1 . As Christmas Eve approached, I found myself in New York City, far from my family and friends in Taiwan. I was feeling homesick and lonely, but my Jewish friend, Rachel, who, like me, doesn’t get connected with Christmas due to any religious things, invited me to join her for a dinner in a Chinese restaurant. She explained that it was a tradition for many Jewish people to celebrate this holiday by eating Chinese food on Christmas Eve.

We went to Jing Fong, a fancy restaurant in Chinatown. The place was packed with people, and the atmosphere was lively and festive. We ordered a variety of dishes. Everything was delicious, and I felt grateful to be sharing this experience with Rachel. As we ate, we talked about our families and our cultures. We laughed and joked, and for a moment, I forgot about my homesickness.

A moment later, a group of carolers (唱圣诞歌的人) came into the restaurant, singing Christmas songs. At first, I was puzzled. Why were they singing in a Chinese restaurant? But then I realized that this was part of the magic of New York City. People from all different cultures and backgrounds could come together and celebrate the holidays in their own way. Rachel and I joined in the singing, and soon the whole restaurant was filled with music. It was a beautiful moment, and I felt blessed to be part of it.

What a night! I learned that even when you’re far from home, you can still find joy and connection with others. Rachel and I may come from different cultures, but we shared amazing food, joyful music, and most importantly heartfelt company. And that’s exactly what all the holidays are all about.

4 . In my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, I wanted to draw on this ancient Greek tradition of sponge (海绵) diving; and explore the traditions surrounding the way of life. My fictional island of Helios, therefore, has a long association with sponge diving, and the heroine Oriel, a newcomer to the island and a diver herself, is keen to learn all about it.

Damian, the leader of the island, explains to Oriel that in his father’s generation, sponge diving was one of the main industries on the island. A sizeable group of islanders would leave each May-yet in the autumn, a smaller group would return. “In those days,” Damian explains, “one man in three was either dead or crippled (残疾的) from the caisson disease before they reached marriageable age.” Under Damian’s leadership, other means of earning a living are being developed-such as olive oil production. But some of the men continue to follow in their ancestors’ footsteps and dive for sponges, and each year there are still two or three deaths.

The emotional impact of these losses on the little island community is apparent to Oriel when she comes across a shrine (祠堂) by the port. There she sees tiny paintings that tell the story of the sponge divers, and before the paintings, so many flowers and gifts. They are laid by the women of the sponge-diving families, as offerings for protection for their men and as thanks for the miracle of their safe return.

Why, Oriel wonders, would these men take the risk? After all, with synthetic (合成的) sponges flooding the market, sponge diving is nowhere near as lucrative as it used to be. “It comes down to tradition,” Damian explains: “To the romantic young, it naturally seems a grand thing to sail away every summer to the shores of Africa and to come back, pockets full of money, hailed a hero... I have seen young boys playing at sponge fishing: swimming underwater, wearing the sponge-fisher’s mask and carrying their spear, pretending to detach sponges from the bottom of the sea. An aura (气息) of heroism surrounds the profession.”

6 . In early February, an old stove with rich vivid images (zaotou painting) took center stage at a village Spring Festival gala in Haiyan county, Zhejiang province.     1     . They feature historical and legendary figures, animals and flowers, which are painted in bright colors and have a way of drawing attention from admiring viewers. Zaotou is a part of a kitchen stove in the shape of a square or rectangle, on which are some images showing the beauty of nature and humanity.

    2    . In ancient time, villagers would hire bricklayers (瓦工) to build a mud stove in their new home and then painted pictures on a day of good fortune.     3    . They whitewashed (粉刷) the mud-made stove with lime-water, sketched out the patterns based on the shape of the stove, applied the final coat of paint and even created a three-dimensional effect.

At first, simple tools had been used to produce such art, including a selection of brushes, rulers, and paint. With people’s aesthetic appreciation growing, watercolors were used, mostly red, yellow and blue, the three auspicious (吉祥的) ones to the Chinese people.     4    . No matter what material is available, the stove painting is always symbolic and harbors good wishes for the owners.

Now many people are devoted to the inheritance and popularization of zaotou painting and more and more support has been received from various sides including local authorities.     5     .

