Do You Know? History of Imlek

The origins of Chinese New Year celebrations too old and older to be studied. However, the general said, the Chinese word, "Nian" or the means 'in' in the Malay language, is named for the giant who often prey on the eve of the new year begins.

According to legend, Nian had a very large mouth, and could swallow many people with one bite. Humans at that time to be frightened of this monster Nian. On one day, the bamboo garden near the Chinese village on fire. Pipe that exploded and burned a very strong sound like firecrackers. It was scary Nian and he did not dare to go brdekatan the village. Older people have also advised the villagers hung red paper on the doors and windows of their home on the run every time a new year, will terrorize the Nian feared. The red color is feared by Nian, and able to drive the monster.

That legend is believed by the Chinese. The practice of letting off firecrackers and hang red paper still continues to this day, although some Chinese young people do not know the true purpose of these is charity. They just assume that these practices will only brighten the new year.

Red packet

One reason for the Chinese New Year awaited by the children were of 'red packet' or red envelopes containing money. For those who are not married, they qualify to receive a red packet.

Giving money or a red packet is to say goodbye for the year and hopes to obtain wealth and good fortune for the year. Money can also be used to pay outstanding debts.

Fireworks and lion dance

Fireworks and lion dance is synonymous with Chinese New Year celebrations. Played fireworks to scare the evil creatures that are often very annoying man. However, from one year to another, fireworks are often played to mark the festive season will arrive.

The lion dance is a dance full of art and a remarkable symbol of the Chinese community. Usually it is played by two players, and take a long time to practice before someone is really skilled.

Taboos and treatment during the Chinese New Year

Cleaning house

All of the houses must be cleaned before the new year. On new year's eve, all brooms, mop and wash all the equipment stored in a safe place. Sweeping and updating should not be done on the day of the new year, because of the belief of the Chinese community, the good fortune to be swept along with the garbage-garbage. After the new year, the floor will be swept away houses, starting from the door into the house and placed in a corner. Rubbish, waste and grease that will not be removed until the 5th day festival.

Take a clear, remove the cloudy

Play fireworks on New Year's Eve is a way to say goodbye to a year to be abandoned, and celebrates the arrival of the new year. At one point in the middle of the night the new year, all doors and windows must be opened to allow the old year go.

Activities in the New Year

All debts should be paid at this time. All people need to take care of their treatment at the moment. Forbidden to use dirty words that bring bad luck and bad purposes. Referring to last year was forbidden on the day of the new year because everything must go forward and not look back.

Forbidden to cry in the new year, as worried people will be crying throughout the year.

Personal hygiene

On the day of the new year, hair washing are prohibited, because this treatment will result in the person wash go all the good luck for the new year. Encouraged to wear red clothes. Red is considered bright colors and light, allowing the wearer to obtain a bright future. It is believed that, in a new way of application to determine the fate of a person of the year. Children, close relatives and those who have not been given a red packet for wedding a bright future.

Chinese Lunar Calendar

Chinese lunar calendar is the world's oldest calendar, used since 2600 BC. Use of this calendar was introduced by Emperor Huang Ti. Like the Western calendar, the Chinese lunar calendar is based on annual turnover which initiated the beginning of the turn of the month. Therefore, beginning in the Chinese calendar falls around January and February.

One complete revolution around the earth takes 60 years and consists of 5 rounds each of which lasts 12 years. Chinese lunar calendar each year based naming 12 animals.

The Chinese community believes that every human is born with the influence of personality and attitude on the animal called man is born in the year.

Rat

1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996

Ox

1925 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997

Tiger

1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998

Rabbit

1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999

Dragon

1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000

Snake

1929 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001

Horse

1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002

Goat

1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003

Monkey

1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004

Chicken

1933 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005

Dog

1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006

Pig

1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007

Chinese New Year decorations

Before the Chinese New Year celebration, Chinese families would decorate the house with vases containing flowers are blooming grow, bag-bag containing lime, and also a bag containing eight kinds of dried fruit is sweet. On the walls and doors will be hung with beautiful decorations, such as poetry and greeting the new year painted on red paper.

Orange 

Normally, the Chinese people, they will bring a bag filled with orange and red packet will be provided when visiting friends and family during the two week celebration of Chinese New Year. According to Chinese belief, the orange leaves that still have meaning attached to her relationship with another person will be closely intertwined. While the newly married, the marriage symbolizes the intertwined relationship will bloom until the public gets the child. Orange is the symbol of happiness for the Chinese community.

