Morphing Stories

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade. The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to “catch up” with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.

The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year’s Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called “surrounding the stove” or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.

Oh well, I don’t think I’m enjoying the most out of these CNY holidays since I’ll be stuck with books as I’m having 3 midterms next week, law and performance management assignment to rush in. But, I think I’ll enjoy food feast during this season though. *smiles*

Here’s a quote I found on my friend’s MSN and I like it.

Life is like a piano. White keys are happy moments and black keys are sad moments. But, both keys are played together to create sweet music.

Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking) is one of the performing arts, and is also practiced as a sport. Acrobatics involves difficult feats of balance, agility and coordination. Nearly any performance or sport which involves full-body activity—especially in short, highly controlled bursts of activity—can be considered acrobatics. Typical examples are, first and foremost, all the subdivisions of gymnatics and trapeze work, but specialized activities like ballet and diving could also be included. In a narrow sense, the term “acrobatics” refers to “acrobatic gymnastics,” a specialized subdivision of gymnastics.

Western history

Acrobatic traditions are found in many cultures. In the West, Minoan art from circa 2000 BC contains depictions of acrobatic feats on the backs of bulls, which may have been a religious ritual.

The court displays of the European Middle Ages would often involve acrobatic performances along with song, juggling and other activities.

Though initially the term applied to tight-rope walking, in the 19th century, a form of performance art including gymnatics and circus acts began to use the term as well. In the late 19th century, tumbling and other acrobatic/gymnastic activities became a competitive sport in Europe.

Acrobatics in Western history have become a key subject for fine art. An excellent example is Acrobats at the Cirque Fernando (Francisca and Angelina Wartenberg) by Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir which depicts two German acrobatic sisters. The painting resides at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Eastern history

In China, acrobatics (“Hundred Plays”) have been a part of the culture since the Western Han Dynasty, over 2500 years ago. Acrobatics were part of village harvest festivals.

During the Tang Dynasty, acrobatics saw much the same sort of development as European acrobatics saw during the Middle Ages with court displays during the 7th through 10th century dominating the practice. Today the performance art remains to be one of the most important performances offered within Chinese variety art, mostly referred to in the west as “Chinese Circus”.

(adapted from Wikipedia)