What is the history of Black Friday. 15 fun and interesting facts you should know - Bemorepanda
This is a huge traditional sale, a fabulous time when all self-respecting stores are competing to see who has more discounts. Black Friday began in the USA as a great excuse to buy gifts before the Christmas holidays. This is the first Friday after Thanksgiving and falls between November 23rd and 30th. At this time there were always sales, and in the 60s the term "Black Friday" itself appeared.
Over time, the wave was picked up by the whole world: the more competition, the more discounts that attract even more people. So this snowball is rolling, causing a crazy stir. Someone needs gifts, someone has been waiting the whole year for the opportunity to buy an expensive thing, and someone enterprisingly buys everything and then sells it at auctions at a higher price.
People wait patiently for Black Friday for months, and then all at once pile on stores and grab goods in an hour. And if the Internet sites at this time simply hang on the number of people, then in real shopping centers madness, crush, assault and other types of simple human fun are happening. Bemorepanda prepared some interesting facts about Black Friday for you:
1. In 2020, Black Friday falls on November 29th, which marks the beginning of the biggest sale of the year worldwide. Some stores prefer to open early, and some even agree to work around the clock.
2. Aliexpress is perhaps the most popular store during the promotion days, discounts up to 70% on already cheap goods attract crowds of buyers.
3. eBay this year promises discounts of up to 50%, you can buy anything on sale: from a food processor to sports equipment, the main thing is to pay attention to the delivery terms.
4. For the first time this term sounded on September 24, 1869 during a panic in the US stock market: then the gold rate collapsed by 30%, ruining many small businesses.
5. In the fifties of the XX century, severe traffic jams on the roads of Philadelphia, which began after Thanksgiving Day, were dubbed Black Friday - the traffic police could not cope with the traffic collapse.
6. Massive sales after Thanksgiving have been (and continue to be) a hefty profit.
7. In America, sales had an additional meaning: sellers not only got rid of surplus goods in store for Thanksgiving, but also attracted those who wanted to shop early for the Christmas holidays.
8. Many sellers sin by raising prices in early to mid-November in order to effectively lower them on the day of the sale (and achieve those same ninety percent discounts). The total discount is obtained either much less than the declared one, or even absent altogether.
9.In 2018, according to the estimates of the National Retail Federation of the United States, on Black Friday itself, Americans made $ 6.2 billion (23.6% more than in 2017), and just over the weekend 165 million people were shopping.
10. Despite the proliferation and increase of online shopping, many shoppers still prefer physical stores, and more than half of those who were flattered by last year's sales were shopping both in stores and online.
11. The fashion industry is still more likely to be in the rearguard of Black Friday in terms of the number of buyers and, of course, the amount of the check. For example, consumers are projected to spend, on average, just over $ 250 each on clothing and footwear (by comparison, the average furniture bill is likely to be over $ 700).
12. True, while brands like H&M, Topshop and Mango offer discounts on almost the entire assortment, then for Farfetch and Net-a-Porter Black Friday becomes a reason to sell off the rest: special discounts apply only to the Sale department.
13. In recent years, Amazon, Argos, Boots, Currys, Debenhams, Halfords, House of Fraser, John Lewis, Littlewoods, Morrisons, Tesco and Very have been among the most active members with the best discounts.
14. Which states that 87% of Black Friday special pricing items can be purchased for the same price or even lower at other times of the year.
15.When shopping, please note the explanation for the special offer. Sometimes stores simply indicate the price "was-now", where the product was sold at the old price almost six months ago, but not yesterday.
On the one hand, Black Friday really looks like a thoughtless celebration of consumerism - and therefore aggravates environmental problems, for which the fashion industry is also responsible. On the other hand, it is possible to preserve sanity even during total stunning sales. Glossy magazines also call for this - with materials in the spirit of "What timeless things to buy at a discount" or "How to assemble a basic wardrobe for a sale." “Trends are cool,” admits Who What Wear, but warns that they won't work in a wardrobe unless you have a solid base to pair them. "And it doesn't have to be expensive."
There is nothing wrong with discounts in and of themselves, and even more, it is a great opportunity for many buyers to "jump" into a more expensive and high-quality clothing segment and choose durable items made from sustainable materials and in compliance with the principles of sustainable development. You can deliberately support brands that refuse discounts in favor of charitable initiatives. Finally, a big sale could be a good non-sale solution.
