No wonder there's depression after Christmas with January and February being the least favourite months of the year. The next holiday is Family Day/Valentine's Day. It doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of traditions. While chocolate is an excellent main theme, it hasn't been able to create secular activities that rally our social life and communities.
Other countries have something to look forward to. In China, we'd be gearing up for the Chinese New Year - Saturday, January 25th.
January 1st as New Year's Day was officially recognized in China in 1912. The Gregorian calendar came with Jesuit missionaries in 1582. With Communism, there was a lapse of celebrations. In 1996, China instituted a week-long vacation called Spring Festival so that people could travel home to celebrate the new year.
And then there is the big ice festival that is about to get underway - the Harbin Ice Festival with displays of traditional ice-lantern exhibits, alpine skiing events, and enormous ice sculptures.
"More than 100 activities and events will be held in Harbin city for celebrating the 36th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in 2020. The activities and events for ice and snow culture including Beidahuang Ice and Snow Culture Festival, ice and snow tourism photographic match, art exhibition about ice and snow spirit, poetry party (the theme of the party is "the rhyme of winter"), ice and snow photography, original poetry, international ice sculpture competition, transnational ice sculpture competition, international snow sculpture competition, match among the masters of international snow sculptors, family ice and snow sculpture competition (only for Harbin city resident), and some other more than 10 activities and events."
Niagara's Ice Wine Festival starts this weekend. It is our best bet for continuing the celebration of the new year and a motivation for heading into pretty Niagara-on-the-Lake or seeing Niagara Falls.
Today our plants celebrate the East - the first is Jade Vine - found at Longwood Gardens. The second is another picture of a Himalayan Poppy.
