Christmas  and Chinese New year  festival

                  by Iris Rojas

      Every  nation has it own traditional festival. The Chinese new year ( Spring festival) is the major holiday celebrated in China ,while Christmas is the most important red – letter day in the western world. After researching both Christmas and the Chinese new year festival, interesting similarities between the two unique celebrations come into fruition. For instance, both contain traditional meals, presents, decorations, songs, and are family oriented occasions. Also there are perceptible differences  between the two, such as the time of year, and the significance of the occasions within their respective cultures. This essay will be showcasing both Christmas, and Chinese New year festival in terms of their  origins, as well  all the similarities and differences they both share.

Firstly, Christmas is a religious celebratory holiday, which embraces the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas Eve takes place on December 24th,the day before Jesus Christ is born. It  is significant  to know that different cultures may eat different meals. For instance, in Poland traditional Christmas Eve meals include fish soup, carp, and pickled herring. It is important to  know that non-religious  individuals may also celebrate Christmas as well, whom primarily focus on the family,casting and gift giving  aspect of Christmas. Some may view Santa Claus, a mythological figure, to be more important than Jesus Christ. Santa Claus is known for traveling across the world on December 24th from the North Pole, delivering presents to the nice children, while the naughty children receive a lump of coal. December 25th is the day where Jesus Christ, known to many Christians as their savior , is born. This is the day where a few individuals will put up numerous decorations, although many will decorate in advance, for example miniature size nativity, candles ,garlands , etc.

Nevertheless, the Chinese New Year Festival is a major holiday, which has been celebrated in mainland China for many centuries,taking place on the second New moon after the winter solstice. It is significant to know that this Festival is also celebrated in other countries by its Chinese inhabitants,while various foreigners have been known to participate in the festivities as well. According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called The Nien, who would  come on the first day of new year to devour livestock,crops, and even villagers,especially children. Moreover, the color red is strongly used throughout the festival, such as clothing, decorations, envelopes, gifts,etc. Another point to consider is that the Chinese New Year consists  of fifteen days,, with the majority of the days each signifying different customs and actions.  During this period numerous individuals decorate the street with lanterns,which are primarily red. The Chinese new year festival  is a high-spirited, content time where family and friends come together in order to celebrate years of tradition, such as feast, decorations, gifts, national pride, etc.

                                                               

Despite  the considerations above, Christmas and the Chinese New Year have actual similarities, with slight variations to them.

On one hand, the use of flowers is strongly used in both celebrations. The Chinese are known for using many different flowers for the Chinese New Year Festival, such as pussy willows, plum, bamboo and so forth. Therefore ,having this plant around during Spring Festival would represent the invitation of abundant luck and prosperity into homes. As for western cultures, when celebrating Christmas , individuals use flowers mostly as decorations. Both celebrations are also known for the process of giving and receiving gifts to friends and relatives. For  instance, during the Chinese New Year individuals will give gifts, which are usually brought, when visiting friends or relatives at their homes.

To conclude , Christmas and the  Chinese New Year are both important celebratory occasions, which can bring joy and anticipation amongst those whom celebrate these events. These are time when family, friends  and even complete strangers,can come together in harmonious enthusiasm. Both events contain similarities, such as, gifts, decorations, songs, flowers, traditions etc. Christmas, a westernized occasion, may contain different significance and symbolic meaning to those, whom celebrate it rather than those whom celebrate the Chinese New Year. But, the most important thing about these two occasion, even with their differences, is they bring people together, and are both accepting towards all cultures and beliefs.

Food fight to celebrate

Food fight to celebrate.

Festivals are always a good way to celebrate something. It can be a commemoration of a saint’s day or remembering a historical event that took place long time ago and was very significant for people from the town, village or city where it took place. Whatever the reasons are, a festival is always an exciting experience that really worth it if you are ready for anything to happen. A food fight may sound peculiar and unlikely to happen anywhere, but no matter what we might think, it takes places not only in one place but in two. Or at least, two cities are very well-known because of their celebration of special days by having a massive food fight in their own streets. The Battle of the Oranges and La Tomatina are two celebrations that take place in different countries but with strong similarities.

La Tomatina is held in the Valencia town of Buñol, a town located in the East of Spain. The Battle of the Oranges takes place in the Northern Italian city of Ivrea. Both are celebrated during a period of festivities. The first one is celebrated during the week of festivities of Buñol, on the last Wednesday of August, and the Battle of the Oranges is held in February, during the carnival celebration.