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New Year's superstitions are respected by many people, who believe that in this way they will do well in the New Year. Superstitions and end-of-year habits include dancing outdoors for health and luck and filling wallets with money for a prosperous year.
True or not, how many of us pass by a superstition indifferently? Whether we know about it from childhood or from the popular tradition, or we hear about a new one, we are still with increased attention and wide-eyed, interested in taking at least a little into account of it.
People all over the world strongly believe in some superstitions related to leaving one year and entering the new year. The basic idea that guides us all on New Year's Eve and on the first day of the new year is that just as the events of that night between the years and the next day happen, so it will go for you in the new year.
Studies show that many people do various things, some of which are more bizarre, to make sure that they have invited luck into their lives and that they have banished bad luck and the problems of the past year.
For example there is a superstition that the New Year must catch you with new clothes so that in the next 365 days you will receive as many gifts as possible. Red is the color of joy and love, so the custom is that if you dress in red for the New Year you will have a lucky and loving new year.
Below are the most famous international superstitions that you can take into account for New Year's Eve and the first day of the new year. Or not! You choose, we just present them to you.
Next let’s see together with Bemorepanda what superstitions exist on New Year night.
New Year's superstitions 2022
1.Don’t cry
On the night between the years and on January 1, don’t cry. Tradition says that those who cry on the first day of the year will have a year of sad events.
2.No bad words
Whoever is polite and mannered with the New Year will always be like that, so it is said that on New Year's Eve both contradictory discussions and licentious or brutal language, as well as stories about ghosts or the dead, should be avoided. Apart from the fact that they are not pleasant at all, they also attract bad luck.
3.Born on January 1st
Children born on January 1 are said to be lucky for life.
4.Do not borrow money
In several countries, people do not borrow money, jewelry or other valuables on the first day of the year and do not pay debts or taxes, do not carry garbage and do not offer gifts, all of which are signs of poverty in the year which is just beginning. Some go even further with superstition, and if they have to get something out of the house, they call someone else for it.
5.Keep your doors open
Americans are accustomed to leaving all the doors and windows open at the turn of the year so that the old year can leave immediately and make way for the new one. At midnight the doors must be opened for the old year to come out and give way to the new one which brings health, happiness and good luck. Another New Year's tradition says that it is good to leave a lamp or a candle lit on New Year's Eve to enjoy a bright and fulfilling new year.
6.Full glasses and plates
It is also said that for a prosperous year it is good to have glasses and plates full on the table at midnight, and for each member of the family to have money in the pocket. Empty glasses, plates and pockets are the signs of a poor year, superstitious people believe.
7.Working on 1st January
Although few agree with the idea, it is said that those who work on the first day of the year are more likely to advance in their careers in the next period. But, paradoxically, starting a large-scale project on that day is pure bad luck.
8.Pay all your debts
If you don't want to be in debt all year, try to pay off your debts by midnight.
9.Black beans
In the southern United States, it is believed that a sign of good luck for the whole year is if you eat black beans on the first day of January. It is also said that the one who cooks beans will be twice as lucky.
10.Kissing is mandatory
Under mistletoe or not, kissing is mandatory on New Year's Eve, if you want to have affection in the coming year. Otherwise, you will have a year with little sentimental satisfaction. The midnight kiss marks not only the feelings that bind us to those people, but also how our relationships with the people in question will evolve during the year that is just beginning. In other words, it is desirable that at the turn of the year, the loved one be by your side.
11.Dancing
Dancing at midnight outdoors, especially around a tree, brings health and the fulfillment of all desires.
12.Never sweep on New Year’s Eve
A householder should never sweep on New Year's Eve, because it drives away prosperity.
Also in the evening of December 31, do not wash clothes and do not cut with scissors so as not to destroy luck. Tradition also says that you do not have to throw anything out of the house on the first day of the new year because you are throwing your luck.
13.Wear something red
As the years go by, the elders say, it is good for everyone to wear a new coat and something red or some other cheerful color that attracts positive energies.
14.Let in the right persons
It is said that the first person to enter your house after midnight will influence what happens in the new year. For a woman, it would be ideal for a tall, brunette man to enter (blondes and redheads are said to be unlucky, and women too), and if this guest brings a twig of mistletoe, bread and salt, they are all the chances of the new year being the best of your life so far.
