Chinese New Year.

If you are living in China and not really follow the Chinese calendar, or you are in total oblivion, here are some tips for you to know that it's the Chinese New Year.1. All promotional materials of majority of the companies are red with golden. And in general everything is red with golden. EVERYTHING. Chinese believe that the red color means peace and luck, and the golden color means wealth.2. You see people selling bushes with oranges. aka Chinese Christmas Tree, as I call them. In Chinese they are called 金 钱 树 (jin qian shu), which basically translates as Gold Money Tree. you can see such a tree in every company office, shopping mall, basically any venue for that matter. Chinese have the Tree at home, decorated with oranges and "lucky money" envelopes.3. This song plays EVERYWHERE: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTQ2MzgwNjE2.html. Especially in Guangdong Province.4. There are crazy sales in every shopping mall. Chinese people buy new clothes and wear them through out the whole week of the Chinese New Year. They meet the New Year all dressed in new clothes, which means a new start/beginning.5. Everything, everywhere is decorated with red lanterns. And when i say everywhere it means everywhere, even randomly in the streets and on the trees. 6. You see people holding wind-wheels in different shapes and colors. Chinese believe that when the wind blows and wind-wheel spins it brings luck.7. On the New Year day and the whole week after, people buy fireworks and crack them outside. I have never seen so many people voluntarily putting their lives in danger. Though i must admit there is some fun in running those 15 m away from the firecracker, before it flies into the air.8. If you live in a big city, you will notice how empty it became, since everyone travels back to their hometowns on the Chinese New Year.9. On the Chinese New Year the married couples give "lucky money" to the unmarried ones. The "lucky money" in red envelopes is believed to bring luck not only to the receiver but also to the giver. The employers give "lucky money" to their employees, relatives give "lucky money" to the younger generation, and even the residents of a building give "lucky money" to the guards.10. Last but not least, during Chinese New Year, Chinese people take their time to go to temples and pray, or write their prays on a piece of material and throw it on the prayer tree.Basically, Chinese New Year is all about getting luckier and wealthier in the new year. I don't know if all the "wind-wheel magic" works, or the "lucky money", or the red and golden colors, one thing for sure China and Chinese people bit the hell out of modern economy. Maybe we should start celebrating New Year the Chinese way, less alcohol and more commitment to our futures!Nonetheless 新年快乐 to all of you.