1 . Of all the crazy Spanish festivals, none is wilder than the Carnival celebrations in late February. Carnival is thought to come from the Roman festival, the Saturnalia, where participants had much drinking and dancing. Carnival in Spain is celebrated nationwide though the craziest festivities are in the Tenerife and Cadiz. While each town has its own unique way of celebration, they are both devoted to having a good time. In these main towns during Carnival it seems that no one sleeps as the drinking and dancing go on from dusk till dawn. You’ll see beautiful costumes and people in masks everywhere, and you’ll have a lot more fun joining in the masquerades(化妆舞会)than just watching.

The Carnival in the Tenerife is possibly the biggest party held in Europe and the one most like the famous Carnival of Rio. One of the most popular events of the Carnival in Tenerife is the choosing of the Queen of Carnival. Keep in mind that you need tickets for many of the competitions. But if you can’t get tickets you can still head to the open air parties. The celebrations take place in the whole city, and everyone is eager to have a good time.

Off the southern coast of Spain, you’ll find a different sort of Carnival in Cadiz. While it’s a match for the Carnival in Tenerife in terms of fun and partying, the Carnival in Cadiz is special for its music. The crowded streets are full of musical groups, mostly singing mocking songs. The people in Cadiz are known to have the best sense of humor in Spain, and the music of Carnival reflects this. The costumes have a focus on cleverness.

2 . Chinese paper cutting or, “jianzhi” is the art of cutting paper designs, and the cut-outs are also used to decorate doors and windows, so they are sometimes called “chuang hua”. Paper cutting has long been a symbol of Eastern charm.

There are symmetrical (对称的) designs that are usually created by some folding and cutting. When unfolded, it forms a symmetrical design. Chinese cut-outs are normally symmetrical and are usually in an even number series of 2, 4, 24. etc.

The oldest surviving paper cut-out is a symmetrical circle from the early 6th century found in Xinjiang, China. From the 7th to 13th century, paper cutting became popular especially during Chinese festivals. The art spread to the rest of the world in the 14th century. Throughout the Qing Dynasty many paper cutting skills were developed including drafting and the use of smoked paper. By the end of the Qing ruling however, paper cutting was once on the decline because new art forms were being introduced. The People’s Republic of China later tried to revive the art in the 1980s.

Today, paper cut-outs are chiefly decorative. They decorate walls, windows, doors, columns, mirrors, lamps and lanterns in homes and are also used on presents or are given as gifts themselves. Entrances decorated with paper cut-outs are supposed to bring good luck. Paper cut-outs used to be used as patterns, especially for embroidery (刺绣).

There are two methods of manufacture (加工): one uses scissors, and the other uses knives. In the scissor method, several pieces of paper—up to eight—are fastened together. The image is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors. Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several paper on a relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of oil and ashes. Skilled crafters can even cut out different drawings freely without stopping.

3 . Beneath its protective cranes (起重机), Notre Dame (巴黎圣母院）still reflects the horror that appeared here three years ago. Since then, workers have been clearing the ruins and protecting the structure. Forty thousand tubes of the steel framework were melted into strange shapes in the big fire. Each damaged piece was cut away one by one.

Now for the first time, thoughts are turning to the reconstruction (重建). A thousand trees have been chosen to rebuild the roof, named “the forest” for its huge number of rafters (木橡).Some of them are more than twenty meters tall to prop up the huge space inside the church.

“The trees have been specially selected for Notre Dame. Smaller tree branches will be used to rebuild the main rafters. Big ones will go to reconstruct the top.”Lucy Williamson, a BBC reporter said, “Each tree is marked, measured and planned to a place in the reconstruction. The one, whose trunk is almost a metre across, would have come up soon after the French Revolution.” Renaud Trangosi from the National Forests Office showed, “This is the historic tree of our forests. We're proud to see the work we do is meaningful. If the trees havea second life in the new Notre Dame forest, so much the better.”

A second life came for some statues, which had been taken from the church’s top for routine restoration days before it fell down in flames. Their survival, says the workshop’s director, helped persuade officials to choose the same reconstruction as the old style over a new design.

There was a time that night when firefighters thought Notre Dame was lost and its survival was measured in minutes. However, today, it’s measured in tree trunks, manpower and frameworks. The great reconstruction of it isn’t fully described by numbers or words.

4 . Folklore (民间传说) has long been passed down from one generation to the next, holding families and communities together. But the National Trust has warned that advances in technology are causing traditional folklore to die out as it’s no longer related to modern life. It said that in a world filled with smartphones and the Internet, legends (传说) of magical blacksmiths (铁匠) were no longer of interest to children who have never put coal on the fire.

Jessica Monaghan, the National Trust’s Head of Experiences and Programming, called on the public to share their knowledge of folklore from different areas of the UK in an effort to keep it alive.“These legends and traditions tell us so much about our ancestors and their relationship with the world around them and help us appreciate the history and symbolism in the places where we live now,” she said.“Through these legends, we can explore what makes communities around the UK unique and what has tied us together for generations.”

“In the 16th century, the walnut (核桃) was considered as a treatment for brain illnesses simply because they are similar in shape. Few people today would believe this as we now have advanced medical knowledge and scientific methods,” said Dee Dee Chainey, author of A Treasury of British Folklore. But she thinks there are still chances for folklore as many people attempt to unearth old legends and efforts are becoming common.