7 . Each year in different parts of the world, many countries celebrate different kinds of flower festivals where you can witness some splendid views in the world.

Chelsea Flower Show (London, United Kingdom)

London celebrates the world’s most famous flower festival for five days in May with flower arrangements every year. There are innovations and creativity, both of which make the event one of the most lively festivals in the UK. Every year, London gathers the best garden designers, plant specialists, and nurseries to make the flowers and plants the most beautiful flower exhibit around the world.

Floriade Festival (Canberra, Australia)

From mid-September to mid-October, Canberra celebrates Floriade every year with some of the amazing events and beautiful sight of blossoms with different colors and patterns. It is one of the biggest festivals in Australia. Hosted in Canberra’s Commonwealth Park, the event is a 30-day celebration with lots of food, entertainment, music etc.

Pasadena Rose Parade (California, United States)

Pasadena Rose Parade is celebrated on January 1st as an American New Year Tradition with some extremely fantastic flower parades and music celebrations. You can either witness this personally or even see the live broadcast which takes place throughout the local channels across the country.

The Rose Festival (Kazanlak, Bulgaria)

The Rose Festival is one of the most popular events in Bulgaria. The celebration for the blossom of the roses takes place in the first week of June every year. This is the season when the gentle Kazanlak roses come to bloom, filling the air with its sweet smell. The most beautiful girl in the city is chosen in a beautiful pageant (选美) activity.

8 . Rabbits are a courageous little species able to live on every continent, except Antarctica. Alongside the beginning of 2023, the new Year of the Rabbit has started!     1    

Cultural image of rabbits in China

Rabbits are instinctively quiet but agile (敏捷),which suits traditional Chinese aesthetic values of being gentle and cultivated. There is a view of rabbits in Chinese culture as being smart and gentle.     2     , a Chinese idiom praising people who are smart and agile like a rabbit.

Legend has it that there is a Jade Rabbit living on the moon which is the pet of Chang’e, a goddess widely known in China. This can explain why rabbits are regarded as an auspicious sign.

Also, in ancient China, it was common sense that the more children you had, the luckier and happier you would be. This belief made the rabbit a popular sign of good fortune.     3    

Cultural image of rabbits in the West

Similarly in the West, rabbits are full of vitality and fertile in nature, with populations growing to enormous sizes in short amounts of time. Rabbits are also considered to be incredibly lucky in the West, with several traditions illustrating how to gain the animal’s good luck for yourself.

A hunter being able to catch a rabbit in the first place is also a sign of good luck. Another tradition for good luck found in North America and the UKKis to say the word “rabbit” on the first morning of every month.

    4     It is a rabbit that Alice follows in the story of Alice in Wonderland to escape the normal world and helps to begin her adventure. Rabbits are also related to Easter, with the Easter bunny being thought to be in some way related to the chocolate eggs eaten at this time of year: While the animal appears in many different places, it is always seen as an animal to be welcomed.

So, now it is the lucky animal’s turn on the Chinese zodiac.     5    

9 . The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Major Cold, or da han in Chinese, is the last solar term in the annual solar calendar. Here are some things about Major Cold.

During Major Cold, as the cold current moves southward, the weather is often cold to the extreme. Though the related data in China show that the lowest temperature in a year is usually recorded during the Major Cold period, it may not be as cold as Minor Cold in most areas on the whole since spring is approaching.

During Major Cold, the freezing weather has a big influence on Chinese people’s lives. Rather than take up outdoor activities, people tend to reduce movements and choose to stay at home to keep fit in various ways. For example, to stay warm, people in Beijing have a habit of eating dispelling cold cake, a kind of rice cake that is thought good to warm and nourish. Besides, in Chinese, “rice cake” has the same pronunciation with the words “higher in a new year”, which symbolizes good luck and continual promotion. For another example, residents in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province like to drink nourishing chicken soup during Major Cold.

Major Cold often coincides with the end of the year, so the folk customs of this period have an added sense of farewell to the old and welcoming the new. With the traditional Spring Festival around the corner, people are busy making preparations for it, like stocking up delicacies, sweeping and decorating. The cheerfulness of the reunion adds warmth to the cold winter days.