Northern Group’s Post

This #ChineseNewYear2025 the MPA discusses the significance of the Lunar New Year and its 15 days of festivities as we enter into the Year of the Snake. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eA74kSVJ

Xiaonian, often translated as "Little New Year," is a significant traditional festival in China that marks the beginning of preparations for the Lunar New Year, or "Big New Year." This day is dedicated to bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, with customs steeped in gratitude, renewal, and blessings.  When Is Xiaonian? The date of Xiaonian varies across regions in China:   - Northern China: Lunar December 23   - Southern China: Lunar December 24   - Other Regions: Some celebrate on Lunar January 15  Despite regional differences in timing, Xiaonian universally signals the start of preparations for the Spring Festival.  Traditional Customs of Xiaonian 1. Worshipping the Kitchen God   One of Xiaonian’s key traditions is honoring the Kitchen God, believed to oversee household affairs. Families offer sweets, particularly sticky candies like sugar melons, to ensure the deity delivers a favorable report to heaven about the household’s deeds.  2. House Cleaning     Known as the "Day of Sweeping Dust," Xiaonian is a time for deep cleaning. This ritual symbolizes removing bad luck and misfortunes from the past year to make space for blessings in the year ahead.  3. Decorating with Spring Festival Elements   Families begin putting up window paper-cuts, couplets, and other festive decorations to create a cheerful atmosphere and welcome the upcoming year.  4. Preparing Traditional Foods    Foods like sticky rice cakes (nian gao), dumplings, and sugar melons are popular during Xiaonian. Each dish carries symbolic meanings of prosperity, unity, and sweetness.  Differences Between Xiaonian and the Lunar New Year (Big New Year) - Purpose: Xiaonian focuses on preparations and spiritual rituals, while the Lunar New Year celebrates the beginning of the new year with family reunions, feasts, and festivities.   - Activities: Xiaonian emphasizes cleaning and worship, whereas the Lunar New Year features grand celebrations such as firecrackers, lion dances, and gift exchanges. 

Gazelle Global Presents: Foreign Holidays You NEED to Know About: Let’s play a quick game. Think of an iconic food that goes along with the following holiday, i.e. Easter - Easter Eggs, 4th of July - Hotdogs. Got it? Okay, here it goes. Christmas… were you thinking of radishes, weren’t you? NO? That’s right. Every year on December 23rd, Oaxaca, Mexico, celebrates Noche de Rábanos, or Night of the Radishes. Along with live music, parades and fireworks, artists and locals spend hours carving radishes into elaborate, massive creations depicting animals, churches and saints. It’s one night and one night only, so if you find yourself in Oaxaca on December 23rd, don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind celebration of creativity and community! When you’re ready to go global, we’ve been there and done that. Let us help you no matter where in the world your work takes you. #gazelleglobal #mrx #quant #globaldata #onlineresearch #insights

Did you know... New Year's celebrations vary widely across the globe, with each country bringing its own cultural flavor, traditions, and festivities to welcome the new year. Here's a snapshot of how different countries celebrate: 1. North America 🎆 United States: Iconic celebrations include the Times Square ball drop in New York City. Fireworks, parties, and singing Auld Lang Syne are common. 🎆 Mexico: Traditions include eating 12 grapes at midnight and wearing specific-colored underwear (red for love, yellow for money). 2. Asia 🎆 China (Lunar New Year): The Chinese New Year isn't celebrated on January 1 but rather based on the lunar calendar, typically in late January or February. Traditions include dragon dances, fireworks, red decorations for good luck, and family reunions. 3. Europe 🎆 Scotland (Hogmanay): Celebrations include first-footing (visiting friends’ homes as the first guest after midnight) and singing Auld Lang Syne. 🎆 Spain: Spaniards eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, one for each chime, symbolizing good luck for the 12 months ahead. 4. Africa 🎆 South Africa: New Year's Eve is celebrated with parties and music, particularly in urban centers like Cape Town and Johannesburg. Traditional African drumming and dancing also play a role in festivities. 5. South America 🎆 Brazil: People wear white for peace and often head to the beach to offer gifts to the sea goddess, Iemanjá. Fireworks and samba music are staples of the celebration. 6. Australia & Oceania 🎆 Australia: Sydney hosts one of the world's most famous fireworks displays over the harbor and the Sydney Opera House. Beach parties are also popular due to the summer season. 🎆 New Zealand: New Zealand is one of the first countries to welcome the new year, with celebrations often including fireworks and traditional Māori ceremonies. 7. Middle East 🎆 United Arab Emirates: Dubai hosts extravagant fireworks displays, particularly around the Burj Khalifa, one of the world's tallest buildings. 🎆 Israel: While secular Israelis may celebrate January 1 with parties, the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) is a more significant holiday, observed in the fall.

