Check out this lucky new year’s message generator. You can email your creations or print them out and hang them up. (Via Cha Xiu Bao, which you should visit to see some auspicious messages for foodies.)
If I had a proper Chinese calendar book for this year, it would contain a picture of the Spring Ox, which is supposed to give some hints about the coming year:
This year the Spring Ox is four feet tall and eight feet long. His head is red, his body is black and his underbelly is yellow. His tail, ears and horns are yellow, with a red neck and green hooves. His tail swings to the right and the spring Ox’s mouth is closed. The string tied through his nose is green hemp.
The Ox’s caretaker this year is three feet, six and a half inches tall and is very old. His clothes are black, his belt is yellow and he wears shoes on both feet. He wraps his lower legs in cloth and rolls up the right side of his pants. The caretaker stands to the right and behind the Spring Ox.
Here is a funny lion dance video, which is only one of many from Febielin, a kindergarten ESL teacher. (Via Miss Cellania, who linked the Five Little Piggies chant in a recent giant post on the Year of the Pig.)
And speaking of huge collections of links, here’s a great big page on the lunar new year.
Previously ‘varked: