Easter

Easter is the central religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Some Christians celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday. The chronology of his death and resurrection is variously interpreted to be between AD 26 and AD 36. Easter also refers to the season of the church year called Eastertide or the Easter Season. Traditionally the Easter Season lasted for the forty days from Easter Day until Ascension Day but now officially lasts for the fifty days until Pentecost. Easter also marks the end of Lent, a season of fasting, prayer, and penance.
Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover by much of its symbolism, as well as by its position in the calendar. In most European languages the feast called Easter in English is termed by the words for passover in those languages and in the older English versions of the Bible the term Easter was the term used to translate passover.

Relatively new erelements such as the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts have become part of the holiday's modern celebrations, and those aspects are often celebrated by many Christians and non-Christians alike. There are also some Christian denominations who do not celebrate Easter.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is associated with giving thanks to God for the harvest and expressing gratitude. While historically religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.
In U.S., the tradition compares the holiday with a meal held in 1621 by the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It is continued in modern times with the Thanksgiving Dinner traditionally featuring turkey, playing a large role in the celebration of Thanksgiving.

In the United States, certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. Firstly, baked or roasted turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, other vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. All of these are actually native to the Americas or were introduced as a new food source to the Europeans when they arrived..

Giving reverence to God before carving the turkey at a Thanksgiving dinner
The tradition of giving thanks to God is continued today in various forms. Various religious and spiritual organizations offer services and events on Thanksgiving themes the week-end before, the day of, or the week-end after Thanksgiving.

At home, it is a holiday tradition in many families to begin the Thanksgiving dinner by saying grace (a prayer before or after a meal). The custom is portrayed in the photograph “Family Holding Hands and Praying before a Thanksgiving Meal.” Traditionally grace was led by the hostess or host, though in later times it is usual for others to contribute.

Carnival

Carnival is a festival season which occurs the immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life.

Carnival is a festival traditionally held in Roman Catholic and, to a lesser extent, Eastern Orthodox societies. Protestant areas usually do not have carnival celebrations or have modified traditions, such as the Danish Carnival or other Shrove Tuesday events. The Brazilian Carnival is one of the best-known celebrations today, but many cities and regions worldwide celebrate with large, popular, and days-long events.

April Fools' Day

About the history of April Fools’ Day, there are several versions. First, in 1564, France modified to the calendar, and they made Apr. 1st as Jan. 1st. . Therefore, many people were confused about the date, and others would send people gifts to make fun of those forgetful people. Nowadays, it becomes April Fools’.
Second, the legend was described in Bible. After 16 hundred years of Adam’s birth, Jesus made bloods to destroy the world. At then, Noah built an ark and sent out a dove to observe the land, and it was Apr. 1st. Later, people thought that it was like doing nothing, so they regarded this day as Apr. Fools’.
There are still several versions about the origins, but now I want to introduce something interesting to you. On this day, medium will play pranks to let everybody happy. For example, the Dutch television news reported in the 1950s that the Tower of Pisa had fallen over. Many shocked people contacted the station.
In 2008, the BBC reported on a newly discovered colony of flying penguins. An elaborate video segment was even produced, featuring Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) walking with the penguins in Antarctica, and following their flight to the Amazon rainforest.


However, there are something true happened this day. In 2010, Sony Computer Entertainment released Firmware 3.21 for the Sony PlayStation 3. This firmware disabled the "Other OS" feature on all PlayStation 3 models. The "Other OS" feature allowed customers to use the PlayStation 3 as a full fledged computer running Linux. The timing of this firmware "upgrade" was done so on April 1 so many people thought that it was a joke.
It is fun to play some pranks on April Fools’ Day, but you have to remember that these things are not too serious or it may hurt people!