Candy bag

Bags of candy there is a round or in a variety of candy for the New Year began with 'sweetness'. Each bag represents the sweetness of its own luck:

• Candied melon - symbolize growth and good health
• Kuaci - symbolize happiness, truth and honesty
• Details of lychees - symbolizes the close family ties
• Kumquat (an orange) - wealth
• Coconut candy - intimacy
• Peanut - sustainable living
• Longan - symbolizing a person will get a lot of good boys
• Fruit of the lotus - a lot of kids

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Do You Know? Thomas Alva Edison

Thomas Alva Edison was the inventor of America and is one of the greatest inventors in history. Edison began working at a very young age and continued working until his death. During his career, Thomas Alva Edison had been around from 1093 to patent his invention, including an electric light bulb and the gramophone, as well as film cameras. All three findings raise major industries for the electric industry, recording and film that ultimately affect the lives of people around the world. He is also known as the inventor of applying the principle of 'mass production' for his discoveries.

Edison's own gain expertise in the field of electricity and telegraphy (the telegraph for communication) during the teenage years. In 1868, at age 21, she has developed and patent his invention in the form of a machine that records the telegraph.

The days of childhood, Edison just attended a formal school for three months, then all his education from his mother who taught Edison at home. Edison's mother taught Edison how to read, write, and mathematics. He also often gave and read the books for Edison, among others, the books come from authors such as Edward Gibbon, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.

Edison at age 12, earn revenue by way of a job selling newspapers and newsletters, apples, and candy on a railway line. At that age also, Edison has lost almost all hearing because of her illness, the disease makes it a half-deaf. Edison once wrote in diarinya: "I have never heard a bird sing since I was 12 years old."

At the age of 15, Edison, while still selling, bought a small printing press used hereinafter to be installed in a car trunk. Then he prints his own newspaper, Weekly HERALD, which is in print, edited and sold in places he's selling.

In the summer of 1862, Edison saved a three-year-old boy who almost hit by a car. The father of the children removed is the head of the train station in place to sell. And as gratitude, the head of the station taught Edison how to use the telegraph. After 5 months of studying the telegraph, Edison worked as an expert telegraph for 4 years. Almost all the salary he gets is spent with a variety of laboratory building and electrical equipment.

Edison is very pleased to learn something and read the books there. Of those studied, Edison apply these lessons in a way his little experiment in the laboratory. Edison lived in his lab, only sleep 4 hours a day, and eat the food brought by his assistant into his laboratory. Edison experiment to experiment and continuously until his discoveries to be perfect. Perhaps the words that adequately describe the abilities which are Edison: "Genius is 99% hard work"

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Do You Know? North Pole Completely Melted

Many questions arise about when the North Pole melt away completely? If intact, the estimate is less than 2100. The first time occurred after 125 thousand years, finally the northern polar ice melts, the polar regions north of satellite photos showing the path Northwest and Northeast in the North Pole is open at the same time last week.

This is the first time people can sail around the north pole with no barriers at all, but this means the process of global warming is happening faster than we can imagine. and this is bad news for us all.

Scientists from the University of Bremen, Germany published a number of photographs taken from NASA satellites show northwest path has been opened, while the last chunk of ice that had covered the path through the Laptev Sea, Siberia, Russia also has led to a thaw. The news of this case also published in the British newspaper The Independent last August 31.

American Scientists predict that global warming will still occur within 5 years of summer in North Pole will be no ice at all!, Estimates like this can arise because the number of layers of ice that has melted at this time should be new in 2050 will happen next. The ice has melted faster than our expectations.

In 2005 the Northeast path once opened, but that time Northwest lane remains closed, and in 2006 the situation turned around, but this year the two routes open simultaneously. Person who most crave this occurrence is the shipping company, for the second opening of this route will shorten the shipping distance of thousands of miles. The opening of this route to shorten the shipping distance between Germany and Japan as many as 4,000 miles and already there are shipping companies are getting ready to open a shipping lane through this route next year.

Dr Martin Sommerkorn of WWF's Arctic program responded to these reports seriously. Because, according to him, greatly affect the Arctic climate. "The layer of ice in the Arctic Sea is at least a neutral position on the earth's climate system. Therefore, if the ice is disappearing, the world's climate would be a mess, "he explained. To be sure, he added, a quarter of the earth will be flooded. Often called Air Conditioning (AC) was the earth, the Arctic plays a vital enough to stabilize the world climate. If the ice in the waters covering an area of ​​14 million square kilometers of it melts during the summer, ocean color around the world will be darker.