15.Make a wish
On the night between the years it is good to make a wish because it has all the chances to be fulfilled.
16.Eat fish
As the fish swims through the water, you will swim through all the troubles of the next year, without affecting you. But beware, superstitious people say that it must be the first food you eat in the new year!
17.Eat goose meat
This way you will float over problems and you will advance towards your goal, as the "winged fat" does on the shine of the water! Some even say that it is good to avoid chicken meat, because this bird squeaks and so luck spreads
18.Stay with your loved ones
It's important not to be alone, but if you can't do otherwise, call your loved ones at midnight. You will be close to those you met at midnight all year, you will talk all year with the one you talked to in the first moments of the year!
19.Getting married
It is good for girls who want to get married in the New Year to see a man at the bedroom window at the turn of the year.
20.Be happy
The night when the years change foretells the future. If you are happy, you will be like this all year long! In the same way, sadness or quarrel will be perpetuated: you do not want such a thing. It's not good to be quiet around you either: on this wonderful night even the non-speakers start talking, and the one who hears them talking is said to die. So don't avoid fireworks, firecrackers, the sound of clashing glasses and fun!
We do not doubt that you, our dear reader, have a curious mind and love to learn something new. And in this case, what could be better than the facts, of which there are an incredible amount! There are so many that it is impossible to know them, even if you have seven spans in the forehead.
Facts - and nothing but facts
Just for such interested people, we at Bemorepanda have prepared a portion of facts that are hard to believe but which, nevertheless, are accurate. And no matter what area you are more interested in, something is interesting for everyone.
Want to see what we have found for you in the corners of the Internet? Then let's get started. Just a warning: we picked up only bare facts, so if you are overcome by doubt in their integrity, you can find confirmation of them yourself, as well as get more detailed information. Our task is to give you a fishing rod)))
1. Apple didn't make the first iPhone.
2. Ravens can hold a grudge.
3. Marie Curie is the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences.
4. Cows kill more Americans every year than sharks.
5. Dogs smell cancer.
6. Some planets produce diamond rain.
7. Undercover Detroit cops in the drug business once got into a fight with another group of undercover cops.
8. One person once survived two atomic bombings.
9. A 70-year-old woman once ran seven marathons in seven days on all seven continents.
10. Bees can detect bombs.
11. Potato chips cause more weight gain than any other food.
12. Goosebumps are for protection from predators.
13. A dentist invented cotton candy.
14. The first person convicted of speeding drove eight miles per hour (13 km/h).
15. Chewing gum increases concentration.
16. “New car smell” is the smell of dozens of chemicals.
17. A patent for a fire hydrant was lost during a fire.
18. Space smells like grilled steak.
19. Your liver can recover in three weeks.
20. In Germany, people help toads cross the road.
21. The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.
22. Sea lions can dance to the beat.
23. Dolphins were trained to use in wars.
24. Baby blue whales grow 200 pounds (90.7 kg) daily.
25. There are moonquakes on the moon!
26. Kids ask 300 questions a day!
27. Hair and nails grow faster during pregnancy.
28. The "M" in M&Ms means "Mars" and "Murry."
29. Rollercoaster rides can help get rid of kidney stones.
30. Agatha Christie has sold over 2 billion books.
31. Water makes sounds depending on whether it is hot or cold!
32. Humans are just one of about 8.7 million species on Earth.
33. Whenever you shuffle a deck of cards, you get a combination that never existed.
34. In Nebraska, there is a city with a population of one person!
35. Dinosaurs lived on all continents.
36. Bee hummingbirds are so tiny they are mistaken for insects.
37. The person who wrote Dracula has never been to Transylvania.
38. The cast of Friends still makes about $20 million a year.
39. Newborns don't cry.
40. Pineapple acts as a natural meat tenderizer.
41. You lose up to 30 percent of your taste buds while flying.
42. The legend of the Loch Ness monster is almost 1500 years old.
43. In a restaurant in New York, grandmothers work as chefs.
44. The longest book title is 4558 words!
45. Some people have an extra bone in their knees.
46. Tornadoes can cause "fish rain."
47. Shrews are the only mammals besides humans that deliberately seek out spicy food.
48. A tree frog can hold urine for up to eight months.
49. The English word with the most definitions is "set."
50. The famous "Typhoid Mary" infected more than 50 people while cooking for them.
51. Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia.