When is the summer solstice? The summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere occurs on June 20, 2024, at 4:51 p.m. EDT (2051 GMT), and the summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere occurs on Dec. 21, 2024, at 5:29 a.m. EST (0929 GMT). The summer solstice marks the official start of astronomical summer and the longest day of the year.  It occurs when one of Earth's poles is tilted toward the sun at its most extreme angle, and due to Earth's tilt, this happens twice a year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice falls in June (while the Southern Hemisphere experiences the winter solstice), and in the Southern Hemisphere, it falls in December (while the Northern Hemisphere experiences the winter solstice). The summer solstice and subsequent longest day of the year are celebrated by many cultures around the world with numerous traditions, holidays and festivals. From sunrise gatherings to midsummer festivals, summer solstice celebrations certainly blow the winter cobwebs away.  What is the summer solstice? It marks that moment when the sun reaches that point when it is positioned farthest north — 23.5 degrees from the celestial equator. This point on the Earth is known as the Tropic of Cancer. The word solstice literally means "sun standing still." It is derived from combining the Latin words sol for "sun" and sistere for “To Stand Still”.  For the previous six months, the sun has appeared to migrate on a northerly course in the sky. At the moment of the solstice, that motion stops and then the sun will begin to move south. A motion that will continue for six months until the sun drops to its lowest point below the equator and then stop — another solstice point — marking the beginning of winter.  Is summer solstice the first day of summer? For most of the world, this is true. But for other parts of the world, the solstice is looked upon not as the start of summer, but rather as midsummer. If, for example, you were to pay a visit to Sweden or Norway at this time of year, you would find the local inhabitants celebrating a local holiday known as Midsummer's Day, which by ancient custom falls on June 24, a day also linked with the name of St. John the Baptist. At night, fires are lit in the mountains in other parts of Europe. In northern Scandinavia, above the Arctic Circle, the phenomenon of the midnight sun at solstice time is a seasonal clock that seems to divide summer, if not the entire year into two distinct parts. It is that time of the year that the sun, having spent the previous six months plodding steadily northward has reached the pinnacle of its migration. 

"邪魔しないで 小さな草は夢を見る (Do not Disturb. Tiny Grass is Dreaming". This is a charming advertisement for a Japanese park warning not to step on the grass. The grass is dreaming, we mustn't disturb it. Something similar is Cultural Inquiry": little grass dreaming at its own pace and taking its time. For those who believe that a company cannot be defined with a haiku, here is the proof that it is possible. Cultural Inquiry was born a couple of years ago to make possible what some dared not imagine but many secretly wished for with all their might; a new way of telling, thinking, and making museums - in that order. Since then we have made another kind of weed, the Sweetgrass, beautifully described by Robin Wall Kimmerer: “Sweetgrass is best planted not by seed, but by putting roots directly in the ground. Thus the plant is passed from plant to earth to hand across years and generations. Its favored habitat is sunny, well-watered meadows. It thrives along disturbed edges.” Cultural Inquiry arises precisely at the borders, in the liminal zones, in the "in-between" places and it continues to do so... two years later... dreaming, tiny but firmly. If Cultural Inquiry were a musical group, it would be Cindy Lee, author of the amazing song Diamond Jubilee, which can't be found on Spotify or Apple Music (sorry Mr. Ek), or in the big concert circuits, and which has been considered by leading magazines in the Indie music world such as Stereogum, NME, The Wire, Uncut, or the Pitchfork website, as the best album of the year. Perhaps being known by a few and not being known by others is a very good sign. What is certain is that the little grass will still be dreaming in 2025. So, please do not disturb! Patricia Kroondijk, curious to have your thoughts about this... Laura Roberts Sharon Shaffer Krista Kusuma Claudia Ocello https://lnkd.in/dtts2Y_c