The logic is that when an ice has been long in the hot air will melt and could become the second magnitude of this giant chunk of ice 3x or 5x as much as they are found. Warning! , Yet there is a solution to restore ice melting in the Arctic, now we can only wait and see ice Melting whole earth is slowly sinking, unless we want to change habits that harm the earth.

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Do You Know? Piano

The origin of the word piano is actually derived from the Italian language, namely pianoforte. Piano itself is made ​​by Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1720's. Beginning piano was created, his voice is not as loud as a piano that can be heard in the 20th century. Because the voltage at the time the piano keys piano is not as strong as now.

Initially, the piano was developed from the stringed instrument. The difference, lute played with a pick. While the piano-keys pressed tutsnya.

In general, the piano belong to a group of instrumental music. Piano produces sound from the vibration of the soundboard that volume can be reinforced (adjustable size).

Broadly, the piano in the music can be a solo performance on and as an introduction to singing solo. In that sense, the piano can live without the help and accompany singers or other musical accompaniment. The resulting piano sound is to represent other musical instruments.

Nevertheless, the piano will be more meaningful longer heard with the help of other instruments. We must emphasize here, can heave a beautiful piano without the help of other instruments. Not the same as other instruments, the less pleasant without equipped piano. Many of the music instruments that shines as part of the piano.

Piano Progress 

At the end of the period 1790 to 1860, the era of Mozart's piano experiencing great changes, where the modern instrument more visible leadership. At the revolution, the piano a lot of support from pianist-composer and renowned pianist who accompanies development. So the piano in the music more and have a higher power. Technology in the manufacture of pianos are increasingly using high-tech tools.

In recent times, the style of piano sound increases. From 5 to 7 octave third (or even more) octave, this signifies the modern piano. Advances in technology, many sourced from companies in the UK, Broadwood. Over the years, artificial Broadwood instruments have evolved into more of its kind, better voice, also packaged in a nice and neat.

Broadwood piano company sends them to Hadyn and Bethoven. Coverage piano skills they send it for more than five octaves. 1790an year, in 1810 following a six-octave, until in 1820 eventually became the seventh octave. To the extent that many piano manufacturers follow this trend.

Tells of the piano as well as telling a superstar. As befits a superstar, a famous piano is also much admired by various circles. Piano may come in the music industry and movie industry, which easily see and hear everyone.

Since the 1830s, a concert piano is always idolized many music fans. Each held a concert by renowned pianist, often packed with music fans. They are always lined up in droves piano concert tickets, because after all, the piano can go into almost all musical genres.

Examples on the 27th that was held Mozart's piano concert. This concert is truly a concert of instrumental music without the help of an accompaniment to the singer was still more enjoyable. This is the greatness that is owned musical instrument piano.

Games in concert piano can be restored by either solo (alone), duo (two), the trio (all three), and the quartet (all four). It has been proved long ago by the famous pianists such as Mozart, Hadyn, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn and Brahms.

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Do You Know? Windmill

Windmills are the most rapid energy technology development in the world. Developing a global installation capacity of 2,500 megawatts (MW) in 1992, to 40,000 MW by the end of 2003, with average growth of 30% per year.

Nearly three-quarters of the capacity of wind energy installations now in Europe. At present, this energy meets the electricity needs of 35 million European households.

Interest in wind energy is growing as some communities more aware of the need to develop clean and sustainable energy future. Eighty percent of the population, strongly support the use of renewable energy sources.

Development of alternative energy began in the 1970s during the energy crisis of the world. In Germany alone, the 1990 Electricity Supply regulation is the beginning digalakkannya wind energy. Regulation is then updated into Regulations of 2000, concerning the construction of energy that should be using renewable energy sources.

With the number of windmills of 14,000 pieces, and with a capacity of more than 12,000 MW of power, Germany is now the world's major domestic windmills. All the windmills that generate an average of 31.5 TWh of electricity per year. This amount is to meet about 5 percent of electricity needs throughout the country, and tend to increase. The government plans, use of renewable energy sources reached 12.5%, there are 2010 and even 20% in 2020.

Besides being the largest windmill producer, Germany is also a market in the world's largest windmill. Windmill production in 2004 reached half of world production, with export quota of 59%.