52. There is graffiti that is 1000 years old!
53. Bill Gates donated nearly half of his fortune.
54. America accidentally dropped an atomic bomb on South Carolina in 1958.
55. Large forks will make you eat less.
56. Guys do more housework than husbands.
57. The human body glows.
58. Chinese police use squads of geese.
59. Heads on Easter Island have bodies.
60. It is impossible to hum with your nose held in.
61. Apple pits are poisonous!
62. The Slinky toy was invented by accident.
63. Your nose works one nostril at a time!
64. Many bones in the foot don't harden until you're an adult.
65. Bees sometimes sting other bees.
66. There is a textbook written by an author with artificial intelligence.
67. Some sea snakes can breathe through their skin.
68. Children's medicines once contained morphine.
69. Our European ancestors were cannibals.
70. Cheetahs don't roar.
71. The hottest spot on the planet is Libya.
72. One day, Pharaoh ordered his slaves smeared with honey to drive away insects.
73. Playing the accordion was once compulsory for teachers in North Korea.
74. Sharks can live for five centuries.
75. There is a fish with legs.
76. Peanuts are not nuts!
77. The first computer was invented in the 1940s.
78. Nutmeg can be deadly poisonous.
79. You can always "see" your nose.
80. The longest wedding veil was as long as 63.5 football fields.
81. Koalas have fingerprints.
82. Pigs are constitutionally protected in Florida.
83. There is a device that creates energy from snowfall.
84. Newborns do not have kneecaps.
85. Blue Ivy Carter is the youngest person to appear on the Billboard chart.
86. More human twins are being born now than ever before.
87. France has a dozen time zones.
88. Bananas cannot reproduce.
89. A chef's hat has 100 folds.
90. Many languages have common roots.
91. Sharks existed before trees.
92. Ants have a built-in FitBit.
Hardly anyone loves the New Year more than the Chinese, because they celebrate it several times. First, according to the Gregorian calendar (on the night of January 1), and then also according to the Eastern. Chinese New Year 2021 - twice a holiday!
Chinese New Year has long been the main and longest holiday in the Middle Kingdom and other countries of East Asia. Unlike its Western counterpart, there is no fixed date for the start of the Chinese New Year, and it is set at a different time each year.
The first day of the holiday in China falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice (that is, after December 21). In the Gregorian calendar, this usually corresponds to one of the days between January 21st and February 21st. The celebration usually lasts 15 days.
Thus, the next year according to the Chinese calendar will come on February 12, 2021. And it is planned to celebrate its offensive in China from February 12 to February 27. However, the Chinese will officially rest for only seven days - from 12 to 18 February.
The exact time of the Chinese New Year
The second new moon after the winter solstice will occur on February 12, 2021 at 00:03 Moscow time or 05:03 Beijing time. This time will be considered the beginning of the New Year according to the Eastern calendar. By the way, in China they will not celebrate 2021, as we will do very soon, but 4719.
Symbol of the year
Each year in China is symbolized by a combination that is repeated only once every 60 years. This combination represents one of the 12 zodiac animals of a certain color, corresponding to one of the five elements (water, earth, metal, fire and wood). Chinese New Year 2021 will symbolize the animal Ox and the elements of Metal, and the main color of the year will be white.
By the way, every 60-year circle begins with a wooden Rat and ends with a water Pig. Another such circle started on February 2, 1984, and it will end on January 29, 2044.
Preparing for Chinese New Year
According to an ancient myth, at the beginning of each new year, the Chinese are forced to hide from a monster named Nian (translated from Chinese as "Year"), which is believed to appear on the first day of the holiday in order to ravage all settlements: to eat all the livestock and the harvest, and at the same time a couple of villagers.
To protect their homes from this monster, the Chinese decorate them in advance: they glue them on the outside with beautiful patterns of red paper, paired inscriptions and pictures with wishes of happiness, health and longevity, and also hang red lanterns everywhere. The legend about the origin of the holiday will again help to understand what such a love for red is connected with. So, this legend says that one day people noticed how Nian, who usually loves to feast on children, was frightened by a child in red clothes. Without thinking twice, eyewitnesses of this amazing incident came to the conclusion that it was the color that scared the monster away.
