恭賀農曆乙未羊年新春大吉 Happy Lunar New Year of The Goat

農曆乙未羊年元旦，恭祝大家闔府四季平安，健康快樂，幸福如意 !
Here’s Wishing You all a Lunar New Year Filled With Peace, Joy, Health and Happiness!

孩子們小時問我 :「為什麼中國新年要叫農曆新年呢 ?」「農曆是怎樣計算的?」 在外國出生的他們，對這個有著數千年悠久歷史，隆重而極富民族色彩的節日，充滿好奇。

我很簡單的跟他們説 :「中國自古以農為本 , 我們的祖先為了懷著強烈的求知慾和對土地豐收寄以全部的期望 ，於是不斷探索著季節變化和氣候變化的規律性，以决定農業操作的程序，而制定出隨著季節走的農曆。 」

當然除了傳統習俗文化和故事外，新春期間的賀年美食和紅封包才是最吸引兩個小傢伙的地方！

When my children were younger, they were curious about the difference between the standard Western calendar and the Lunar Calendar used in Chinese culture, and why Chinese New Year was also referred to as the Lunar New Year.

I explained to them briefly, "China is a country known for its ancient agricultural history. Our ancestors’ lifestyle and prosperity was dependant on the environment, and they relied heavily on the weather and other external factors which determined whether they would yield healthy crops each year. They were inquisitive by nature, and endeavoured to improve their farming methods through careful investigation and study of the elements. They observed the seasonal changes of the lands, and the natural patterns and cycles of the earth. To implement their findings in a practical way, they developed a calendar which recorded the moon’s cycle and the changes of the seasons; a structure that guided them and helped them plan planting times and optimum harvesting."

Of course, in addition to the traditional story; to my children, the Chinese New Year celebration food and the red packets with money during Chinese New Year are the most attractive to them after all!