On behalf of the team at Epiphanies, Inc. (namely, us – Lani & Allen), we’d like to wish you a Happy Chinese New Year! To lighten your day, here are a few quick facts about this ancient holiday celebration. Enjoy ‘em just for the heck of it, or feel free to use ‘em for:
- Networking icebreakers
- Inspiration or fodder for newsletters, ezines, articles, news releases, blog posts and tweets
- Sounding timely and witty as you pepper your day’s small talk with these bits of trivia
(Adapted from Wikipedia.)
1. According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian or “Year” in Chinese. Villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors and use firecrackers to frighten away the Nian.
2. The Chinese New Year celebrations are marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends, a practice known as “new-year visits.” Yes, it’s that literal. 
New clothes (predominantly red! – related to #1 above) are usually worn to signify the new year.
3. 2009 is the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac. The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. This powerful sign is a born leader, being quite dependable and possessing an innate ability to achieve great things. Famous Oxen include Meryl Streep, Margaret Thatcher, Jack Nicholson, Princess Diana, George Clooney and President Barack Obama.
4. Among the customs considered to be good luck on Chinese New Year: Opening windows and/or doors; switching on the lights for the night to scare away spirits of misfortune; eating sweets to ensure a “sweet” year; cleaning the house from top to bottom before New Year’s Day for good luck in the coming year (cleaning the house on or after New Year’s Day is frowned upon).
5. Among the customs considered to be bad luck on Chinese New Year: Buying a pair of shoes; getting a hair-cut in the first lunar month (which puts a curse on maternal uncles); buying (or reading) books; wearing black or white clothes (black is a symbol of bad luck, and white is a traditional Chinese funeral color).
And there you have it! Hope this is at least mostly fun for you…and if the spirit moves you, please share it with your family, friends, and other contacts who’d enjoy it!
P.S. Speaking of holidays, our “Down ‘n Dirty Marketing Planning” program is only $97 from now until Valentine’s Day. (After that, it goes up to $197.) It’s everything you need to plan your 2009 success in less than a day! Get instant access here and now.
P.P.S. Keep an eye out for our upcoming crusade against “Headless Chicken Syndrome” – or if you want an early preview, check out the faux-PSAs on our YouTube channel. (Warning: They’re stunningly ridiculous.)
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