China - Lets learn about their tradition

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Hai friends in this article let us about the tradition and the way in which the Chinese live.The most important problem that the two asian countries face is the population as they bot crossed 100 crores.So let us first see,how the most populated country,China,taking steps to control the population.The main reason for such a huge population is unaware of birth control and early marriage.So in this article let us start with the topic Good Family and how they live after marriage

A Good Family

The most important thing that the Chinese believed is the loyalty to the family unit and the lineage .Since early 1890's Stringent family-planning policies limited the urban Chinese couples have only one one child. So The young people were aske to wait for their marriage as they want the family-planning program to be a success.As a result of this the college students are not allowed to marry immediately after they graduate from college.They aslo set age for marriage and it is 22 for men and 20 for women, and they are very strict that those who didn't follow the rules and marry before that age, are not eligible for some of the same benefits as those who wait and marry after they cross that age.The image below describes the "one Family,one Child" policy followed by them

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To formalise this, any couple who is willing to marry must seeks permission from the local governing unit, so that their marriage gets approved. If the Government grant permission to them,then a legal contract is recorded without a wedding ceremony.After that the couple joins the family and friends in a formal marriage celebration.As a part of Western culture, even wedding rings are becoming somewhat more common in Chinese marriage.The most important and great method tha is followed in China is that,even aftre the marriage the woman retains her father's surname and does not take the family name of her husbandThe picture below shows the marriage of a Chines couple

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After marriage the woman is considered as one of her husband's family after she has married, but inspite of that it is healthy to see that there, women in the younger generation have especially close relations with thei family ven afyter marriage.As a matter of fact even there sons are traditionally valued more than daughters because they remain within their family, and they help for their parents in old age and continuing the family line, and this must be changed as both male and female must be treated equally as both of them are precious.It is really good to see that most of the parents now in China want their children to be well educated,rather than going to job at the early age, and be more prosperous than they themselves have been.

Celebrate the Holidays

In this section we will discuss about the holidays in China and also how the celebrate any festivals.

i)Spring Festival:

January 1st is the first official public holiday of the year in China.The Spring festival which is called as the Chinese New Year celebration is usually held in January or February,and it depends on the Chinese lunar calendar.The Spring Festival, is the most important holiday, and it is marked by several days of festivities,and these includes banquets, family gatherings, carnivals, and dragon dances.During these holidays and celebrations the government ensures that food supplies are abundant.The important food materials that people take during this celebrations includes,

Fish, which is considered as a symbol of abundance
Meat
Prawns
Rice
Jiaozi, which is called as Chinese dumplings

Around 5th march,the change of seasons from winter to spring occurs and it is famously called asis called Jing zhe (also known as Ching Che), or it is otherwise called as "the Feast of Excited Insects".Usually the Chinese regard this as the day “the dragon raises his head” and stirs the insects from their hibernation and during this time rituals are carried out to help revive the earth’s fertility.The image below shows the Spring festival celebrations.

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ii)International Holidays:

When it comes to International level celebrations, March 8 is celebrated as the International Women’s Day.as a matter of fact this was originated in the United States around 1850s when women astrted protesting against the working conditions in the garment and textile industries.This day is honored not only in China but also in many other countries around the world so as to acknowledge the contributions of women.

May Day, also called as Labor Day is also observed in China on 1 May and it is celebrated to improve the conditions for the general workforce.

International Literacy day was observed on 8th September, International Literacy Day is celebrated and this day, has been observed since the 1960s by China and other countries that belong to the United Nations

iii)Confucius Day:

In China Teachers day is celebrated on the Birthday of K’ung Fu-tzu, known as Confucius,and it is celebrated on 28 September.The reason why they celebrate on the birtday of Confucius is that he was the one who played a major part in shaping the ethics and politics of China. The importants things that the Confucianism advocates is respect, obedience, and selflessness, while emphasizing virtues such as wisdom, justice, and loyalty.The picture below is that of Confucius

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iv)National Day:

Apart from these days they also have a public holiday on 1–2 October, which is celebrated as the National Day ,followed by United Nations Day on 24 October. They also celebrate the Birthday of Sun Yat-sen on 12 November who is revered as the father of modern China due to his plans for industrialization and the image of Sun Yat - sen is shown below.

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v)Other Holidays:

Apart from this other celebrations includes

The Lantern Festival (15th day of the first lunar month)
The Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the fifth lunar month),
The Mid-Autumn, or Moon Festival (15th day of the eighth lunarmonth).

Food Habits

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In the International arena Chinese food is famous.Usually the people in the particular region eat what is available in that region.The most common food includes dishes with potatoes, tofu, maize meal, rice, and other grains are staple meals. Nooles is the common food in China and this has become the Chinese tradition in the world food industry. But usually the dishes which are made with pork, beef, chicken, or fish are popular but they are expensive.Sauces mixed with vegetable and fruits and Dairy products ar esome of the famous regional foods available there.

Usually chopsticks are used for all th meals in China and the food is nomally placed at the center of the table and may include more than one type of main dish to be eaten with rice.The Chinese usually serve soup towards the end of a meal, except in Guangdong province, where they serve soup at the first course.In China they follow their unique method in restaurants,where a revolving tray at the center of the table allows guests to sample from several dishes.

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Way of living -Social Life

When you look at any of your Chinese friend you can see that they nod politely or bow slightly when they greet you and apart from that
handshake are also acceptable.The most frequenly used words are

Ni hao ma? - How are you?
Chi le ma? - Have you eaten?.

Usually the Chinese tend to be formal when they introduce themselves with others and they use the full titles of their guests but they are less precise in identifying themselves.Normally, Chinese names consist of a one-syllable family name,which is followed by a one- or two-syllable given name.There in China A person is either addressed by the full name or by the family name and title.

The great tradition which the Chinese follow is that the avoid physicalcontacts, except in crowds where it is unavoidable and they usually avoid physical contact with the person they dont know, but they follow smile as a good gesture and this is also followed when they meet elderly people or people in higher post

As other countries invitations is used for any functions and when invited, one is generally prompt and being more than a few minutes late is considered impolite, but usually everybody will be on time.The dont accept any gifts from unknown person, even if it is valuable, but they do accept small gifts from their friends. The gifts which the friends bring when they visit them includes gifts such as tea, cigarettes, fruit, chocolates, cakes, or wine.

Entertainment - Films and Sports

Normally the Theaters, ballets, films, and cultural monuments all provide a good recreation in cities.Even the imported films are popular and statistical datas says that the average Chinese attends more than ten films each year.Apart from this, Traveling cultural groups perform in rural areas.

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Sports are very popular, and great facilities are found in most cities, and they usually have a longterm goal to achieve their target and thats how they got first place in Olympics,2008 without even winning a medal for many years.And now China has set a long term goal for cricket also and they want to take part in the world cup by 2020.But their favorites sports include table tennis, swimming, and soccer.The picture below shows Chinese cricket team.

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Apart from this people aslo enjoy gathering for discussion or card and table games.As a matter of fact,many ancient and popular games originated in China, including Majiang ,which is considered as the nation’s most popular table game.Apart from these games, Chinese chess and various card games are also popular.

A Good Family

Celebrate the Holidays

Food Habits

Way of living -Social Life

Entertainment - Films and Sports

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