Asian New Year

Asian theme party decorations and atmosphere:
A party without music is like shopping China Town without money. Make the mood come alive by having appropriately themed music playing softly in the background. We suggest the soundtrack for our favorite movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" to start out, then kick it into high gear later with the sounds of "Kill Bill", "Kung-Foo Fighting", "Wang Chug" and "One Night in Bangkok".
Hang paper lanterns from the ceiling beginning in the corners of the room, working toward the center. Give the lanterns some glow by attaching white Christmas lights to them and winding the strands among them to create an "under the stars" effect. The lights should be dimmed, but not too dim that you can't read the Chinatown banner along the wall.

Lunar New Year Celebration

Chinese New Year
Among the various celebrations and festivities for the Chinese, Chinese New Year is always deem the most important of all. Chinese families living in different part of the country or the world will make it a point to gather together for Chinese New Year (CNY). This is very similar to the Western concept of getting together during Christmas.
Chinese New Year is also known as Lunar New Year as well as The Spring Festival. The Chinese Year is also symbolized by an animal, very much like the Western Zodiac. The animal to symbolize CNY 2006 is The Dog.
Myths of Chinese New Year
There are many myths as to how Chinese New year came about.
The most common one is that in ancient China, every year, a big monster would come out during the beginning of the year and start devouring people and crops. One day, a villager suggested firing off fire crackers, bang loud gongs and fly red banner to try to frighten off the monster.
It worked! From then onwards, people would always fire off loud fire crackers, beat gongs and drape their houses with red banner to ensure the big, bad monster never return again. Till today, Chinese New Year is still celebrated in the traditional manner.
Of course, that's just a myth. In reality, the Chinese uses a Lunar Calendar which is different from the Georgian or Western calendar, and so, the start of the Lunar new year is time for celebration, very much like New year on the Western calendar. It is also the time when crops are fully harvested and preparations are made for the new planting year and people have some time to rest and celebrate. This is why Chinese New Year is sometimes known as The Spring Festival.

New Years Eve Eve

New Year's Eve is a great excuse for people to throw parties across the globe. If you've watching the best of the action on TV while you quietly ring in the New Year at home then it might be time to get out there and check out some of the best New Year's Eve parties the world has to offer.
10. London, U.K.
The banks of the Thames fill with people eager to watch an impressive fireworks display along the river. Big Ben's midnight chiming is truly iconic and you can always guarantee a huge crowd of revelers in nearby Trafalgar Square. There's also a dizzying number of clubs and events around the city. Free public transport is available throughout the festivities so you can easily party across England's capital well into New Year's Day.
9. Las Vegas, U.S.A.
The adult Disneyland offers predictably spectacular fireworks displays as The Strip buzzes with even more excitement than usual. Some of the music world's biggest names descend on the desert city to play very lucrative New Year's Eve gigs and if you can somehow wrangle an invite, you can ring in the New Year in more style here than anywhere.
8. New York, U.S.A.
One of the most iconic locations featured in countdowns around the world is New York's Times Square. The streets are teeming with people and there are plenty of adjacent buildings offering those who book ahead the chance to enjoy the spectacle in warm surroundings. The city has more than the drop of a ball to offer everyone - New York is a great city to party in, especially on New Year's Eve.
7. Berlin, Germany
With over a million visitors from across the continent piling into Germany's capital, Berlin offers one of the biggest New Year's Eve parties in Europe. Berlin's nightclubs stay open for days at a time all year round, just imagine how they throw it down on New Year's Eve. Naturally, there's a massive fireworks display to enjoy as well.
6. New Orleans, U.S.A.
Bourbon Street may just be the rowdiest street party in America each December 31st. While crowds huddle and shiver in Times Square, the party atmosphere for which New Orleans is famous is sure to help anyone ring in the New Year in style. If you're young, free and single, few places offer a party vibe as irresistible as New Orleans' French Quarter.
5. Prague, Czech Republic
If twelve o'clock fireworks are your thing, few cities offer a more spectacular display than Prague. Prague has also earned a well deserved reputation as one of Europe's premier party cities. This may or may not have something to do with the Czech Republic's notoriously lax laws on drugs and prostitution.
4. Edinburgh, U.K.
The famous Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland's capital top London in providing the British Isles most spectacular New Year's celebrations. With the streets in the center of the city teeming with people, there is a buzz around these celebrations like no other in Europe. There's just the right mix of tradition and carefree good times, with cannons sounding in the New Year and partying that lasts for several days before and after the main New Year's celebration.
3. Sydney, Australia
Check out the famous fireworks at Harbor Bridge as Sydney rings in the New Year before anyone in Europe or North America. New Year falls in the middle of Australian summer time, so expect beach parties galore and an unforgettably bonzer bonanza.
2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Spectacular fireworks and beaches teeming with nightlife help give Brazil's most famous city an incredible party vibe each December 31st. Though the carnival festivities are better known, there are few better places to see in the New Year than on the sand of Copacabana beach.
1. Goa, India
With beach parties lasting long after sunrise, it's obvious why this sixties hippie haven is still a world class party destination. You may find yourself sharing a dance floor with big Bollywood stars, as the great and the good of Indian popular culture head to party in Goa to see in the New Year.