The use of wind as an energy source has at least two advantages.

Economically, this energy source can decimate the use of fuel oil, and create new job opportunities in the field of manufacture and maintenance of windmills, and distribution. In Germany, the wind energy industry turnover reached 4 billion euros, and is the livelihood of 60,000 people.

In the environmental field, wind energy is ideal because it produces no pollution, require no fuel, no greenhouse effect, and do not produce harmful substances and radioactive waste. Each megawatt of electricity produced by windmills, to reduce emissions of 0.8 to 0.9 tons of greenhouse gases produced by oil and coal each year. Necessary land is not too broad.

Wind is a source of potential energy in the future when traditional fossil fuels are running low, and cost reduction of environmental pollution increase.

Future energy system will be triggered by environmental issues, economic development, development, and market liberalization. And over the past two decades of development, wind energy could indicate he was one of the energy future.

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Do You Know? Aceh Traditional Music Instruments

Traditional musical instruments is a tool used to accompany a traditional activity in a given region. Aceh traditional musical instruments musical instrument that is used for a specific event in the tradition of the people in Aceh. This instrument is an identity and pride ureueng Aceh.

The Acehnese traditional musical instruments are among them:

Kalee Serune

Serune Kalee is a traditional wind instrument which is a kind of Aceh Clarinet mainly found in areas of Pidie, North Aceh, Aceh Besar and Aceh Barat. It is made of wood, the base of small and large at the edges like a funnel. At the base of the retaining lip discs are made of brass blowers called perise.

Serune has 7 pieces regulator tone holes. Additionally there are layers of brass and 10 ties of copper-called klah (ring) and serves as a security from the possibility of cracked / broken bodies such serune. This tool is usually used along clan Rapai drums in ceremonies and in the accompanying traditional dances.

Drum (Geundrang)

Drum contained in almost all areas of Aceh. Drum serves as a traditional musical instrument, which together with brass instruments seurune kalee accompany every traditional dance in both traditional ceremonies and rites Other significant. It is made ​​of jackfruit wood, goat skin and rattan. Making drums is by punching holes in the form of jackfruit wood cylinder in such a way that resembles a drum body bambam. On the surface of the circle (left-right) mounted goat skin, which had previously been made ​​from rattan rings with size just like the size of the drum circle.

As a means of reinforcing / wear leather strap surface fasteners are also made of leather. This strap connects the drum skin that right with the left. Bat (stick) drum was also made of wood at the end of section dibengkakkan who was beaten to the skin.

Canang

Cymbals are traditional percussion instruments contained in a group of people of Aceh, Gayo, Tamiang and Alas. The Acehnese people call it "Canang Trieng", in Gayo called "Teganing", in Tamiang called "lute" and in Alas-called "lyre Sports".

It is made of bamboo seruas options and good old enough. Then the bamboo is given the hole, then ditoreh longitudinal direction to get the rope. Holes found on bamboo is called kelupak (Alas and Gayo).

The number string is not the same in every region. In Canang Trieng there are 5 fruit rope (string) is 4 units located adjacent to each other on the left while a rather large again located in the right hole. The rope on the left are picked using a stick, while the right string plucked with the fingernails / left thumb.

Ropes harp is a 3 pieces and there are 4 pieces. While the lyre Sports there are 4 to 5 pieces, each with its own rope called that is gong (large rope near keleepak), level (1 or 2 pieces of rope that is located in the middle) and gerindik (the most delicate rope / high voice), plucked with a bamboo that has been diluted thin.

In teganing there are 3 pieces of thin rope which is located at the far right and far left lies the most rugged. Each string is called in sequence with the name of cymbals, and gongs memong. How to play teganing that is by hitting the string with a wooden paddle called peguel.

Rapai

Rapai is a kind of traditional musical instrument of Aceh, as well as drums. Rapai made of hardwood (usually from stem jackfruit) and given that after the rounded hole in the middle. Wood that has been given a hole is called baloh. Baloh is larger at the top of the bottom. The upper part covered with goat skin while the bottom is left open. Clamp voltage regulator of skin or leather is made from rattan are wrapped with leather. (Brace is in the Acehnese language is called Sidak).

Rapai used as percussion instruments in the ceremonies associated with religious especially, marriage, birth and traditional games that whistle. Playing Rapai a way to hit her with his hands and usually played by the group (group). Leaders Meeting of the game called a sheik or kalipah.

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