How the Chinese celebrate their New Year

Chinese New Year, also referred to as Lunar New Year, is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. The holiday is a two-week festival filled with reunions among family and friends, an abundance of delicious food and wishes for a new year filled with prosperity, joy and good fortune.

Clean their home

This tradition is founded in the belief that cleaning the house at this time of year will "sweep away the bad luck" that has accumulated inside over the past year. Cleaning also makes the house ready for the good luck to start entering again.

Don't clean your home after the New Year has started. To do so is to "sweep away" the good luck you have just received. Over the following fifteen days, or at least the first few if you cannot wait that long, you are relieved of cleaning duties.

Put up red decorations

Red is the color or symbol of good luck in Chinese culture and is often used for new year decorations. The number "8" also symbolizes good luck and wealth, since the Chinese character for eight rhymes with fortune or wealth.

Appease the Kitchen God

Seven days before the New Year, the Kitchen God is said to report to the Jade Emperor about the household. Keep on your best behavior and offer him a sacrifice of fruit, candy, water, or other food. Some people burn a picture of the Kitchen God to send him up to heaven.

Firecrackers and fireworks

New Year festivities just would not be the same without pyrotechnics. New Year’s firecrackers are made from strings of rolled red paper containing gunpowder that, when set off, leave shreds of scarlet paper in their wake. Traditionally, it is believed that the loud noise of the firecrackers serves to scare away evil spirits, although nowadays firecrackers are banned in many cities for safety reasons. In addition, most major cities, including Hong Kong and Shanghai, will put up an impressive display of fireworks around midnight to welcome in the new year.

Honor your ancestors

Show gratitude and respect for what your ancestors have done for you. There are many traditional customs associated with this if you choose to follow them, such as bowing to a shrine dedicated to them or offering them food and drink as a sacrifice.

Dress for the occasion

If you have traditional Chinese clothing, this is the perfect time to wear it. Outfits can be purchased in Chinatown, including beautiful silk clothing. Associated with joy, happiness, good luck, wealth and good fortune, red clothes will ensure that you are fully participating in the spirit of the celebrations. Gold is another suitable color; try combining the two colors for a festive look. Avoid wearing too much black during the celebration period because black symbolizes bad luck and even death.

Give and receive red envelopes

Visiting relatives and friends is the main traditional custom during Chinese New Year and children will often receive gift money in little red packages, together with the wish for safety throughout the New Year.
The most commonly-said greetings are ‘xin nian kuai le’ (Happy New Year) and ‘gong xi fa cai’ (Wishing you prosperity). It is also common for Chinese parents to place mandarins and oranges alongside a red envelope on their children's pillows because their names in Chinese sound similar to those for ‘luck’ and ‘wealth’.

Read more: The best destinations to spend New Year in Southeast Asia

Source Internet

All you need to know about Diwali Festival

Diwali is one of the most important festivals in India. In 2018, it will start on 7th November. But do you know what this grand festival is about and why people celebrate it? 

1. What is Diwali Festival?

Diwali, also spelled as Deepavali, meaning "row of lighted lamps", is a Hindu festival of lights and Hindus celebrate it with joy. Diwali symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance." Diwali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and a school holiday in many states of the United States with a large Hindu population.

2. When is Diwali celebrated?

Diwali is celebrated at the 13th lunar day of the Krishna paksha (also known as the dark fortnight) according to the Hindu calendar. It is traditionally celebrated every year between the mid October and mid November.

3. How to pronounce Diwali?

Because the word is transliterated from Hindi, Tamil, and other alphabets, we end up with different pronunciations, just as the festival is celebrated in many different ways between the numerous ethnic groups and religions.