Midsummer's Eve – when Dusk meets Dawn In Estonia, summer evenings are renowned for their "white nights" due to the country's northern location. During this time, the sun sets late and rises early, leaving hardly any darkness. Midsummer, or St. John's Day—known as Jaanipäev in Estonian—aligns with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, occurring around June 21st. In Estonia, Midsummer celebrations commence on the eve of June 23rd and conclude on June 24th. Last year, we shared the tradition of searching for glowworms. However, one of the most famous Jaanik or Midsummer rituals is lighting bonfires and jumping over them. This act is believed to ensure prosperity and ward off bad luck. Conversely, neglecting to light a fire is thought to invite misfortune, such as a house fire. The bonfire also serves to scare away mischievous spirits, thereby promising a good harvest. The larger the fire, the further these spirits are kept at bay. On Jaaniõhtu, Estonians across the country gather with family or at larger events to celebrate with singing and dancing, a tradition that has persisted for centuries. The festivities of Jaaniõhtu typically continue through the night, marking the most significant celebration of the year. P.S. Many northern countries actually have a similar tradition. Happy Midsummer's Eve everyone!

Why Should Cultural Establishments Like Cathedrals Diversify Their Appeal? And How Can a Great Website Help? Cathedrals have traditionally been places of worship and heritage, but many, like Chichester Cathedral, are now hosting exhibitions to reach new audiences and generate additional revenue. The recent Mars: War & Peace exhibition is a prime example of how such spaces can offer thought-provoking content that appeals to visitors far beyond their usual congregation. However, it’s not just about the exhibition—it’s also about how it’s promoted. A well-designed, accessible website is crucial for effectively showcasing attractions like this. Even the most compelling events can struggle to reach their full potential without an engaging digital presence. Chichester Cathedral has done a great job of placing this exhibition front and centre on the homepage. An impactful website helps connect with diverse audiences, drive ticket sales or donations, and keep cultural establishments relevant in a digital-first world. As footfall becomes more critical, ensuring your website is a hub for information and inspiration is key to long-term success. How does your website support your organisation’s attractions? #CulturalHeritage #ExhibitionDesign #WebsiteDesign #AudienceEngagement

Ten Interesting facts about the Summer Solstice, which is your favorite: 1) Longest Day of the Year: The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours. In the Northern Hemisphere, it usually occurs around June 21st or 22nd. 2) Solar Zenith: At noon on the summer solstice, the sun appears at its highest point in the sky, directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer. 3) Cultural Significance: Many cultures around the world celebrate the summer solstice with festivals and rituals. For example, the ancient Celts celebrated with bonfires to add power to the sun. 4) Stonehenge Alignment: One of the most famous landmarks associated with the summer solstice is Stonehenge in England. The stones are aligned with the sunrise on the solstice, suggesting it was used for solstice ceremonies. 5) Midsummer Traditions: In many European countries, the summer solstice is known as Midsummer. It's celebrated with feasts, bonfires, and traditional dances. 6) Scientific Explanation: The summer solstice occurs because Earth's axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun at 23.5 degrees. This tilt causes the sun to be directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer on this day. 7) Beginning of Summer: In astronomical terms, the summer solstice marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. 8) Energy and Growth: The summer solstice is often associated with themes of energy, growth, and fertility in various cultural and spiritual traditions. 9) Modern Celebrations: Today, modern celebrations of the summer solstice include music festivals, outdoor gatherings, and yoga events that embrace the connection to nature and the sun. 10) Variation in Day Length: While the summer solstice has the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere, locations closer to the poles experience periods of continuous daylight (midnight sun), while those near the Arctic Circle have the sun just dipping below the horizon briefly.

The Year of the Snake symbolizes growth, wisdom and transformation. Here are some details on the major Tet and Lunar New Year Festival gatherings in O.C.