The Japanese Doll Festival (Hinamatsuri), or Girls’ Day, is held on March 3rd in Japan. This festival is a time to pray for the health and well being of young girls. Most homes with daughters will set up a display of hina dolls. The main dolls used are Odairi-sama (a prince) and Ohina-sama. (a princess) Around the display dedications of peach blossoms, rice cakes and white sake are made.
A picture book about Hinamatsuri – Girls Day.
Junior Fiction about dolls.
Kung Hei Fat Choy! Happy New Year!
Chinese New Year celebration runs from Sunday February 10 – Sunday February 24 this year. Now not only people in China can have colourful and dynamic performances and activities to mark this special occasion, people in New Zealand can also participate and enjoy them.
In Wellington, there will be exiting celebrations for the Year of of the Snake held on the weekend of Saturday 23 and Sunday 24.
Here are some details:
– There is a New Clothes for New Year Fashion Show on Saturday 23 February at the TSB Bank Arena, Queens Wharf from 7pm-8.30pm.
– On Sunday 24 February, Chinese New Year Festival Day, you can come and taste the delicious food at the Asian Market at the TSB Arena as well as enjoying the crafts and performances from10.30am-4.30pm.
– Cultural Entertainment will be held at Frank Kitts Park from 3pm-4.30pm.A colourful Street Parade will start at Courtenay Place at 2pm.
– There will be performances from Shenzen Song and Dance Ensemble from 7pm-8.20pm (tickets from Ticketek)
– The festival will finish with a Firework Display.
You can visit the Wotzon and Chinese New Year websites for more details.
Have fun!
Roses are red, violets are blue; You love your library, we love you too! <3
February 14th is Valentines Day, a special day of the year observed around the world to celebrate love; it’s a great opportunity to remind loved ones, friends and family how much they mean to you. Many people choose to do this by giving greeting cards or gifts.
Encyclopedia Britannica (which you can access through Wellington City Libraries MyGateway Databases) tells us that “according to an old European legend, 14 February is the day when birds pair off each year to start their new families”, awww! And that “Valentine’s Day got its name from the Roman Catholic church, which honours two saints named Valentine on 14 February.”
For those of you who want to have a go at making your own original Valentines gifts, the library has a great range of books. How cool would a handmade Yoda origami pressie be?!! Here’s a few books you might like – happy crafting everyone!
This wonderful day is about kids getting new, used or borrowed books. What a perfect day to visit your nearest Library and find some great books with your friends and family!
You could tell your friends about a great library book you’ve read that you’re sure they’ll love, search for it and reserve it.
Check out the International Book Giving Day website for info, and cool bookplates that you can print and stick inside your books (your books, not library books please!).
Here’s some of our recent favs:
Chinese New Year falls on Sunday February 10 this year. It’s the most important traditional Chinese holiday. In China, it is also known as the ‘Spring Festival’.
The date of Chinese New Year changes every year as it is based on the lunar calendar. The dates usually range between late January and late February.
While the western calendar is based on the earth’s orbit around the sun, the lunar calendar that China and most Asian countries uses is based on the moon’s orbit around the earth. Chinese New Year always falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice.
Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run for 15 days: from Chinese New Year’s Day, the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar to the 15th day of the first month, also called the Lantern Festival.
This year is the Year of the Snake, also called Junior Dragon by Chinese people.
The Chinese Zodiac is a rotating cycle of 12 years, which consists of 12 signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig, with each year represented by an animal.
Chinese New Year is celebrated by eating special New Year food, such as nian gao or sweet sticky rice cake and savory dumplings – which are round and symbolize never-ending wealth. People will travel home from far away to have a family reunion. The biggest feast is on Chinese New Year’s Eve where pork, fish, chicken, duck and dumplings will be consumed. People set off fireworks, visit friends and relatives, give out lucky money, deliver good wishes and hang lanterns.People born in the Year of Snake are believed to be intelligent, cute, charming, aware, elegant, mysterious, cunning, and passionate.
The origin of the Chinese New Year Festival is thousands of years old and varies from teller to teller, but all include a story of a terrible mythical monster called Nian, an extremely cruel and ferocious beast who preyed on villagers on New Year’s Eve. Nian (年) is also the Chinese word for “year.” To ward Nian away, villagers made loud noises with drums, set off fireworks, hang out red-paper couplets on the doors because Nian is said to fear the color red, the light of fire, and loud noises.