In addition, on the eve of the holiday, each family carefully cleans their homes, believing that in this way they cleanse their lives from any failures and make room for happiness.
Festive feast
On New Year's Eve, Chinese families usually gather around the table. By the way, in the Celestial Empire it is customary to richly set the table for a festive dinner. Housewives, as a rule, prepare the most favorite dishes in the family. Traditionally, meat and fish must be on the table, as well as dumplings (jiaozi), which are the figurative embodiment of one of the main wishes - the birth of sons.
Moreover, for a festive dinner, even those family members who work or study in other cities or countries return home. All Chinese strive to celebrate the New Year with their parents, which is why on the eve of the holiday all transport in the country is overcrowded and it is simply impossible to buy tickets.
The festive night ends with fireworks and firecrackers, which are believed to scare away evil spirits and attract the spirit of peace and happiness to the family.
The first days of Chinese New Year
In the early morning of the next day, children congratulate their parents, wishing them health and a happy New Year, and in return they receive wishes for future success and red envelopes with money.
After that, the whole family goes to congratulate relatives and neighbors. Such visits to guests usually completely take the first five days of the new year.
And, of course, it cannot do without gifts. So, in the Celestial Empire, it is customary to give gifts from paired objects symbolizing unity and family harmony (while the number four is not recommended, since the Chinese associate it with death).
In addition, when visiting, it is customary for the owners to present two tangerines, and when leaving, they receive two other tangerines from them. Thus, the hosts and guests exchange symbols of financial well-being, which, according to the Chinese, are tangerines.
Holiday performances
Having visited all relatives and neighbors, the Chinese go out to festivities with traditional dances. As a rule, the traditional ones include the lion dance (dancers, being inside the figure of a lion, imitate the movements of this animal) and the dragon dance (a special team of people, holding a dragon made of paper on poles, moves in such a way that the snake-like body makes undulating movements).
For most, New Year's Day is a global holiday that takes place on January 1st with a slight time shift depending on time zones. The first day of the calendar year plays an important role in different cultures and marks a kind of reset or a moment when everything can be started over. And what about those countries where the New Year is not celebrated on January 1 at all? For many countries in Asia, as well as for the Asian diaspora, present in almost all countries of the world, the New Year takes place from late January to mid-February. The Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important event in the Chinese calendar.
If January 1 can simply be remembered as a given, then the date of the Chinese New Year is much more difficult to predict. The day is calculated according to the lunar calendar, an ancient Chinese invention - it all depends on the phase of the moon. Despite the fact that most Chinese use the Gregorian calendar in everyday life, the traditional lunar calendar remains an important part of their lives. Since the date depends on the moon, the holiday is celebrated at different times from the end of January to the middle or end of February. February 12th in 2021 and 1st February in 2022. Don't forget to congratulate your Chinese friends!
In Chinese culture, each year corresponds to one of the 12 zodiac animals, as well as a color according to the Wu Xing (Five Elements) system. You can view your Chinese zodiac sign by year of birth! Those born in 2022 are associated with the sign of the tiger, the color of the year is blue, and the element is water. The Chinese believe that if the sign of the upcoming year coincides with the personal sign of the zodiac, then this year may not be very successful. But do not worry, there is a fairly simple way to avoid these failures. It is believed that red is a lucky color that scares away all the bad luck that your zodiac sign can bring. Wear red clothes and you'll be fine!
Bemorepanda collected some really interesting facts about Chinese New Year 2022!
1. Chinese New Year comes at different times: the date of the holiday varies between January 21 and February 20 and depends on the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, Chinese New Year is on 1st February.
2. Each Chinese New Year begins with a new "animal" zodiac sign.
3. The Chinese zodiac signs are a very ancient tradition, which involves naming each new year as the year of one of the twelve animals.
4. Chinese New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries: China, Hong Kong, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and, of course, Singapore.
5. On Chinese New Year, it is customary to give Eng Bao - red envelopes with money. Billions of envelopes will be donated during the holiday. In many companies, this is how bosses present their annual bonus to subordinates.
6. 200 million Chinese travel long distances on New Year's holidays. In China, approximately 3.5 billion trips were recorded during this period! By comparison, less than 100 million US residents travel more than 50 miles during the Christmas holidays.