Christmas

Christmas is an important festival for Christian. According to Bible, Jesus Christ was born in a manger, in Bethlehem. However, the date couldn’t be traced back, so Christian changed Rome Empire’s anniversary as Christmas.
To talk about Christmas, the first thing I think is the Santa Claus. Legend has it that Santa Claus will send gifts to children at Christmas Eve, and it becomes a tradition that children will expect the coming of this day. Though I know the truth after I grow up, those gifts are prepared by parents; I still had a wonderful time and I indeed cherished the memory. To receive gifts form Santa is children’s dream, and this day is also a reunion for lots of family.
Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in most countries of the world, even in many whose populations are not majority Christian. In some non-Christian countries, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday. Major exceptions, where Christmas is not a formal public holiday, include People's Republic of China, (except Hong Kong and Macao), Japan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Thailand, Nepal, Iran, Turkey and North Korea.
Around the world, Christmas celebrations can vary markedly in form, reflecting differing cultural and national traditions. Countries such as Japan and Korea, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of the secular aspects of Christmas, such as giftgiving, decorations and Christmas trees.

The modern Mother's Day is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in May or in March/April, as a day to honor mothers and motherhood. In the UK and Ireland, it follows the old traditions of Mothering Sunday, celebrated in March/April.
As the US holiday was adopted by other countries and cultures, the date was changed to fit already existing celebrations honoring motherhood, like Mothering Sunday in the UK or the Orthodox celebration of Jesus in the temple in Greece. In some countries it was changed to dates that were significant to the majority religion, like the Virgin Mary day in Catholic countries, or the birthday of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad in Islamic countries. Other countries changed it to historical dates, like Bolivia using the date of a certain battle where women participated.

Halloween

Halloween (also spelled Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday observed on October 31. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints' Day, but is today largely a secular celebration.
Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, ghost tours, bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to a (mostly idle) "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. In some parts of Scotland children still go guising. In this custom the child performs some sort of trick, i.e. sings a song or tells a ghost story, to earn their treats.

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is the traditional festival in western countries, and people celebrate it on February 14th. It is the date to commemorate a Christian named Valentine at first. After several centuries, this festival becomes well-known and people combine it with the story of Cupid. While sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts is traditional in the UK, Valentine's Day has various regional customs. In Spain Valentine's Day is known as "San Valentín" and is celebrated the same way as in the UK, although in Catalonia it is largely superseded by similar festivities of rose and/or book giving on La Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George's Day).
In addition, in Asia, we have another Valentine’s Day. It is at July 7th , the lunar calendar, and it has a beautiful Chinese myth. Nowadays, we celebrate both Chinese and Western Valentine’s Day.

The Japanese Doll Festival

Hinamatsuri, the Japanese Doll Festival, is a celebration for Japan’s girls. At first, it was held in Mar. 3rd , the lunar calendar, but after Meiji Restoration, it became Mar. 3rd , the solar calendar.
At this day, parents will set up a display stage to put Japanese dolls dressed in kimokos. Though Hinamatsuri is not a national holiday, families will get together to bless their daughters. The display stages can divide into seven stages. First is the king and queen, and then servants, orchestra, vehicles and so on.
During spring, it is the time of peach blossom; therefore, visitors will bring peaches and dolls if the host has daughters. Besides Hinamatsuri, the dragon boat festival is regarded as the boys’ festival. I think Japan is a country that put much emphasis on children’s culture and education, or they won’t have these children festivals.

Songkran Festival

Songkran Festival is Thailand’s New Year, and the festival is held in April. Several religious worships and celebrations will be held all over Thailand. Thais consider that water is a symbol of purity, the origin of life, and the god of all creatures.
The custom of Songkran Festival is to bathe our bodies with clean water, and it means to cleanse all bad lucks in last year and the new beginning of the next year.
The Thai people celebrate this festival with water. Everyone gets soaking wet and since it is the hottest season of the year, the custom is quite refreshing. Songkran is a Public Spring Cleaning Day, supported by the religious belief that anything old and useless must be thrown away or it will bring bad luck to the owner. During the afternoon of April 13th, Buddha images are bathed as part of the ceremony. Young people pour scented water into the hands of elders and parents as a mark of respect while seeking the blessing of the older people. In ancient days, old people were actually given a bath and clothed in new apparel presented by the young folks as a token of respect for the New Year. Where to celebrate Songkran Festival: in Banbkok and Chiang Mai, you can find the traditional celebrations!!

