2014 02 15 LAST DAY FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR

THE LUNAR NEW YEAR LASTS 15 DAYS SINCE DEC 31 (FOR THE YEAR 2014 - IT VARIES EVERY YEAR).
LAST DAY FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR FOR 2014 IS FEB 15.

HERE ARE THE LOCAL FIRE WORKS FROM THE TEMPLE FROM NEW YEAR'S EVE NIGHT.

THIS IS WHAT I FELT LIKE THE WHOLE 2 WEEKS WHILE THERE WERE PLENTY OF NEW YEAR RELATED COMMERCIALS AND VARIETY ON THE ASIAN CHANNELS, AND VARIOUS WAYS OF FOOD AND CELEBRATION YOU CAN THINK OF IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF ASIA CELEBRATING THIS HUGE HOLIDAY.

I WAS UP-FRONT AND HAD CENTER VIEW OF THE FIREWORKS THAT WAS PRODUCE BY THE TEMPLE IN ORLANDO.

IT LOOKED LIKE VIBRANT LOUD SPARKLE AND GLITTER IN YOUR FACE!

2013 01 31 MY CHINESE NEW YEAR'S EVE IN ORLANDO

Guang Ming Buddhist Temple                      

6555 Hoffner Ave, Orlando, FL 32822

(407) 281-8482

PERKS TO BEING ASIAN?

WE TEND TO CELEBRATE THINGS TWICE, SUCH AS BIRTHDAYS AND NEW YEARS!

ALTHOUGH I DON'T REALLY CELEBRATE ANY HOLIDAYS THESE DAYS, I WAS SUMMONED (BY MY PARENTS) TO THE GUANG MING TEMPLE ON HOFFNER AVENUE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE.  

THIS HOLIDAY USUALLY LASTS FOR 15 DAYS AND THE DAYS ARE DICTATED BY THE LUNAR CALENDAR.  YES, WE GO BY A DIFFERENT CALENDAR AS WELL.

FOR 2014, THIS HOLIDAY FALLS UNDER JAN 31 - FEB 14.  

WITHIN THESE 15 DAYS,  YOU TYPICALLY CELEBRATE IT BY GOING OVER PEOPLE'S HOUSES AND EATING LARGE FEASTS (LIKE A THANKSGIVING FEAST), WISHING EVERYONE YOU ENCOUNTER ALL THE POSITIVES THAT YOU CAN THINK OF, AND IN RETURN, COLLECTING "LUCKY MONEY" THAT ARE USUALLY DISTRIBUTED BY MARRIED COUPLES WHO ARE OLDER THAN YOU. SO IF YOU ARE SINGLE, IN THE NON-MARRIED SENSE, THIS HOLIDAY IS IN YOUR BENEFIT! LOL!

IT IS JUST PLAINLY TRADITIONAL CUSTOMS WHERE THE IDEA IS FOR KIDS AND YOUNG ADULTS TO START OUT THE NEW YEAR WITH SOME SORT OF WEALTH.  SINCE THIS IS A HUGE HOLIDAY IN ASIA, I FOUND OUT THAT SOME PLACES SUCH AS TAIWAN STRETCH IT TO A 4-DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY.

EVEN THOUGH MY VISITS TO THE TEMPLE ARE RANDOM, I LIKE LOOKING AT THE SET UPS CATERED TO THE DIFFERENT HOLIDAY THEMES. 

OVERALL, I ENJOYED THE FESTIVE DECORS.

THIS SET UP WAS NICE WHERE PAINTED GOLD BRANCHES WERE PLACED BEHIND THE STATUE AND VASE FOUNTAIN ON THE GROUND.

I WAS WONDERING IF THE GOLD DECORS ON THE GROUND WERE CHOCOLATE......