Lantern Festival | CNY 2021

The Lantern Festival (元宵节 Yuánxiāo jié）is celebrated on the 15th and last day of Chinese New Year. The main activity of the festival is lighting and hanging lanterns (灯笼 dēnglóng) and people will often write riddles on these lanterns. These lanterns are commonly red to represent hope and prosperity.

Another important part of the lantern festival is eating glutinous rice balls that are filled with sweet or savory pastes with your friends and family. In Southern China and Taiwan, these are called tangyuan (汤圆 tāngyuán) while in Northern China they are called yuanxiao (元宵 yuánxiāo). Common fillings include red bean (红豆 hóngdòu), sesame (芝麻 zhīma), and peanut (花生

huāshēng). Traditionally, Northern Chinese tend to prefer sweeter yuanxiao while Southern Chinese lean toward savory tangyuan.

Full Disclosure: Window to the World’s official policy issue is that tangyuan with black sesame filling are vastly superior to all other variations. Please share in the comments if you agree or disagree with our well-reasoned conclusion!

Learn the Chinese Zodiac | CNY 2021

Did you know Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days? No? Well this is the perfect time to learn the zodiac animals!

Have you ever wondered about where the animals for the Chinese zodiac came from?

One legend says that long ago, the Jade Emperor (⽟皇⼤帝/yù huáng dà dì) decided he wanted twelve animals to be his palace guards. However, the emperor did not want just any animal. So he declared that there would be a competition in the form of a race. The first twelve animals to cross the finish line and get to the palace would be the selected guards.

The last obstacle of the race was a river. Originally, the ox was first in line, but the rat climbed onto the ox's back and jumped in front of him to cross the finish line first. Next came the tiger, rabbit, and dragon. The horse and snake were not far behind the dragon. The snake scared the horse and then slithered into sixth place.

The Jade Emperor looked out from his palace and saw the rooster, monkey, and goat sitting on a raft working together to paddle across the river. The monkey and rooster agreed to let the goat cross first because of his empathy and calmness.

Second to last came the dog, who had gotten distracted playing in the water. The pig ended up last after stopping for food and falling asleep.

Valentine's Day 2021

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the US on February 14th. On this day, people celebrate their love for their significant other, friends, and family by sending cards or letters (called "valentines"), chocolates, flowers, and even jewelry. In elementary school, children will typically exchange valentines with their classmates. How will you be celebrating Valentine’s Day this year?

2月14日是美国的情人节。在这一天，人们会通过送卡片/信件（称为 “Valentines”），巧克力，鲜花，和珠宝来表达他们对爱人或者亲戚朋友的爱。小学生们通常会与同学交换 “Valentines”。今年你将如何庆祝情人节？