Most Interesting Destinations is a unique travel guide that provides information on unique landmarks and events like Hotel Puerta America and the Palacio de Sal.

New Years Eve Images

New Year is one of the most celebrated festivities of the world. It is celebrated in different parts of the world following distinctive styles and methods. It is the time of merry-making and engaging in a number of fun activities. Decorations form the most important part of the celebration of this festive season. From houses, to cars, offices, shops, streets, lanes and more are decorated in the grandest way possible for welcoming the occasion. With everything going techie with the advancement of science and technology, New Year decorations have also entered the league of hi-tech decorations. Among other things, desktops and laptops enjoy hi-tech decorations during the time of New Year. One of the best ways of decorating these electronic gadgets is by New Year Pictures and Wallpapers.
A wide variety of wallpapers and pictures for New Year, 2011 have already started making round in the internet. You can select from the different variety of wallpapers and pictures based on the theme of New Year from the different websites. The New Year Wallpapers are indeed an interesting decoration of your desktops and laptops.

New Year Eve 2012

Possibly you have brought in the New Year in exciting cities like New York, Paris, Rio or Monte Carlo, but in Las Vegas you can experience a taste of all these cities and more. Las Vegas is known for being a tourists' paradise. Las Vegas is a happening place to celebrate any time of the year. By any stretch of the imagination, this city in the desert is your sure bet for a New Year's Eve to remember.
If you have never been or haven't visited lately, a new Las Vegas trend is the theme resort. The New York New York, the Rio, Monte Carlo, Paris are just a few of the theme resorts. For every new hotel room that is built in Las Vegas, 2.5 new jobs are created. Perhaps, this is the reason Las Vegas was voted number city in job growth the United States, for nearly two decades.
The New York New York Resort is Manhattan transferred a capsule of the real place. The look begins with an exterior designed to look like New York City office buildings. When architectural professionals gathered a few years ago in Las Vegas, they too gave it a "thumbs up."
Over looking the main drag best known as "the Las Vegas Strip," stands a 150-foot-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty. Nearby is a 300-foot-long Brooklyn Bridge. Inside the New York New York visitors come upon Central Park, Greenwich Village and Times Square, all in a smaller scale likeness.

 

When Is Chinese New Near

The Chinese New Year is the biggest celebration in the Chinese calendar. It's more important than birthday or holidays. This coming year, Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 3, 2011. 2011 is known as the year of Rabbit or by its formal name XinMao.
There are twelve animal names in this system. So it repeats every twelve years. This system is very practical. A child doesn't need to remember what year they were born. They need only remember which animal year they were born in. Being from a certain animal is supposed to give the person particular traits of that animal. These traits are listed in the Chinese zodiac. For instance, if someone is born in 2011 or the year of the rabbit, they are said to be good listeners who are kind and sweet but also ambitious and know how to get what they want. They are said to plan ahead in making decisions. This can be seen as timid or wise and cautious.

New Years Eve 2012 Calendar

The Chinese New Year is a fifteen day celebration that falls on a different date each year as it is a combination of lunar and solar movements. It usually falls in the month of January or February. This year marks the 'Year of the Horse'.
The Chinese New Year's date varies every year and falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. The date for the occasion is decided according to the calendar which is a combination of the solar and the lunar calendar. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, cat, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and boar are the animals that are considered to be auspicious. Each person is believed in the Chinese calendar to resemble an animal and this reflects their traits.
The Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival as it is also known is the most revered holiday of the year. This is the time when family and friends gather and offer prayers to their ancestors and deities followed by a lavish dinner to usher in the New Year. During this time, families clean their homes while feng shui believers decorate their homes accordingly. On Chinese New Year Eve, members of a family stay up late as legend goes that long ago; the gods in heaven would give gold to each family so they would keep awake, active and ready to accept the gold gift.

 

New Years Eve Photos

Believe it or not, you CAN enjoy a New Year's Eve bash with kids - even
if you CAN'T get a sitter!
Infants and toddlers make it simple. Tuck them in, turn on the baby
monitor, and you're free to party - as long as you limit alcohol
consumption and keep the noise down.
Preschoolers and kids in the early elementary grades love getting into
the New Year's spirit.
To build excitement, announce a day or two ahead of time that you're
going to have a night-time New Year's party with pajamas on.
Then, when you go grocery shopping, you can let your child pick out a
party snack. A trip to a party store for some inexpensive noisemakers
will add to the excitement.