The main characteristic that makes these celebrations very similar and special is the one related to food. These magnificent and somehow fierce spectacles are based on a fight with fruits, a kind of war, not with weapons but oranges and tomatoes. As it can be inferred, the main weapon used in La Tomatina are crushed tomatoes that people use to throw each other. In the same way, oranges are used to fight in the festival of northern Italy where thousands of people come together to undertake this massive activity.

These two festivities share another important thing. Both have become very popular worldwide because of their special development and long history. People from all over the world travel to these countries only to be part of these shows. Generally, the inhabitants of these cities are overwhelmed by the huge number of tourists who attend these festivals, shelter locations become saturated and many tourists end up staying in nearby villages and then take a bus or any other transport to help them reach the destination for the event.

Apart from these resemblances, these festivals, as they are from different countries, they have some differences that make them special and well worth it to have the chance to be part of both of them.

Although La Tomatina has no definite origin, the Battle of the Oranges has at least one historical event which support its celebration. La Tomatina has begun approximately around the 1945, but it is not clear the precise reason why it all begun. On the other hand, it is believed that the Battle of the Oranges started to commemorate the city’s defiance against the city’s tyrant around the 12th century.

Regarding the celebration itself, differences also exist. La Tomatina has some rules to avoid serious injuries among the participants, and since 2013 the capacity of people who takes part in this festival is regulated by selling tickets for the event; this happening has not got any award not even teams to fight ones against others, it is all about fighting and having some fun. Unlike the previous event, the Battle of the Oranges is an organized event. Teams are formed to be part of this celebration, nine teams must be in the battlefield to fight against guards that move in a coach. These teams are evaluated by specialized judges and they decide which team deserves the prize.

So, if you have an adventurous spirit and a desire of being part of something big you definitely must try some cultural celebration. There are as many as countries in the world, some are artistic, others celebrate New Year in a truly fantastic way and few of them are not well justified but those are the best. Of course, if you choose any of these celebrations above, you must be prepared to be hit by tomatoes or to have a bruise for several days thanks to a large orange. These festivals are some of the most intense and extreme you can find, but if you enjoy the adrenaline it generates you will not be disappointed. 

Transport in modern cities, a cost of living

Public transport is a shared passenger transport service which is available to be used by the general public. More than fifty percent of today´s world population is living in urban regions requiring of this service to move to their work places generally in the city centre. Having said that, we realize how important this facility to these million people is. Just today in the capital of Argentina there has been an announcement about a hike in rates for this service, impacting on the economy of all these users. It is fair to attack in this way to the economy stability of the people who make this country work? 

This hike in rates will not only impact on the economy of these individuals, it will hit directly on their lifestyles, their relationships, their jobs and their mental and physical health. If the cost of living increases but wages do not, there will be an imbalance in the way of living. Depression, family and marital conflicts and health oversights may be some of the effects of this disadvantage.

Now that we are aware of the influence of this issue in the population we will try to understand why this unfortunate decision has been taken by the government. 

The rise in fuel (about a 6%) had strong impact on the activity as it is one of the main inputs, being one of the biggest costs of companies.

Another origin is the recent devaluation of the local currency having a strong implication on the price of spare parts and supplies necessary for the operation of enterprises.

The sharp increase in inflation causes the loss of purchasing power of the transport employee’s salaries so the companies need to raise them and thus the transport rates.

Sadly it is certainly unfair to put on the shoulders of the working class another weight being historically the most punished. But anyway we try to find answers to justify the unjustifiable.  

New Year:  two very similar and different celebrations

   New Year is the time at which a New Year calendar begins. Despite the fact that the origin of this celebration is not Christian; most of people celebrate new year´s day as it would be. The new year of the Gregorian calendar falls on 1° January. Although, this is the most used all over the world there are many places in which celebrate New Year at the time determined by many others calendars. All around the world, the different cultures celebrate this event in many particular ways. It is possible to compare two countries of different continents such as America and Asia and find not only differences but also, similarities.

   In the Asian continent, the Chinese use another calendar for cultural festivities than the United States in the American continent. In the united states, as in many other places in the world, New Year is celebrated on 1° January at 12 a.m. while in China, spring festival (how is also named New year in China) is celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar calendar, it falls on the new moon between the 21 January and 20 February. However, similarly for both countries, this is the major social holiday in which people meet to celebrate.

