CUSTOMS

= = =Chinese Customs 传统文化 = Chinese New Years 新年 Staying up really late one night a year is always for New Years, right? Well if you are celebrating the Chinese New Year then you get to celebrate New Years for two weeks! The celebration happens on a different day each year and a lot goes in to the festival. If you have ever seen different animals that stand for different years you have seen Chinese Zodiac Signs. Also family is very important to spend the New  Year with, and the Chinese New Year happens all over the world! Part of celebrating the Chinese New Year is the different zodiac sign. A zodiac sign is a "Astrological signs represent twelve equal segments or divisions of the zodiac." (Astrological Signs). There are 12 different animals that represent what year you were born in. For example if you were born in the year 2008 then you are represented by the rat, and every animals has different characteristics. Unlike New Years in america, which is only celebrated one night a year, the Chinese New Year is celebrated for 2 weeks! The Chinese New Year is celebrated not only in China but all over the world. Many cities put a lot of effort into making decorations and having a good time during this 2 week period, like China town in New York City. This holiday is veryimportant to Chinese families all over the world. It is when they are able to get together to have a family feast, just like thanksgiving. It is called a reunion dinner. Families have this reunion dinner the night before New Years Eve. During the dinner they have all different kinds of food and stories to share with the rest of their families. Chinese New Year is an exciting and eventful holiday built around zodiac signs, celebrations all over the world, and families. Without this alternative New Year, the New Year holiday wouldn't be the same.

By Mackenzie S.   Shaolin Temple 少林寺  Shaolin Gongfu is more than just a sport to the monks at the temple. Starting at a young age, Shaolin monks devote their entire life to learn the teachings of the Buddha. The monks are trained, mentally and physically, under the influence of the philosophy of the martial arts. The philosophy of the Shaolin temple can be summarized in the Four Noble Truths: life is suffering, suffering is caused by desire, suffering can be overcome and true happiness can be attained, the end to suffering can be achieved by following the Noble Eight-Fold Path. The Eight-Fold Path is a set of rules that the monks must follow along with the Four Noble Truths. The Shaolin monks live according to these rules and keep them in mind as they train and go through their everyday lives. Life at the Shaolin temple also includes religion. Shaolin monks follow the religious teachings of the Buddha. These teachings are to lead a moral life, to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and to  develop wisdom and understanding. One of these teachings involves Zen (C’Han). Basically, the word ‘Zen’ means meditation. It enables Gongfu (kungfu) masters to develop abilities, which other martial artists may not even dream of. To make sure that the monks follow the Four Noble Truths, the Eight-Fold Path, and the teachings of the Buddha is by training them at a young age. At the age of 4 – 10 children at the Shaolin Temples begin their training. They are taught to overcome sin through the Four Noble Truths, and the Eight-Fold Path. They are taught for 3 years and then begin training to become a Shaolin master. Daily exercise keeps their bodies and minds sharp. Starting at five in the morning and ending at nine at night, the majority of their day is spent training. By practicing Shaolin Quan, the monks find peace amongst themselves and happiness in life. Shaolin Gongfu is taught to the monks throughout their whole lives. To the monks, Shaolin Quan is their way of life.

By Andy L.