Lunar New Year 2012 Calendar

Hong Kong has over a dozen festivals. Majority of which celebrate life and honor the departed. Among the major holidays, the most prominent is the Chinese(Lunar) New Year. For the locals, it is the most wonderful time of the year. The holiday of holidays. A time when people take a break from their stressful lives and reconnect with families and friends. A time to reflect and unwind. The festive mood could be felt for days leading up to the celebration. Chinese New Year songs are played everywhere. Adding more excitement to the already saturated atmosphere of celebratory ambiance.
People embrace the minor inconveniences that go along with a huge festival such as this. Many shops and restaurants close down during the big day. On the other hand, supermarkets and convenience stores remain open to the public. A great deal of preparation is being invested every year to ensure a worthwhile celebration.
You can visit places like Victoria Peak to get in all the action from a birds eye view as it overlooks the city. Or even visit the Central District where you will be able to get all the bargains during this big festival. The Central District holds the biggest shopping malls and is bumping during the new years.

New Years Eve Dinner

New Years Eve is always an exciting night so I thought I would give you a couple of New Years Eve party ideas for family parties. As I mentioned on Martha Stewart Living radio yesterday, with the current economic climate continually changing, we now, more than ever, are examining our spending habits with more care and consideration. Therefore, this New Years Eve, make it a family celebration and include the entire family when entertaining with your friends.
New Years Eve party ideas include having friends over for a potluck dinner and for your guests to enjoy and participate in, Guess Whose Baby Picture and family favorite board games could serve as the evening's entertainment for a family celebration.
As I mentioned on radio, since we are talking about family parties, keep it simple and casual. Call the party time for early evening, request casual dress and create a menu complete with easy-to-make food items or fresh ready-served food that is easy to pick up at the market or deli.

New Years Eve Images

New Years Eve is one of the most important dates in the calendar, and is a time to celebrate a new year and party with friends. It's the perfect opportunity to put together a fabulous outfit, and look at your most glamorous.
The first thing you should consider, before you choose your outfit, is the type of New Years party you are attending. If it's a house party, then you are probably best to keep your look a bit more casual, whereas if you are going to a club or pub, you would be looking to dress up. If you are a single lady, New Years is the ideal opportunity to find that special someone, so you really want to look your best.
Ideas for a casual look will depend on your body shape, and what you feel comfortable wearing. If you have a slim figure, then a pair of skinny jeans will look good with a one shoulder top or a gorgeous halter-neck. To make your look even more special, you could wear your jeans in animal print, which is one of the key trends this season. Another idea for a casual outfit for a New Year party is leather trousers with a stylish top

 

Leather trousers can work for any figure, depending on tight or loose you wear them. You can also wear leggings, as an alternative, but should ensure the top you wear, falls below hip level. A tunic top is an ideal accompaniment to a pair of leggings, with a pair of heels to complete the look. A fur jacket over your outfit, will keep you warm over the winter months. If you would rather wear a casual dress for your New Year party, then a cable knit dress with a pair of knee high or ankle boots, will keep your look stylish, and very sexy. Jewellery should be quite minimal for a casual look, nothing too over the top.

If you are looking for an outfit to wear on New Years Eve at a pub or club, then you will want to be a lot more glamorous and experimental with your look. Again you want to consider your body shape, before you decide which outfit to go for. A pencil skirt, empire line dress or a maxi dress will suit most people, as they skim the hips and don't sit to tight around the body. Make this style look more dressy by adding some chunky jewellery, or bling!

New York Events 2012

New Years Celebration

The first country in the world to greet the New Year, each and every year, is Tonga in the South Pacific. That is because it lies very close to the 180th parallel (12 hours ahead of Greenwich). It sits directly on the International Dateline.
Tongans value their relationship with God and others. The whole first week of the New Year is called Uike Lotu (prayer week). Every day church congregations meet and pray morning and evening, and in between they feast together. Bands all over the island take their instruments, sometimes-homemade banjos, bass and guitars, and go from home to home hoping for some provisions in exchange for their music.
The people of Tonga take the New Year very seriously. When we lived in Tonga, at 12:01 the first minute of the New Year, people would start walking, trying to be the first to greet their relatives. You could see people walking all over the paths and roads looking for their kin. When they would meet, which may be halfway between their homes, they would embrace and uma (kiss). Then they would sit down and have some cookies and Milo before leaving to find other relatives. It was a time of meeting, praying and feasting. The older people would talk and reminisce about the old times and express their gratitude for being able to make it to the New Year.

