Sunday, February 14, 2010

Dual celebration

Today marks a very special day as both Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day fall on the same day. This doesn't occur every year as Valentine's Day is fixed on Feb 14 whereas Chinese New Year falls on different dates between January and February, depending on the lunar year. The last time these dual festivities happened was in the year 1953.

Every year, the Chinese community celebrate the Lunar New Year by gathering for reunion dinner on the eve, visiting relatives and friends, decorating houses with lanterns and other decorative items. Children would be happy and excited to receive ang pows (or red packets). Lion dances and dragon dances can also be seen during this time.

Love blossoms on this day as well as couples would spend their valuable time together. And as for the Chinese couples, it's double celebration for them. Some couples register their marriage while some tie the knot today. Some couples may have to think whether to celebrate CNY or Valentine first or both today. No matter what, love is all that matters.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices within the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
~1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

Here, I would wish all my readers again a blessed and prosperous Chinese New Year and Happy Valentine's Day! May the Year of Tiger would be a blissful year to everyone!

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