The pronunciation for the three most common occurrences is as follows:

Diwali (English): "dee-wall-ee" but also heard as "dee-vall-ee"

Deepavali (Hindi): "dee-paw-lee"

Tihar (Nepal): "tee-har"

4. How is Diwali celebrated?

Diwali is celebrated with family gatherings, new clothes, special treats, and meals. Just as in the days leading up to Lunar New Year, homes are cleaned, renovated, and decorated. New clothes, along with sweets and small gifts for friends and family, are purchased. The quickest and easiest way to show that you acknowledge Diwali is to light lanterns and candles in front of your house.

5. How long is Diwali celebrated?

The Diwali festival lasts for five days. The peak is usually on the third day, which is considered a sort of New Year's Eve. The last day is set aside for brothers and sisters to spend time together.

6. Why is Diwali celebrated?

People believe that what they do at the festival of Diwali they will do that for whole year. That’s why people do good work, lighten the every corner of their home with lamps, distribute sweets, make friendship, offer puja (worship) to Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi to get peace and prosperity, eat luxurious food, decorate their home and other activities so that they can do all that for whole year.

See more: The colorful festivals you cannot miss in India

Source: Internet

Top 6 budget-friendly destinations for travellers in Asia

Asia is home to some of the most epically beautiful and culturally amazing destinations on the planet. While some of Asia’s nations, including Japan and Singapore, are known for being pretty expensive places to travel, there are those at the other end of the spectrum that offer terrific opportunities for budget travellers to explore.

Ha Noi, Vietnam

Vietnam's cheapest city for backpackers is also one that gets high marks from most visitors with its unique combination of French colonial and Asian post-communism. The food is also top-notch, especially when you are sitting amongst locals at one of the thousands of plastic-chair cafes throughout the city. Keep costs even lower by sticking with Bia Hoi, the world's cheapest beer. Hostel beds are cheap, but private rooms are too, so don't automatically book a bunk.

Currency: Vietnamese dong
Daily Backpacker Index: VND422,430 = US$18.60/day

Pokhara, Nepal

Nepal is near and dear to shoestring travelers. The mountainous terrain is lined with guesthouses that appeal to every kind of visitor, whether you are a backpacker or more of a luxury traveler. Set out on the Annapurana Circuit trek and stop in Pokhara, where you can find gorgeous home rentals on Airbnb for an average of $24 per night.

Currency: Nepalese rupee
Daily Backpacker Index: NPR2,092 = US$20.31/day

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thailand's “capital of the north” is certainly one of the world's great travel bargain destinations. Filled with ancient temples and surrounded by a moat and city walls, Chiang Mai is a major stop in the region and a highlight for many. Much less crowded than Bangkok, and quite a bit cheaper as well, this is also booming with expats and creative people living cheaply while they work.

Currency: Thai baht
Daily Backpacker Index: THB668 = US$20.44/day

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh, as it is still usually known, is far more sprawling and modern compared to Hanoi. Hotel and food prices tend to be a bit higher than elsewhere in Vietnam, but compared to almost anywhere else in the world, you can bargain in this city. Hostel beds can be quite cheap in Saigon, but hotels are more expensive than almost anywhere in Vietnam.

Currency: Vietnamese dong
Daily Backpacker Index: VND473,865 = US$20.87/day

Sri Lanka

After civil war ended in 2009, new visitors are flocking to Sri Lanka’s beaches and nature reserves. Visitors of Yala National Park, a hot spot for those interested in wildlife and adventure, receive admission, a safari car rental and driver $60 per full day with Yala Safari Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's popular for its rich Buddhist culture, ancient sites, breathtaking terrain, beach destinations and fish curry dishes.

Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
Daily Backpacker Index: LKR4,570= US$29.81/day

Taipei, Taiwan

Nestled in the more expensive region of Asia-Pacific, Taiwan stays budget friendly because of its low-key rep, particularly in Taipei. Unlimited full-day subway passes are less than $5, and you can enjoy heaps of delicious food at the endless night markets. Travelers boast about the budget-friendly cuisine, ranging from local Taiwanese to flavors from nearby China and Japan.

Currency: Taiwan dollar
Daily Backpacker Index: TWD992.65 = US$33.29/day

Source Internet