On this nostalgic Tuesday, I look back at my posting of 2012: Kung Hee Fat Choy, which means Happy New Year. I said:
This is the year of the dragon, which is the most favorable, luckiest and revered zodiac sign. Dragons are confident, generous, colorful, gifted and operate on a grand scale. Hmm...no wonder I am a dragon. Both weddings and births will spike this year in the Orient. We dragons, though, can be conceited, tactless, and solitary.
The more I look at the above, the more it makes sense, for I can be conceited, tactless and solitary. I also said:There are, actually, ten different dragons. Twelve years ago it was metal and in 2024 it will be wood. This year? The water dragon, something that won't happen again for 120 years. The founders of Blue Revolution Hawaii have accepted the Blue Marine Dragon as our mascot.
I showed a photo of the fireworks at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore:
Well, Wikipedia indicates China has been inhabited from the Old Stone Age, or Paleolithic, which began 3.3 million years ago, and ended in 9701 BC, so it comes down to what is really a country. Most sources do say China is almost 5,000 years old as a country, beginning in the Hwang Ho and Yangtze river basins. In comparison, remember that the USA is only 247 years old. Most say the New China started in 1911, when China had the Xinhai Revolution, resulting in the downfall of the Empire and formation of the People's Republic. Then came the 1949 victory of Mao Zedong over Chiang Kai-Shek and the Kuomintang, when the People's Republic of China began.
Here is the calendar of the Dragon year in 2024.
- 9, New Year's Eve: The most important celebration when families have a reunion and stay up until midnight.
- 10, New Year's Day: A day for visiting/greeting family and relatives, including ancestor graves.
- 12, Day of the Rat: An ominous day. Stay home and rest with family.
- 13, Day of the Sheep: Go to temples.
- 14, Break Five: Taboos can be broken.
- 15, Day of the Horse: Get rid of old, unwanted things.
- 16, Day of Mankind: Spend time with nature.
- 17, Day of Grain: Hope for good weather, and have mini-reunion dinner with family.
- 18, Providence of Health: Give gifts, light incense, set off fireworks. What not to give:
- 24, Lantern Festival: Light lanterns and watch dragon dances.
- Began nearly 2000 years ago in interaction of China with Zoroastrianism, an Iranian religion.
- Fly red lanterns to bring good fortune.
- Eat sticky rice.
About the future?
- China became the most populated country in 221 BC when the Qin Dynasty unified the parts.
- At that time, Alexander's Empire sort of had more people, although it was fragmented into four pieces.
- China fell back to the Roman Empire around the Year Zero, both around 60 million.
- China then remained the the most populated until this year.
- India is expected to continue growing to 1.7 billion in 2050, but China is predicted to dip to 1.3 billion.
- Captivating and mythical aroma.
- Sweet warmth of honeyed figs, reminiscent of an ancient dragon lair.
- Subtle smokiness, with a wisp of incense.
- Velvety caramel and toffee form the base, accompanied by a burst of tropical fruits.
- The dragon's breath emerges gently in a subtle peatiness, adding depth without overshadowing the intricate dance of sweet and smoky notes.
- The finish is a crescendo of complexity, and the final moments offer a harmonious blend of sweetness and distant echo of the dragon's fiery essence.
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