1feb，11，08
San Ming Times
Vol. #24 Feb 11, 2008
Greeting from the Unique City of San Ming, China,
Chinese New Year
The Year of the Rat
It is now the year 4706 on the Chinese lunar calendar, the year of the rat. I had the privilege of celebrating this holiday in the beautiful city of Du an, China. Du an is located in the southern part of Guangxi prov. just a little north of Vietnam. I was in Du an to help get another orphanage started.
The New Years celebration is one of Chinese biggest holiday with many businesses closed and people taking a week or more off work. This holiday is celebrated with many traditions. One of these traditions is fireworks. The whole city of Du an exploded 10 minutes before the clock was to strike 12:00 Midnight. The city continued to explode for the next 1.5 hours. I will try to attach a very short video clip and some photo. American fireworks do not even compare to chinese fireworks. WOW!!! The Chinese people also love to decorate their houses before the holiday season. The popular decorating color is red. They also use paper cutting art, and red lanterns to decorate there surroundings.
A Legend is told in china about a Nien (Nien in Chinese means New Year), an extremely cruel beast, which the Chinese believe, eats people on New Year's Eve. To keep Nien away, red-paper is hung on doors, torches are lit, and fireworks are set off all throughout the night, because Nien is said to fear the color red, the light of fire, and loud noises.
On lunar New Year's Eve, family members who are no longer living at home make a special effort to return home for reunion and share in a big meal. At that time, family members hand out "lucky money" in red envelopes to children. In China it is believed that staying awake all night on New Year's Eve would help your parents to live a longer life. Lights are kept on the entire night as an excuse to make the most of the family reunions. Some families even hold religious ceremonies after midnight to welcome the god of the New Year into their homes, a ritual that is often ends with a huge amount of fireworks.
This year as the Chinese people welcomed the god of the New Year. I was welcoming the true Gd to come to China.
Please Pray:
That the true God will be welcomed to China this year the year of the rat.