New Semester,New Beginning

This semester my topic is "Festival", and I am going to talk about different kinds of festivals like Chinese New Year,Valentine's Day, Halloween, Chritmas and so on. Including western and eastern countries, from ancient to the modern society, here are some pictures of all kinds of festivals.

Podking Restaurant

Podking Restaurant is famous in Taichung. The first store is opened in 忠孝night market in 1991, and the shop keeper, Mr. Chen, worked very hard and he soon discovered a new flavor that guests liked a lot. Therefore, it became well-known and it opened many branches in a short time
Its soup is made of many Chinese herbal medicines and it is warm and suitable especially in winter. Besides, its spice is unique, spicy but not greasy so that lots of people will taste it because of its special soup and sauce.
Though it is famous for spicy soup, there is another soup you can choose if you don’t like spice. The degree of spice is divided into three levels; usually I can eat the third level. The first level is the most spice, and I haven’t challenged it yet. There are various kinds of ingredients you can choose and they are fresh and delicious. Many people are willing to wait in line in order to taste it.
Hot pots are everywhere but it is not easy to become well-known. Podking Restaurant is successful to catch people’s eyes and stomachs.

ChungHsing Lake

There are lots of famous shopping districts in Taichung and people’s first impression toward Taichung City is its various foods and products. However, there are also some nature sceneries such as Taichung Metropolitan Park, 大坑 mountain, and so on. And here is a green place in downtown so that many people will do exercise or have a picnic here; it is ChungHsing University.
Located in southern Taichung, it is like a green diamond, because there are many buildings around it and it’s the only place people can do outdoor activities in southern part of Taichung. The measure of area is fifty- three hectares and you can see trees all over the campus. There is a forest called the Dark Forest; every morning people will do exercise and I think they can absorb much phytoncide while exercising. Whenever I pass by, they are full of energy; I think they must treasure that they have a place to exercise.
In addition, ChungHsing is famous for the lake. It is special- designed; the shape of main lake is like China and tow small lakes stand for Taiwan and 海南 Island. Not only students but also people from the neighborhood will have a picnic or enjoy the sunshine and little children will have excursions here. Since the campus is large, it is suitable for people to take a walk.
Also, lots of people will take photos because the beautiful scenery; it is a great place for city people to relax.

Yizhong Street

Yizhong Street is one of the important shopping centers in Taichung. It is named after Taichung First Senior High. Because of near school, products there are cheap and I often can have a good bargain. Besides Taichung First Senior High, there are also other schools like 中技and 台體; therefore, students will stop by with their friends so that it will become bustling in the afternoon. There are almost all kinds of stores, thus, I can hang around there whole day. Also, traffic is convenient and it is not far from our school so that it is the first shopping center that I visited in Taichung.

There are many tiny lanes but once you visit, you will be surprised and find many treasures. Since there are a lot of delicious foods and special products, I would like to introduce something. Yizhong fried chicken is famous in Taiwan and it is originated from Yizhong Street. Not only students but also adults like it very much. In addition, usually you have to wait in line for 5-10 minutes. Hence, next time if you want to try, you can go there early in order not to wait for a long time.

Chungyo Department Store

The famous department store in Taichung is Chungyo Department Store. The building is large and it combines section A, B, and C; it is one of the large scale department stores in the world. Located in downtown Taichung, it is convenient for people to go there; many office ladies and students would like to stop by after work and school.

The most interesting and specialist are restrooms. They are theme restrooms and each floor has its unique subject. For example, there are subjects like fairy tales, secret gardens, baroque, rococo, pop, and so on. Many people will visit Chungyo just because they want to take a look at its restrooms.