7. Most of the fireworks take place in China: according to statistics, this is 90% of all fireworks in the world! The ancient Chinese believed that the light and explosion from fireworks frightened demons and evil spirits.
8. During the Chinese New Year, many Chinese people who are not in a relationship are afraid of a big family holiday where every relative wants to know "why you haven't got married yet." For this reason, there are many websites and agencies in China through which you can "rent" yourself a girlfriend or boyfriend - just to avoid annoying questions from relatives.
9. Although the new year comes in winter, the Chinese call it the "Spring Festival" (春节 chūnjié /chwn-jyeah/) because the "beginning of spring" (February 4-18) is the first period in the traditional solar calendar. While winter weather prevails, the "beginning of spring" marks the end of the coldest part of winter, when the Chinese have traditionally looked forward to the beginning of spring.
10. The Chinese zodiac years are a very old custom. Years are called one of the 12 animals in the zodiac cycle. For example, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. Many Chinese still believe in astrology and other New Year superstitions.
11. The Chinese have a proverb, "the whole year is planned in the spring" 一年之计在于春 yinyan zhiji caiyuchun. This reflects the attitude of Chinese tradition towards the New Year period. It is still very cold, but the holiday marks the end of the coldest days.
12. People welcome spring and what it brings with it: crops and harvests, new beginnings, the hope of a better life, a better job, that everything will be fine during the year.
13. Also, the Chinese New Year is often informally referred to as the "lunar new year" because its date is determined based on the phases of the moon. And since the Chinese New Year is calculated using the lunar calendar, its celebration falls each time on different dates from January 21 to February 21.
14. And although China has officially switched to the Gregorian calendar, like the rest of the world, the lunar calendar is still very important. Many traditional holidays are calculated to be celebrated according to the lunar calendar.
15. The Spring Festival lasts exactly 15 days. During this time, working life in the Middle Kingdom freezes, the people of China have fun, relax and celebrate the holiday with their families.
16. Chinese New Year is one of the most important and revered holidays. The most important component of this holiday is family reunion. Everyone has to go home for New Year's Eve dinner.
17. In today's China, most elderly parents live in rural areas while their children work in cities. Moving around the country back home and on vacation is called chunyun 春运, or spring migration.
18. Even on ordinary days, the subway is packed. Imagine what happens during the Chunyun period. Also, the earliest you can buy train tickets is 60 days. This leads to crazy excitement, there are real battles for tickets. Thousands of tickets are sold per second.
19. The Spring Festival was originally a ceremonial day. On this day, they prayed to the gods, asked for good weather, a plentiful harvest, etc. Also, people prayed to their ancestors and addressed them as gods.
20. Following the customs of their ancestors, the Chinese do not sleep on New Year's Eve and set off fireworks and explode firecrackers at midnight, scaring away monsters and bad luck. In the morning they blow up the firecrackers again to welcome the New Year and the good luck that comes with it.
21. On the same night, families also burned counterfeit paper money in honor of their deceased loved ones. They believe that the offerings will bring good luck and fortune to their ancestors in the afterlife.
22. Due to safety concerns and air pollution concerns, many Chinese cities have banned fireworks, and more than 500 cities also have restrictions on their use.
23. But many look at it through their fingers and still fire salutes. In Beijing, the ban was lifted in 2006 due to an angry public.
24. If you are in China during this time, you will watch fireworks and hear firecrackers go off for at least three nights, if not for several weeks.
25. In the New Year, you can not take a shower, so as not to wash away good luck. Sweeping the floor and throwing garbage is also not allowed.
26. However, before the Spring Festival there is a day during which you can put your house and yourself in order. On this day, everyone should get rid of bad luck and make room for good luck.
27. What else is taboo during Chinese New Year?
Cut hair;
Use scissors, knives and other sharp objects;
Argue, quarrel;
Saying negative words (such as "death" and "sickness");
Break and ruin things.
28. During the Spring Festival, gifts are exchanged. But Chinese children also receive something else: red envelopes.
29. The so-called red hongbao (红包, hóngbāo) envelopes are a very popular way to give a gift in China. Paper money is placed in an envelope and presented with wishes of well-being and good luck.
30. Red envelopes can also be given to relatives, friends, employees and colleagues.
31. With the New Year holidays approaching, many single people in China are starting to feel uncomfortable. The fact is that in the Celestial Empire a sense of family is very developed. It is very important for a Chinese person to raise a child and leave him his last name.
