Do you know that besides enrolling in some professional language schools to learn Mandarin Chinese, you and your family can also enroll at comparatively more reasonable fees in the local Chinese schools, which offer top notch Chinese language classes at different levels and for age groups. Compared to other language schools, the teachers at these schools are native-born Chinese and you will have more opportunity to get acquainted with other Chinese people to practice your language. These Schools are:
(1) Colorado Chinese Language School (2) Great Wall Chinese Academy (3) Denver Chinese School In China, the Chinese New Year is known as the Spring Festival. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. According to Chinese tradition, the first day of the New Year is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth, officially beginning at midnight. The second day of the Chinese New Year, known as "beginning of the year", is when married daughters visit their birth parents, relatives and close friends. The third day is known as "red mouth" It is considered an unlucky day to have guests or go visiting. In those communities that celebrate Chinese New Year for only two or three days, the fourth day is when corporate "spring dinners" kick off and business returns to normal. The fifth day is the God of Wealth's birthday. In Taiwan, businesses traditionally re-open on the next day (the sixth day), accompanied by firecrackers. The seventh day, traditionally known as the common person's birthday, is the day when everyone grows one year older. On the seventh day, another family dinner is held to celebrate the eve of the birth of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven. People normally return to work by the eighth day.the Store owners will host a lunch/dinner with their employees, thanking their employees for the work they have done for the whole year. The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as "Yuanxiao Festival". Rice dumplings tangyuan, a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, are eaten this day. Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home. This day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival, and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns. The following are Chinese traditional drawings symbolizing the activities between the Chinese New Year Eve and the Lantern Festival.
Have you noticed the red lanterns in front of the Paramount Theater today? The Chinese American Foundation of Colorado and Denver Chinese School held their 12th Colorado Chinese New Year Celebration at this Denver landmark. The theater was packed with thousands of people for this sold-out event. In support of the Colorado Chinese/Asian community, Congressman Mike Coffman, Secretary of State Scott Gessler, Colorado Republican Party Chairman Ryan Call as well as the Deputy Consul General from Consulate General of China in Chicago attended the event. Denver Mayor Hancock also sent representative attending the event, while governor Hickenlooper sent congratulatory letter. This is the keynote event immersing the City into Chinese culture as well as Chinese holiday sentiment. Beside the volunteer performers from the local Chinese community, there were also wonderful performances from the "Happy Chinese New Year" troupe of Chinese Ministry of Culture. You can find photos and video for the event gala at http://www.denverchinesesource.com/26368260322804024687.html .
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