<span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center; display: block;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); color: rgb(250, 223, 30); font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; text-align: center; display: block; font-size: 300%;">Foot Binding 缠足 <span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30);"> <span style="display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); text-align: left; color: rgb(250, 223, 30); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20);"> <span style="display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); text-align: left; color: rgb(250, 223, 30); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;">   <span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center; display: block;"><span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30);"><span style="display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); text-align: left; color: rgb(250, 223, 30); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;">H<span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30);">a ve you ever seen tattoos, earrings, or people wearing high heels? These are all ways people today change how the look to enhance their beauty! In different cultures people see different things as <span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20);"> <span style="display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); text-align: left; color: rgb(250, 223, 30); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20);"> <span style="display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); text-align: left; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30);">beauty. In the last 1,000 years small feet became a huge fad in China. Women went to great lengths to make their feet tiny. They used a process called foot binding. Women bound their feet by first breaking the bones in their toes (ouch!) then wrapping there feet tighter and tighter every month or so, until their feet were only about 3 to 4 inches! Take a ruler, and compared to the size of your feet, it is much smaller! <span style="display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); text-align: left; color: rgb(250, 223, 30); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;">Now imagine how hard even small daily tasks would be with such tiny feet, most Chinese women with bound feet had many foot problems and trouble walking, but at the time almost every woman in China had bound <span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; display: block;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"><span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20);">feet. Foot binding was said to be started by an emperor long ago the story goes like this " <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">a Sung dynasty prince named [|Li Yu]... had a fetish for tiny feet and who made his.. (dancers) dance a variation of the ballet called the 'toe dance' with her feet bound." <span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20);"><span style="display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); text-align: left; color: rgb(250, 223, 30); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You see foot binding started with the royalty of china soon it became a symbol of beauty and wealth, every man wanted a wife who had tiny feet. Women feared with out tiny feet they would never be able to find a husband, soon all girls bound their feet with hopes of attracting a handsome husband. Today most Chinese women do not bind their feet, not only because of how much it hurts and it causes many problems with walking, but simply because we now view it as odd and no longer fashionable. <span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center; display: block;"> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); text-align: center; display: block;"> <span style="text-align: center; display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20);"> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); text-align: center; display: block;"> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); color: rgb(250, 223, 30); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center; display: block;"> <span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; display: block;">By Michelle G. =<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> = = = = = =<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">BIBLIOGRAPHY = <span style="color: rgb(250, 223, 30); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 20);"><span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 1. "Aspects of Shaolin Kung Fu." Shaolin Kung Fu Guan. 15 Mar. 2009 <http://www.shaolinkungfuguan.com.au/skfg/kungfuaspects.html>

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2. "Astrological Signs." Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_signs. 1 Mar. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org>.// 3. "BBC - h2g2 - Chinese Foot Binding." __BBC - Homepage__. 24 Mar. 2009 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1155872>.

4. Bound feet in shoes [Online Image] Available http://7uncle.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/footbinding.jpg <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 5. Chinese Food [Online Image] Available http://happyhomemaker88.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/chinesefood1.jpg. March 23, 2009 //<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 6. "Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner aka Reunion Dinner." Http: // everything2.com. 1 Mar. 2009 <http://everything2.com/ e2node/Chinese%2520New%2520Year%2527s%2520Eve%2520Dinner%2520aka%2520Reunion%2520Dinner>

7. Dragon [Online Image] Available <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[|http://anemptyfeeling.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/chinese-new-year.jpg March 23, 2009]

8. Http://www.educ.uvic.ca. Chinese New Year Decorations. 1 Mar. 2009 <http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/ CHINA/decorations.html>.// <span class="EC_Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">9. Meditation [Online Image] Available http://www.chinagirl5050.com/Shaolin_Martial_Arts.htm <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">10. Philosophy." Shaolin. 28 Mar. 2002. 14 Mar. 2009 <http://www.geocities.com/ottawakungfu/100Shao003.htm#02>. //<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 11. "Public Holiday." Http: // en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year#Public_holiday. 1 Mar. 2009 <http:// en.wikipedia.org>.

<span class="EC_Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">12. Shaolin Entrance [Online Image] Available http://www.shaolins.com/encyclopedia/ <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="EC_Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma;">13. Shaolin Temple [Online Image] Available <http://www.wingchun.si/stories.htm>

14. Training in Shaolin. 15 Mar. 2009 <http://www.shaolinwushu.de/en/main_fr.htm?training.htm>

15. Size of bound feet [Online Image] Available <span class="EC_Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma;"><span class="EC_Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10pt;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1155872 <span class="EC_Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="EC_Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma;">16. X-ray of bound feet [Online Image] Available <span class="EC_Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TahXQ2WiF0s <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">17. Zen. 15 Mar. 2009 <http://www.shaolin-wahnam.org/zen.html>.

18. Zodiac Signs [Online Image] Available <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[] March 23 2009

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