32. There are even special apps to help single adults who live and work in big cities find a soul mate... temporarily. Such applications are especially in demand during the New Year holiday period, when single men and women tend to feel acute pressure from family and relatives in order to settle down and get married.
33. Dumplings 饺子, Jiǎozi, jiaozi are the favorite food of the Chinese on holidays and according to Chinese tradition, if there are a lot of dumplings on the table, then good luck awaits you in the New Year.
34. Therefore, dumplings are an indispensable attribute of the festive table, and their joint production is a good tradition. Modeling dumplings is a rather painstaking and lengthy process, which is accompanied by lively communication of the audience. Therefore, for many Chinese, dumplings symbolize happiness and harmony in the family, as well as the unity of all its members.
35. In Chinese, the word "dumplings" - "jiaozi" sounds the same as the word "changing hieroglyphs", only pronounced in a different tone. On the night of the New Year, from 12 o'clock to 1 o'clock, there is a change of two symbols - the new year and the old one. For example, this time the year of the Pig is replaced by the year of the Rat.
36. Also, dumplings look like a copper coin "yuanbao", so eating dumplings is considered "reception of capital."
37. Traditionally, the first few dumplings are sacrificed to the ancestors, the second ones are sacrificed to various deities. At this time, older family members offer a prayer for the happiness and well-being of the whole family in the new year.
38. In fairness, it should be noted that the tradition of eating dumplings on New Year's holidays is more common in northern China. In the south, people prefer to eat Chūnjuǎn spring rolls (Chinese pancakes with various fillings) and glutinous rice balls in a soup called Tang Yuan 汤圆 tāngyuán - dumplings, dumplings (rice flour balls stuffed with sweet or meat, in soup).
39. Remember the legend about the horned monster named Nian? He was frightened by the loud explosions of firecrackers, the bright light of fireworks and the red paint on the houses. Since then, fireworks and the color red have been an important part of New Year's celebrations. It is customary to celebrate the Spring Festival in red robes, even if it is the year of the blue water Tiger.
40. In the Western horoscope, each sign of the zodiac corresponds to its own animal. There are 12 in total for each month. There are also 12 animals in the Chinese horoscope, but each animal symbolizes one year. These are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
41. All the positive features of these animals are bestowed on people born in the corresponding year. The Chinese horoscope plays a much larger role than in Western cultures. Your pet can decide your career, health and success. Make sure you know which animal you were born into!
42. Traditionally, several generations live under one roof in China. And when a guy brings his wife into the house, she settles in this house too. And accordingly they celebrate the New Year as one big family. Visiting her parents' house on New Year's holidays would mean problems in marriage, which could bring trouble to her husband's entire extended family.
43. It will hardly surprise you, but the Chinese eat dumplings (jiaozi) on New Year's Eve as well, because this is the most popular traditional Chinese dish. It is worth noting that China is a fairly large and very diverse country, so the menu of the New Year's table will differ significantly from region to region.
44. For example, someone may choose niangao (年糕) - glutinous rice cookies, and someone - spring rolls with poultry or fish. All these dishes are associated with something positive and bright, energizing for the year ahead.
45. The TV show Chunwang is somewhat reminiscent of our Blue Light. This is a fairly young tradition, which gradually spread throughout the country.
46. The TV show "Chun Wan" or "Spring Gala Festival" is an annual entertainment show on China Central TV (CCTV) with music, dance, comedy shows and other performances.
47. The first show was released in 1983, and gradually Chunwang became the most watched TV program in the world.
48. Over the years, it has become part of the mandatory New Year's program, and many Chinese people stay at home with their families specifically to watch this TV show.
49. However, the younger generation is not so interested in watching TV shows and prefers to leave this business to their parents, skipping family viewing if possible. Be sure to ask your Chinese tandem partners about this show - someone loves it, someone hates it, no one is indifferent. This will definitely be an interesting topic for discussion.
50. As the name suggests, Chinese New Year is a 100% Chinese holiday. In fact, this holiday has become popular in many countries due to the spread of the Chinese community outside of China. Western countries are full of Chinese markets and areas (Chinatowns), where the New Year is celebrated exactly according to the lunar calendar.
