节 (Pinyin: Chūn Jié), owing to the difference between Western and traditional Chinese methods for computing the seasons. The festival begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: Zhēng Yuè) in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival which is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve, a day where Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as Chú Xī (除夕) or "Eve of the Passing Year."
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~http://baike.baidu.com/view/2562.htm
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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

--团圆饭~Reunion Dinner--

团圆饭（family reunion dinner） 。中国的春节，“吃”往往会成为大部分人节日期间的主要活动，一家人围坐在热气腾腾的饭桌旁，就是透着那么一股喜庆热闹劲儿，这可以算是中国民间过年的最大特点了。“民以食为天”这句话似乎在春节这个传统佳节更加显得入情入理。
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~http://baike.baidu.com/view/776810.htm
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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reunion_Dinner
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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

--Chelsea seals Fernando Torres transfer--

LIVERPOOL, England -- Chelsea has broken the British transfer record, signing Fernando Torres from Liverpool for a fee reported to be 50 million pounds ($79.5 million). ~

Monday's deal is soccer's third-most expensive transfer, exceeded by Real Madrid's 2009 purchases of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for 80 million pounds ($131 million) and Kaka from AC Milan for 65 million euros ($92 million). It will be a similar figure to that received by Inter Milan when the Italian side team sold Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona the same year, a deal that sent Samuel Eto'o to Inter.

"Liverpool Football Club tonight confirmed they have agreed a fee with Chelsea for the sale of Fernando Torres," a Liverpool statement said.

Liverpool, purchased last fall by the parent company of the Boston Red Sox, described Torres' move Monday as a "British-record transfer fee" after he signed a 5½-year deal with Chelsea. Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez was recognized as being the previous most expensive signing within British soccer after moving from Manchester United for about 47 million pounds (then $76 million) in 2009.

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~http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6077267/liverpool-chelsea-set-transfer-fee-fernando-torres?campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines&asid=4e4bbac1

--The Year Of Rabbit 2011--

Why not have a look below to get a free forecast of what 2011, the Year of the Rabbit, holds for you! You’ll also find out what personal traits you need to let shine through the coming year!
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The history of the Chinese Zodiac is very interesting! It is said that Buddha invited all of the animals in the world to join him for the New Year celebrations, but only 12 animals bothered to turn up. As a great reward, Buddha named a year after each one of them and they actually run in the order that the animals arrived to celebrate with Buddha, starting with the rat and ending with the last guest, the pig.

The Chinese believe that those born during a year of a particular animal would inherit some of the good and bad personality traits of that animal.

Also, each Chinese year is influenced by whatever animal it falls in. The Year of The Rabbit begins on February 3rd 2011. Most Rabbit years are quiet, positive and inspiring and 2011 looks to be heading in this direction – a refreshing change after the fast-moving and quite dramatic Year of the Tiger. Family, diplomacy and personal development will all be highlighted in 2011. Once again alternative sources of energy and green living will be under the spotlight. The arts and culture sector of society will very busy producing amazing works of art and staging important exhibitions throughout the year. Love, romance and family life are well-starred, with a renewed appreciation of loved ones and friends. Overall, it should be a fun and relatively peaceful year. Even though aggression, violence and war zones will still be in evidence, the Chinese Rabbit year favours peaceful solutions and diplomacy, so there will be a feeling that all is not lost and that hope is still very much alive.

Let’s take a look at each animal, their major personality traits and what the prospects are for 2011, the Year of the Rabbit.

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~http://www.moonslipper.com/chinese.html

--"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step - Lao Tzu"--

Laozi (Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozǐ; Wade–Giles: Lao Tzu; also Lao Tse, Lao Tu, Lao-Tzu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Laosi, Lao Zi, Laocius, and other variations) was a mystic philosopher of ancient China, and best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching. His association with the Tao Te Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of Taoism (also spelled "Daoism"). He is also revered as a deity in most religious forms of the Taoist religion, which often refers to Laozi as Taishang Laojun, or "One of the Three Pure Ones". Laozi translated literally from Chinese means "old master" or "old one", and is generally considered honorific.
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According to Chinese tradition, Laozi lived in the 6th century BC. Historians variously contend that Laozi is a synthesis of multiple historical figures, that he is a mythical figure, or that he actually lived in the 4th century BC, concurrent with the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Period.
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A central figure in Chinese culture, both nobility and common people claim Laozi in their lineage. Throughout history, Laozi's work has been embraced by various anti-authoritarian movements.
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The five colours blind the eye.
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavours dull the taste.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Precious things lead one astray.

Therefore the sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees.
He lets go of that and chooses this.

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Look, it cannot be seen - it is beyond form.
Listen, it cannot be heard - it is beyond sound.
Grasp, it cannot be held - it is intangible.
These three are indefinable, they are one.
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From above it is not bright;
From below it is not dark:
Unbroken thread beyond description.
It returns to nothingness.
Form of the formless,
Image of the imageless,
It is called indefinable and beyond imagination.
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Stand before it - there is no beginning.
Follow it and there is no end.
Stay with the Tao, Move with the present.

Knowing the ancient beginning is the essence of Tao.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laozi
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~http://www.moonslipper.com/chinese.html
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~http://www.answers.com/topic/lao-zi
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~http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/lao.html
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