Lavender Forest

Have you ever imagine about purple forests? I have never thought of it until I visited Lavender Forest. It planted lavenders all over the district and it seemed that the world became purple. From November to May, lavenders bloomed at that time especially in January and February. Though winter is cold, with lavenders accompany, I will feel warm.

In addition, they also sell products that are made from lavenders such like cookies, drinks, and soaps. Entering the restaurant, you can smell its fragrance and even taste it. I like lavender milk tea. Milk tea and lavender matched and it tasted great.

Moreover, there is a DIY classroom, and you can try to make a unique soap on your own. People there will teach how to make step by step, just follow the guidance and use your creativity; you can make a unique lavender soap!

Feng Chia Night Market

Night markets are unique in Taiwan, so when we go on a trip, we will visit the night market. The famous market in Taichung is Feng Chia night market. Near Feng Chia University, the business park is large and there are many food stands and stores. Because the main customers are students, products there are cheap and you can have a good bargain.

I like to buy clothes and shoes there, especially when seasons alter. Usually there will be sales and I can buy products I want at lower prices.

Furthermore, foods are yummy so that every time I visit Feng Chia night market, not only would I eat dinner but also buy some desserts as midnight snacks.

It is not far away from ChungHsing University. You can take bus 33 or 35, or ride motorcycle in about 20 minutes you can arrive there.

Traveler kitchen- Germany

As a glutton, I would like to taste all kinds of delicious foods. This time I am going to introduce a German restaurant. Though its price is a little expensive than others, its service and dishes are indeed excellent. Located in a small street, it is not easy to find that place; however, every time I went to the restaurant, there were lots of people and sometimes we had to wait in line. It took time to find and wait, but after you entered the restaurant, you would know that it is worthwhile.

I ordered the chicken noodle with Germany mustard sauce. The sauce was unusual and it was imported from Germany, so it was one of the bestsellers in the restaurant. Before the main dish, there were breads and soups; breads were soft and soups were good. Cooks cooked the dishes carefully and servers were attentive to customers. It made me feel comfortable and relax. Therefore, it is a good place for friends and family.

Sun cakes

When it comes to the souvenir of Taichung, the first thing everyone will think is definitely the sun cake. It is said that it existed from Ching Dynasty, and there were several legends about its name.

Legend one, in ancient China, one day sun disappeared and people thought it was the monster that ate it; therefore, they made many sun- shaped cakes, miraculously, sun rose the next day. People thought it was really a magic and they decided to name the cake sun cake.

Legend two, cake makers shaped cakes round and the color was yellow. After baking, it looked like sun, and its name was handed down.

No matter who name it, sun cakes become the well- known products in Taichung and visitors will buy them as gifts. Moreover, as the time goes by, cake makers invented a lot of new flavors, but my favorite is original flavor. Next time you can try them, and you will be surprised by those new flavors.

Traveler kitchen- Greece

There are many delicious restaurants in Taichung and when it comes to Greek flavor, almost everyone will have the same answer: The Traveler Kitchen. It is opened since 2005. With enthusiasm and patience, the three investors realize their reverie. After their trip to Greece, they decided to have their own restaurant.

When I stepped in the restaurant, I was surprised by its decoration. It seemed that I was in Greece, foods, drinks, and desserts were traditional Greek flavor. What’s more, servers wore costumes as their uniforms and they represented different characters; some were warriors, some were country people, and some were gods and goddesses.

The server in goddess costume sent us the dishes, and she was very hospitable and well- mannered. She acted that we were friends, not customers. In addition to her friendliness, the dishes were good. The traditional Greek flavor was hard to find in Taiwan, but in Traveler Kitchen you can taste it. I ordered the Greek seafood risotto; its shape was like rice but actually it was noodle. With special spices and abundant ingredients, it tasted delicious. There were many dishes I want to taste; therefore, I will visit here again.