5 . Family: Poems — by Mr. Keith Keenan

Kindle $0.00; Hardcover $12.50; Paperback $7.00.

The poet describes personal thoughts and feelings in a lyrical journey to understand and celebrate his family. “Family” looks at living honestly in places, not illusions. Figurative (形象的) language, a love of metaphor and sharp images all make the poems work.

Time to Heal — by Aleandra Vasiliu

Kindle $9.99; Hardcover $21.94; Paperback $12.64.

From the bestselling author comes an inspirational poetry book about love, healing, and growth. It is a reminder to strive to change for the better. Featuring more than 130 uplifting poems and black-and-white illustrations, it’s a great companion when you need to embrace self-love and personal transformation.

Seeds from a Birch Tree — by Clark Strand

Kindle $9.99; Hardcover $26.80; Paperback $16.95.

Seeds from a Birch Tree makes nature into a spiritual path. Its message was simple: Haiku teaches us to return to nature by following the seasons — seventeen syllables at a time. With its mix of poetry and memoir (回忆录), the book guides us to the joy hidden in plain sight, leading us to get into a good state of body and mind.

A Poem for Every Day — by Allie Esiri

Kindle $9.99; Hardcover $28.05; Audio CD $18.05.

This audio book is a collection of 366 poems which link to events on key dates—funny for April Fools’ Day, festive for Christmas. This is the perfect gift for poetry lovers of all ages. These poems are informative, peaceful, and energetic!

There are a large number of poetry collections on Amazon. More information, please click here.

6 . Chinese Festivals

As an ancient country, China has various festivals.

In the evening before the Spring Festival, families get together and have a big meal. Children also get lucky money from parents.

During this festival, there is special food called “tang yuan”, which is said to symbolize both the first full moon and family unity and completeness. Part of the Lantern Festival tradition involves a game to guess riddles (谜语) attached to the lanterns.

Stilt walking, drumming and the dragon and lion dance are the main entertainment forms of the Lantern Festival.

It is to celebrate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, a loyal and highly respected minister, who brought peace and prosperity (繁荣) to the state but ended up drowning himself in a river as a result of being vilified (诽谤).

On the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, there is a traditional festival full of romance. Recently the youth have celebrated it as Valentine’s Day in China.

It is a traditional festival for both the Han and minority nationalities in China.The custom of worshipping (礼拜) the moon can be dated back to the ancient Xia and Shang dynasties. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also a holiday for members of a family to get together.

On the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, people celebrate the Double Ninth Festival. People usually climb mountains and eat double-ninth cakes, which means our life will become better and better.

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year    1     24 solar terms. Winter Solstice (冬至) comes as the 22nd solar term of the year. On the first day of the Winter Solstice, the Northern Hemisphere experiences the    2     (short) day and the longest night in the year, as the sun shines directly at the Tropic of Capricorn (南回归线). From then on, the days become longer and the nights become shorter. The Winter Solstice also marks the    3     (arrive) of the coldest season in the year.

There was     4     saying in ancient China, “The Winter Solstice is as important as the Spring Festival.” As early as the Zhou Dynasty, great events    5    (hold) on the day of the Winter Solstice,     6     was also considered the first day of the new year.

The Winter Solstice became a winter festival during the Han Dynasty. The celebratory activities were    7     (official) organized. On this day, both officials and ordinary people would have a rest. During the following dynasties, such as the Tang, Song and Qing dynasties, during the Winter Solstice, it was also common for people    8     (offer) sacrifices (祭品) to ancestors.

In the winter, people suggest    9     (eat) an appropriate amount of nuts, such as peanuts, walnuts and chestnuts, which does good to one’s body. Traditional Chinese medical science teaches people that most nuts help to    10     (strength) the brain and heart. During the Winter Solstice in North China, it is essential to eat dumplings.