Chinese New Year

January 26, 2009 is this year's date for Chinese Lunar New Year, where basically the whole country of China shuts down for 2 weeks to celebrate with festivals, parades, and many other symbolic traditions. China will be celebrating 2009 as the Year of the Ox.

Fun China Facts:

1. The Color RED: Red means "Good Luck". Lot's of things in China are Red. Traditionally, brides wear Red on their wedding day. On Chinese New Year, gifts of money will be given in Red envelopes to bring wealth and luck...tomorrow, the whole country will be drenched in RED.

2. China is the homeland of TEA, dating back over 2,000 years. (Do you think that Southern China adds sugar to their tea?)

3. The Great Wall is approximately 4,000 miles long. (We will only walk a portion when we visit Beijing. A very, very , very, very small portion...)

4. Shoes worn without socks are frowned upon, also unsocked feet get dirty much faster and therefore should not come in contact with anything else. (will they still be offended if they know I'm from Tennessee???)

5. Chinese do not like to be touched, particularly by strangers; don't hug, backslap, or put an arm around someone's shoulder (this southern girl's gonna need a strait-jacket...)

6. Pointing with an index finger...use an open hand, whistling, or finger-snapping are considered rude (in the Johnson house...it is considered rude to "point" with your middle finger)

7. Chinese customs that Alec will LOVE: spitting in the street, slurping food, talking while eating

8. Chopsticks placed in rice standing UP symbolize death. (ummmm fork please.)

9. I was born in The Year of the OX, Ken was born in the Year of the Monkey, Alec was born the Year of The Rooster, and Addie was born (maybe) in The Year of The Rat!!!

more facts to come as we get closer....

I will post info. soon on when we may get a referral (hint: it wasn't this month...)

~1st photo courtesy of jenniferphoon - "Glowing Lanterns at Theon Hou Temple"
~2nd Photo Courtesy of China Pictures.org