   In China, traditionally families cleanse minutely their house in order to sweep away any ill fortune and to make way for good incoming luck. In the United States, people also clean the house but not as minutely as people in china. This is because it is not a ritual for American people, who are not as spiritual as Chinese ones. In both countries families receive their friends and relatives to have dinner and exchange gifts, in china friends and relative give each other little and common gifts such as chocolates, biscuits and candies but in the U.S.A, people give their parents or friends big presents.

  In the united states, people is used to decorating their houses with globes of different colours and with the Christmas’ ornaments that are still at home at that date. In China, windows and doors are decorated with red colour paper-cuts with popular wishes of good fortune or happiness, health and longevity. Similarly, Americans have a tradition in which every person makes promises and wishes for the New Year.in both countries traditionally are used fireworks to celebrate the arrival of the New Year, Chinese believe that the deafening explosions scare away evil spirits.

  In conclusion, although every culture has different traditions and cultures, all over the world the departure of the old year and the arrival of a new one is always considered a special time for celebration. it is a very important day that is celebrated with bright and enthusiasm in every single country around the world.

The other side of the coin

               

                Theistic Satanism is the belief that Satan is a supernatural being or force that individuals may contact and supplicate to and represents loosely affiliated or independent groups and cabals which hold such belief. It generally includes magic in the ceremonies. Meanwhile, LaVeyan Satanism is a religious movement founded in 1966 by the American occultist and author Anton Szandor LaVey. All religion’s doctrines and practices are codified in LaVey’s book, the Satanic Bible which adepts use as a guidance through ceremonies and festivals nowadays. As a result, several satanic holidays have been described by both Satanists and by Christian authors (even by historians of witchcraft) and many of those holidays and festivals are held around the world but in different ways: Krampus Festival (Germany), Devil Baby Jumping Festival (Spain), Black Mass Festival (Mexico), Diablada De Pillaro (Ecuador), Saint Sebastian Day (Spain), Virgen del Carmen Festival (Peru), Day Of The Dead (Mexico), Burning Man (USA), Walpurgisnacht (Germany) and Summer Solstice (Stonehenge – near England) are some of them. There are not neither a lot of contrastive aspects nor similarities, but we cannot deny they exist. Which are they? Here is the answer.

            To start with, one of the similarities existed among these festivals is, obviously, that people celebrate something related to evil spirits and energies. Although in some places evil is considered good or bad, in each country or town, the main topic of the celebration is a “bad” presence that they want to worship or shoo in different ways. Another big similarity may be the worn of costumes. In every single festival, extravagant and colourful clothes are used. Some of them add masks to the celebration, but even colours are similar (red, yellow and black) because it is said that they represent both cheerfulness and darkness. Finally (but not less important), a thing they all have in common is the amount of people they attract. Hundreds and hundreds of persons assist to this festivals to watch or even participate in the ceremonies. Not only citizens but also visitors witness and like these holidays, coming back later years.

            As it has been seen above, there are not many similar aspects among these festivals, but they do have things in common. Now we are about to see that differences also exist if we refer to these celebrations.

            First of all, one of the biggest differences we can notice is the fact that some of the festivals worship an evil entity but others try to shoo it. In Latin America, for example, (except for one of the Mexican cities) these celebrations are used to avoid the evil to get into people’s lives, but, on the other hand, in European cities, the USA and in Black Mass Festival (Mexico) satanic festivals are used to venerate evil spirits. People here dance and even offer animals’ lives as sacrifice and abundance. Another main contrast found is the moment of the year these celebrations are held. All of them are carried out in different months, related with different events, too. Krampus, for instance, is the anti-Santa Klaus, and it is held in December 6^th as a sign of evil against good before Santa begins his journey around the world giving presents for children. Krampus, on the contrary, used to kidnap little kids to the woods to eat them later. Meanwhile, Walpurgisnacht is hosted in April 30^th and Summer Solstice in England takes place in June 21^st.

            To sum up, all religious and belief systems have their own festivals. Although some of them revolve around ancestors and others are associated with the lunar calendar, different celebrations hosted by satanic people are being known and practiced nowadays. More and more persons assist to them every year and they are becoming more popular as years go by. Not many of us dare to talk about that issue and those festivals shown before, but we can no longer ignore their existence. As we try to think that they do not exist, more people adept to them. They are neither too similar nor different among them. They are not too known in our country, but they are likely to be popular soon. They are not regular festivals, but they are hosted and held around the world. Satanic festivals do exist and it is a very good way to know the diverse of people’s way of thinking. It’s the other side of human’s beliefs and, principally, the other side of the coin.

