CHINESE VALENTINES DAY/ CHINESE NEW YEAR

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy is a proverb. Its meaning is that without time off from work, a person becomes bored and boring.

Take some time and celebrate something fun!  This year February 14th falls on Chinese New Year!!

Bring in your favorite chinese dish, decorate the office or host a party and pass out chinese masks. 

IN OTHERWARDS FIND A REASON TO HAVE FUN AT THE WORKPLACE!!!


Chinese New Year Superstitons


There are certain customs and superstitions that many Chinese adhere to during the New Year festival. Will and Guy have researched their top twenty Chinese superstitions for the New Year. These superstitions may well help westerners to better understand their oriental brothers.



Exploding firecrackers on Chinese New Year's Eve is the Chinese way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the new.

On the stroke of midnight, every door and window in the house has to be opened to allow the old year to go out is one superstition.

Many people also abstain from eating meat on the first day of Chinese New Year festival because it is believed that this will ensure a long and happy life.

Some may eat a whole fish which represents togetherness and abundance, or a chicken with its head and feet intact, which symbolizes prosperity.

Any noodles in your bowl should be left uncut, as a sign of long life.

Plants and flowers also play a significant role in symbolizing rebirth and new growth. A home is thought to be lucky if a plant blooms on New Year's Day, as this foretells the start of a prosperous year.

Another Chinese superstition is that the entire house should be cleaned before New Year's Day.

On New Year's Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are put away. Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year's Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away.

After New Year's Day, the floors may be swept. Beginning at the door, the dust and rubbish are swept to the middle of theroom, then placed in the corners and not taken or thrown out until the fifth day. At no time should the rubbish in the corners be trampled upon.

In sweeping, there is a superstition that if you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep one of the family members away. Also, to sweep the dust and dirt out of your house by the front entrance is to sweep away the good fortune of the family; it must always be swept inwards and then carried out, then no harm will follow. All dirt and rubbish must be taken out the back door.

All debts had to be paid by this time. Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year.

Everyone should refrain from using foul language and bad or unlucky words. Negative terms and the number 4, sounding like the word for death, are not to be uttered. Death and dying are never mentioned and ghost stories are totally taboo.

References to the past year are also avoided as everything should be turned toward the New Year and a new beginning.

If you cry on New Year's Day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are tolerated and are not chastised less they cry.

On New Year's Day, one should not wash hair because it would mean that good luck for the New Year could be washed away.

Red clothing is preferred during this festive occasion. Red is considered a bright, happy colour, sure to bring the wearer a sunny and bright future. It is believed that appearance and attitude during New Year's sets the tone for the rest of the year.

Children and unmarried friends, as well as close relatives are given little red envelopes with crisp one dollar bills inserted, for good fortune.

The first person one meets and the first words heard are significant as to what the fortunes would be for the entire year. It is a lucky sign to see or hear songbirds or red-coloured birds or swallows.

It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom so that is why everyone, even the sick, should get dressed and sit in the living room.

Do not use knives or scissors on New Year's Day as this may cut off fortune.

Some Fun Facts

1) Motorists who talk on cell phones are more impaired than drunk drivers with blood-alcohol levels exceeding .08.2) Banging your head against a wall burns 150 calories an hour.3) In some parts of the world, they protect their babies from disease by bathing them in beer.4) The word ‘gymnasium’ comes from the Greek word gymnazein, which means ‘to exercise naked.’5) There are more than 1,000 chemicals in a cup of coffee; of these, only 26 have been tested, and half caused cancer in rats.6) The average American eats at McDonald’s more than 1,800 times in their life.7) There are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people in the world.8) According to U.S. FDA standards, 1 cup of orange juice is allowed to contain 10 fruit fly eggs, but only 2 maggots.9) You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.10) It is possible to go blind from smoking too heavily.11) Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people.12) You are about 1 centimeter taller in the morning than in the evening.13) During your lifetime, you’ll eat about 60,000 pounds of food -- that’s the weight of about 6 elephants.

How to use those promotional pens!!!!

When you start a business or even have an existing business you decide to purchase some nice pens with your company name and information on it. This is a great idea however, all to often people do not know how to use them.

Promotional products are meant to be given away not stored in your drawer, or in your car to use when you are signing those checks. They are give aways. The purpose is to get your name out there to leave a lasting impression and to by chance be picked up by someone who is interested in your services.

#1 make sure your pen has what you do and how to contact you ex: Joe Smith HEATING & AIRCONDITIONING REPAIRMAN available 24/7 call me at 815-444-4444

#2 Leave your pens everywhere, at the restaurant you just ate at, at the salon, at the mechanic, at the vet, just randomly leave them places it is unlike a business card, it won't be thrown away it will be used and eventually not immediately they will look at who it was from and if it has enough info on it like #1 they may just call you especially if they had their heat go out at 3AM they will look at the pen and know this is the guy to call.

#3 Don't get just a average pen, stand out from the rest, make it bold, make it fun!

Use your pens wisely and they will pay off!!!