After greeting all the relatives, and a long nap, most everyone heads for the beach. January 1st is during the hottest time of the year in Tonga, unlike the white snowy Christmases others are used to. The whole family will go to the beach and have a swim. Food for the New Year is usually baked in an umu (underground oven), and may include lu pulu (beef, onion and coconut milk wrapped in taro leaves), root crops like taro, kumala (sweet potato) manioke (tapioca), and seafood. The men fix the umu, and every one enjoys it.
Not only the villagers celebrate the coming of the New Year. On January 1, 2009 members of the royal family as well as cabinet ministers and distinguished guests received an audience with his Majesty King George Tupou V shortly after midnight. Even the monarch tries to strengthen his relationships during the new years celebration.

New Years Eve Pictures

As the best night of the entire year for parties, New Year's Eve is a fabulous time to host a wedding. You can be sure that everyone will be dressed to the nines and ready to gave a great time! Thank your guests for coming to your wedding with one of these great ideas for New Year's Eve wedding favors.
Champagne is a popular part of many New Year's Eve celebrations, and it would be a great idea for a wedding favor. It would be a very swanky favor for a black tie wedding. Small splits of Champagne would be fantastic favors that your guests are sure to love. To make it even more impressive, hang a small strand of crystals around the neck of each bottle (almost like a crystal necklace for the Champagne - how festive!) with a message of thanks from the bride and groom. There are a few variations on this which would work very well, such as substituting sparkling wine or Prosecco for Champagne. A non-alcoholic sparkling cider would be another option, especially if you are likely to have underage guests or tee-totalers at your reception.

New Years Eve 2012 Party Ideas

New Year's Eve is a celebration to usher in the new year and is typically celebrated with a party and a countdown of the last seconds of the year. It is one of the most celebrated events in the year, and one where everyone, irrespective of religion, cast, or creed, joins in the celebrations. Different places have different themes for a new year's eve party, and while there are no hard and fast rules to determine the best new year's eve destinations, some of these destinations stand out from the rest. New Year's Eve parties have become such an important celebration, that come New Year's Eve, there are literally hundreds of parties to choose from, in almost every city of the world.

For those of you who have the means to travel, and expense is not an issue, here are some of the more popular New Year's Eve party destinations around the world. Remember, there are many many party destinations that you can go to for New Year's Eve, and if you don't find something to your liking in the list below, do not fret. At this late date, however, most of the destinations may be full already, and you might have to pay through your nose to get there. But we already mentioned that money was no object, didn't we! So put your party hats on, and let's go take a look at some of the best new year's eve destinations!

This Mediterranean island is a haven for party goers, and this new year's eve is going to be no different. With more than a hundred parties to choose from, 'I'm going to Ibiza' is the song that you should be singing. Long known for its crazy parties and varied nightlife, Ibiza is a place where even the most wild party people will enjoy themselves. Ibiza is home to the biggest nightclubs in the world, and some of the wildest and best new year's eve parties happen at this exotic destination. With the parties and celebrations going well in to the early morning hours, partying in Ibiza is never boring. New year's parties are even wilder and Ibiza, the 'Dance Mecca of Europe' or 'Island of Ecstasy' as it is popularly known, should always figure on your list of new year party destinations.

New Year Celebration 2012

New Year's Eve is a celebration to usher in the new year and is typically celebrated with a party and a countdown of the last seconds of the year. It is one of the most celebrated events in the year, and one where everyone, irrespective of religion, cast, or creed, joins in the celebrations. Different places have different themes for a new year's eve party, and while there are no hard and fast rules to determine the best new year's eve destinations, some of these destinations stand out from the rest. New Year's Eve parties have become such an important celebration, that come New Year's Eve, there are literally hundreds of parties to choose from, in almost every city of the world.

For those of you who have the means to travel, and expense is not an issue, here are some of the more popular New Year's Eve party destinations around the world. Remember, there are many many party destinations that you can go to for New Year's Eve, and if you don't find something to your liking in the list below, do not fret. At this late date, however, most of the destinations may be full already, and you might have to pay through your nose to get there. But we already mentioned that money was no object, didn't we! So put your party hats on, and let's go take a look at some of the best new year's eve destinations!

2011 New Years

You will be surprised to know that the Chinese new year falls on a different date every year! Although, it is always celebrated after the harvesting is completed in the fall season and before the plantation starts during spring, it's dates keep on changing year after year. The main reason behind this shift is that in the Chinese calendar, after every few years, an extra month is added! This is basically done to align the lunar cycle and the solar cycle on which the Chinese calendar is based. So, obviously, the Chinese new year dates change too!

When is Chinese new year 2011? This is the question on everyone's mind, who are either interested in Chinese astrology or want to join in the festivities of this great festival. Scroll down for some interesting trivia on the Chinese new year...