BIZARRE FESTIVALS OF ANIMALS

            Festivals are one of the greatest ways of celebrating special days. But what is a festival? Well, it is an event celebrated by the local people of a region centering on some cultural aspects, religion or some traditions. There are many different types of festivals, for instance, dancing, acting, singing, shows about food, animals, cartoons, etc. this essay focuses on the similitudes and differences of two famous festivals related with animals, which are, the rabbit hopping championship and the hen race championship.

These competitive festivals are very bizarre and unique. Therefore hundreds of tourists are attracted by these unusual competitions where farm animals can show their talent in front of many people without feeling scared. The competitors have to train their animals for long periods in order to develop their abilities. That makes possible the application of a variety of techniques and strategies so to win the challenge.  What is more, these kinds of sport tournaments do not only help the animals to keep fit, but it also entertains the spectators.

Now that some common things about these festivals have been established, let us move on to see the difference between them.

The rabbit hopping festival takes place in Copenhagen-Denmark. It is usually settled inside of a big room similar to a basketball stadium, whereas the hen race championship takes place in Bonsall-England and it is held at the barley mow inn where a race track is built on the street so the hens can compete without obstacles. During championships the rabbits are led by their owners on a leash over a series of obstacles, like a miniature version of horse show jumping, only cutter. On the other hand, in the hen race, the birds are released at a start line and then, they are encouraged along a 20 yards track by their human coaches who use a variety of weird tactics such as, banging tins or garden forks, and even talking in strange tongues in order to obtain the victory.

To sum up, people are always looking for a reason to celebrate, and often, animals provide that reason. It may seem a big excuse to just drink alcohol, eat a lot of food, or just have fun with family and friends, but it represents the tradition and part of the history of a community. What is more, these kinds of events help people forget about their problems and have a break alongside their pets and nice people who want to just enjoy the show. 

Assess the importance of public transport in the modern city

In modern cities, where people are so busy doing things and working, the relevance of public transport is noticeable: not everybody has a proper transport and not all of them work in places nearby. To solve these problems, nowadays, places like Buenos Aires for instance, counts with subways and buses, without forgetting taxies, of course, but the aim of those transports is, clearly, to cheapen the costs of the tickets and help people move in their daily life. In modern cities, not only in our country, the existence of these services highlights most the need and the importance it has, because without them, it would not be possible for people, to move cheaply from one place to another.

            One major reason that emphasizes the importance of public transports like buses, subways and trains, in some countries, is its accessibility to its use in daily life and modern cities. Not everybody has a proper car, or motorbike or even a bike, so, taking one of these options could result sensible. It represents a cost, but nothing impossible to afford to. As a consequence of this, the great masses of people who do not have the opportunity to go home or to somewhere by their own can move with no problems and at any times. The advantage of having several schedules and lots of units to run helps passengers to choose not only the time but also the most convenient destination.

The next reason to talk about is the profitability using public transport, represents. Generally, distances between towns are huge, and in big cities it is usual to live in a certain village but working in another one. Travelling in a particular way may cost more than just paying a bus or a subway ticket. Long distances to move by car, for instance, translate into high money inversions if we do this daily. Consequently, when using public transportation, passengers can save money, or destine it to other uses without forgetting the contribution to their own economy. Indeed, they might take advantage of the saved money to go on holidays, buy useful items or simply saving it. If you have to travel to work without spending so much money, the ideal option is to take one of these alternatives.

The last issue why we should bear in mind transportation, is because it implies a public inversion, that is to say, it is a service that everybody can access to. The public transports given for the state such as trains, subways and buses tend to help people in every single possible aspect, not only in economic ones but also in the availability for everyone. As a result, it guarantees citizens mobility everywhere they need, eases overcrowded roads from cars and motorbikes and generates jobs, such as maintenance. As the public service that it is, it gives its passengers comfort and a number of options depending on how far you have to travel, how you want to do it and where you need to go.

All things considered lead you to choose public transportation and highlight its importance in modern societies and cities. It does not matter if the route is crowded or not, services like those above mentioned facilitate motion, cheapen costs and help users face their daily reality. It is still the easiest and common option for those who need to reach to a destination safely and sometimes rapidly, and, of course, something that will be always in vogue for those who cannot access a proper vehicle. As all the things, it will always continue developing according to passengers’ needs and social requirements.