Folklore should be rewritten and retold in new ways with new heroes and new lessons that are related to modern life. And that’s what folklore is about: taking the old wisdom and traditions and redescribing them for who we are and the lives we now have.

5 . In the modern busy life, there are a large number of immigrants (移民) who have been willing to have a comfortable life in other nations. Many advocate that people should follow the local customs and traditions when they settle in a new country.    1    People will face problems and enjoy benefits from local customs.

There are two important reasons why new comers should bring themselves into the local culture in the host country. Firstly, the refusal to adapt to host environment would create a cultural barrier for immigrants.    2    The loneliness in turn has negative influences on people’s life.

Secondly, it is true that limited knowledge of local customs may result in some illegal actions in the host country and make local people unpleased. For instance, Singapore is one of the cleanest countries in Asia.    3    

    4    One is that if immigrants behave in agreement with the local norms (规范), they will be accepted easily by local people. As a result, they can easily gain respect as well as help from the local. For example, when a company wants to expand its production in a new country, it must be aware of business practices there, which provides it with useful information to maximize profits. Another benefit is that newcomers might gain the richness of knowledge through the local customs and traditions.    5    In many festivals, people are able to join freely and feel harmonious like their own country.

6 . The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms, which reflect the Chinese people’s understanding of time. Here several special solar terms are listed.

Rain Water

Rain Water signals the increase in rainfall and rise in temperature. With its arrival, the river water defreezes, wild geese move from south to north, and trees and grass turn green again. Extra care is needed to cope with a returning cold spell in this period. The wet and damp weather during Rain Water period is considered harmful for people’s spleen (脾) and stomach according to Chinese medical practice. Therefore, a bowl of nutritious porridge is the best choice to nourish the body.

Awakening of Insects

As the third solar term in the lunar year, its name implies that animals sleeping in winter are awakened by spring thunder and that the earth begins to come back to life. It is the key time for spring agricultural activities. Modern meteorological science shows that around this period, the earth becomes wet, the hot humid air from the north is strong and creates frequent winds. For this reason, thunder often occurs.

Spring Equinox

Spring Equinox signals the equal length of the day and night time. On the day of the Spring Equinox, the sun is directly above the equator. After the equinox, the sun moves northwards, resulting in gradually longer day time in the Northern Hemisphere. Standing an egg upright is a popular game during this period. It is believed that if someone can make the egg stand, he will have good luck in the future.

Grain Rain

Grain Rain originates from the old saying, “Rain brings up the growth of hundreds of grains", which shows that this period of rainfall is extremely important for the growth of crops and people are busy working on the land. Grain Rain falls between the end of' spring and the beginning of summer, with infrequent cold air moving to the south and lingering cold air in the north. With dry soil, an unsteady atmosphere and heavy winds and sandstorms become more frequent.

9 . Dream culture is an important part of ancient Chinese culture. Dream interpreting is popular in China，and the most famous reference for dream interpreting is the book Duke of Zhou Interprets Dreams.

Ancient Chinese people thought that dreams could suggest lucky and unlucky things. Since different dreams have different meanings，people can get meanings of good or bad luck by interpreting them. Actually，dream interpreting is not totally a superstition. It does have some scientific value.

★Dreams are the reflection of the facts. Many dreams are actually something about what happened in the daytime. This kind of dream can be easily understood without dream interpreting.

★Dreams are the body's self－implication. Traditional Chinese medical science says that dreams are connected with the health condition of humans' bodies. When Yin and Yang are imbalanced，dreams come into being. If someone dreamt that he or she was roasted by a big fire，it shows he or she might easily get angry or nervous.

★Dreams are usually different from the facts. It means that things will develop in the opposite direction when they become worse.

To some degree，Duke of Zhou Interprets Dreams is scientifically reasonable. Over thousands of years has passed，the book still has many secrets waiting for us to explore.

10 . Most of us consider winter a great time to stay inside with a good book. Yet the winter months offer great outdoor events.

The Ice Festival at Lake Khovsgol, March 2, 3

Lake Khovsgol, called the Blue Pearl of Mongolia, freezes up to 1.5 meters deep. Each year local residents have a two-day celebration, sharing their traditional songs and dances. Activities including sled races, skating and much more take place on the frozen lake. Visitors from different countries are always surprised to see how much weight the lake can hold.

Anchorage Fur Rendezvous, February 27~March 8

North America’s largest winter festival takes place in Anchorage, Alaska. In the past, the fur trade was one of the state’s most important industries. The festival’s 86th anniversary this year will celebrate Alaska’s pioneer way of life. People can enjoy nearly 70 different activities. Winter games and sports are a special feature as visitors celebrate the season. Tourists come from around the world to attend the festival.

Troms International Film Festival, January 12~18

If film is your passion, then Norway’s Troms film festival is for you! You will get to meet and interact with people from the international film industry. And you’ll be able to view some of the world’s best international films on Troms’s enormous outdoor screen. More than 50,000 people attend the festival each year.

Grindelwald World Snow Festival, January 19~24

Every January, ice art takes center stage in the beautiful Swiss village of Grindelwald. Artists from around the world arrive in mid-January to accept the ice challenge. They start with meter-high blocks of ice and spend six days creating spectacular sculptures (雕塑).     Festival-goers are delighted to see the process as well as the finished pieces.

Don’t let the cold weather keep you inside this season. There are lots of fun and exciting events to attend!

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