The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. All people living away from home go back, becoming the busiest time for transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival. Airports, railway stations and long-distance bus stations are crowded with home returnees.

The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC-c. 1100 BC) from the people’s sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one.

Strictly speaking, the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid 1st lunar month of the next year. Of them, the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today, but others have weakened.

On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, many families make laba porridge, a delicious kind of porridge made with glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Job’s tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, longan and gingko.

The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month is called Preliminary Eve. At this time, people offer sacrifice to the kitchen god. Now however, most families make delicious food to enjoy themselves.

After the Preliminary Eve, people begin preparing for the coming New Year. This is called “Seeing the New Year in”.

Store owners are busy then as everybody goes out to purchase necessities for the New Year. Materials not only include edible oil, rice, flour, chicken, duck, fish and meat, but also fruit, candies and kinds of nuts. What’s more, various decorations, new clothes and shoes for the children as well as gifts for the elderly, friends and relatives, are all on the list of purchasing.

Before the New Year comes, the people completely clean the indoors and outdoors of their homes as well as their clothes, bedclothes and all their utensils.

Then people begin decorating their clean rooms featuring an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. All the door panels will be pasted with Spring Festival couplets, highlighting Chinese calligraphy with black characters on red paper. The content varies from house owners’ wishes for a bright future to good luck for the New Year. Also, pictures of the god of doors and wealth will be posted on front doors to ward off evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance.

The Chinese character “fu” (meaning blessing or happiness) is a must. The character put on paper can be pasted normally or upside down, for in Chinese the “reversed fu” is homophonic with “fu comes”, both being pronounced as “fudaole.” What’s more, two big red lanterns can be raised on both sides of the front door. Red paper-cuttings can be seen on window glass and brightly colored New Year paintings with auspicious meanings may be put on the wall.

People attach great importance to Spring Festival Eve. At that time, all family members eat dinner together. The meal is more luxurious than usual. Dishes such as chicken, fish and bean curd cannot be excluded, for in Chinese, their pronunciations, respectively “ji”, “yu” and “doufu,” mean auspiciousness, abundance and richness. After the dinner, the whole family will sit together, chatting and watching TV. In recent years, the Spring Festival party broadcast on China Central Television Station (CCTV) is essential entertainment for the Chinese both at home and abroad. According to custom, each family will stay up to see the New Year in.

Waking up on New Year, everybody dresses up. First they extend greetings to their parents. Then each child will get money as a New Year gift, wrapped up in red paper. People in northern China will eat jiaozi, or dumplings, for breakfast, as they think “jiaozi” in sound means “bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new”. Also, the shape of the dumpling is like gold ingot from ancient China. So people eat them and wish for money and treasure.

Southern Chinese eat niangao (New Year cake made of glutinous rice flour) on this occasion, because as a homophone, niangao means “higher and higher, one year after another.” The first five days after the Spring Festival are a good time for relatives, friends, and classmates as well as colleagues to exchange greetings, gifts and chat leisurely.

Burning fireworks was once the most typical custom on the Spring Festival. People thought the spluttering sound could help drive away evil spirits. However, such an activity was completely or partially forbidden in big cities once the government took security, noise and pollution factors into consideration. As a replacement, some buy tapes with firecracker sounds to listen to, some break little balloons to get the sound too, while others buy firecracker handicrafts to hang in the living room.

The lively atmosphere not only fills every household, but permeates to streets and lanes. A series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs will be held for days. The Spring Festival then comes to an end when the Lantern Festival is finished.

China has 56 ethnic groups. Although minorities have different customs, they celebrate their Spring Festival almost the same day as the Han people.

Makeup may enhance your beauty, but hair is the frame for your look. It does not matter how hot you are dressed, who you are wearing, how terrific your makeup is, if you hair is a mess or just not right, the whole look simple falls. Keep your hair soft and shiny and keep it brushed. Deep condition it at least once every two weeks. If you straighten or curl or blow dry, be sure to use a good leave in conditioner and heat protectant. Take care and pay attention to your tresses, whether they are long and flowing or short and sassy. Get the total look and pay attention to you hair.

Long hair styles are fun to do. Try this Grecian Up-do like the one pictured here. This style requires tons of curls, so if your hair isn’t naturally super curly, then you need to get to work curling it. Once you have curled, don’t let a brush touch your hair. Finger comb gently until you have a mop of curls. If you want to add a shine serum, now is the time. Next, section off a circle of hair at the rear crown to act as your base for the style. Tease, or back-brush, this section. Part it in the center and tease the inner parts, near the scalp. Bring the parts together and smooth the outer part of the base. Now twist this base in French twist fashion and secure with bobby pins. Use larger pins near the scalp to secure the base. Bring the rest of the hair up and pin it in place while you add the lacings (ribbon, silk cord, leather cord, etc). Start at the base of the twist and half knot, then criss cross with a half knot each time all the way around and up the twist. Then just fluff the curls around the lacing. You can pull a few tendrils around the face and on the nape of the neck for a little touch of romance. This is a soft, feminine look. Add some personal flair with a pretty hair stick or decorative hair clips.

A little pomade or gel can go a long way with medium to short hair. Slick it all back for a sleek, sophisticated look, or slick back sections for a little variety. For longer hair, use a clip to hold the hair up and back. Slick back one side or section of hair and fluff the hair in the loose section. Use a little get or mousse and finger curl the loose section, creating a dramatic style that will go all evening. You can add crystal hair clips to give the style a little kick or pull through a little funky color like red or blue. The most important thing is to have fun.

Tousled hair is definitely always a hit. It is also probably the easiest to do. Apply mousse or gel to clean, damp hair (you may also want to apply a root lifter if your hair lacks body) and, while it is damp, take small sections, twist them and lay them on your head. Use a diffuser on your dryer and dry the twists, leaving them twisted. You may lift at the roots a little to you’re your style some body. When the hair is dry, gently loosen the twists with your fingers and finger comb into the style you want, shaking and fluffing as you go.

The possibilities are endless! Just remember to check your do both coming and going. I come from the ’80s big hair era and I remember the girls who teased and styled their hair in the front, but completely forgot that their head had a back side, which was usually left totally flat. Check your style from all angles and don’t be afraid to try something new. Hair accessories like combs, hair sticks and decorative hair pins are great additions to your hair wardrobe and can add so much to your look. So go ahead! Play!

Winter is here and in many parts of the United States temperatures are dropping, snow is falling, and it is time for the winter gear to come out of the closet. No one enjoys taking out the coats, scarves, gloves, and hats; in fact, it is probably the least favorite activity for most people. They tend to feel unattractive, out of style, and large with all the added accessories that have to be worn during the cold winter months.

It is likely that your old winter wear is out of date and getting old, so why not treat yourself this winter season with something new, fashionable, and exiting like fur hats. A new fur hat is a great way to complement, add style, and make an otherwise dreary winter season seem so much better. You could get several different fur hats and change up it daily, to match your mood or your outfit.

Fur hats come in many different styles and colors. Look stylish in blue, purple, white, pink, or even leopard print. These fur hats could also be the perfect Christmas gift for the picky person or that stylin’ diva in your family or group of friends. Your winter outdoor wear does not have to be the traditional greys or blacks, spice up your wardrobe with some great, colorful, and very fashionable fur hats.

Not only will look great, but you will feel great as well. Keep your ears and head warm this winter season with fur hats. If the fur hats are a Christmas gift for a loved one, consider making it a full set with a pair of matching gloves and a scarf. Fur hats are great for a night on the town in the cold winter air, going to work, school, or even on that fun weekend ski trip. Keep warm, look great, and feel great this winter with your choice of colorful fur hats.