HAPPY NEW
YEAR!
Hi
everyone,
We hope you had great holidays and with only a two days
left of 2004 you are getting ready for the final celebration
before we eagerly commit ourselves toward our New Year
resolutions and goals.
We should all consider ourselves lucky watching how many
faced disaster over the past few days. Our prayers and
warm wishes go to all affected with Tsunami.
If you can help, please contact Red Cross at www.redcross.ca
or 1-800-418-1111 and give them as much as you can afford.
The 24-hour toll free line accepts Visa and MasterCard.
If you prefer to write a cheque, it should be made payable
to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked "Asian Earthquake
and Tsunami Relief" and mailed to Canadian Red Cross
National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa,
Ontario, K2P 2P2. It certainly helps not only to the ones
in need but it will certainly bring inner happiness in
knowing that you have done your part.
As far as for the New
Year celebrations choose any from few that are taking
place in the city.On Thursday, Mana will have a ‘New
Year’ preview, and the real stuff will take place
at Lula Lounge, Momentos, Orale Lounge, El Rancho and
Plaza Flamingo. Enjoy!
We have prepared for you 2004 picture selections to remind
you of all the events we have reported over the year.
2005 seems to be even more promising with many great things
to come.
But to start....do you know how all started? Find
out more about the New Year Celebrations!
Ancient practices
The celebration of the New Year is the oldest
of all celebratory holidays. It was first marked in ancient
Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000
BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon
and the first day of spring.
In ancient times, generally the harvest time marked the
time of New Year. The people performed rituals especially
to do away with the past and purify themselves for the
New Year. For example, people used to put off the fires
they were using in the past year and started new ones.
The ancient Romans gave each other New Year's gifts of
branches from sacred trees. In later years, they gave
gold-covered nuts or coins imprinted with pictures of
Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. The ancient
Persians gave New Year's gifts of eggs, symbolizing productivity.
The Celtic priests of what is now England gave the people
branches of mistletoe, which was considered sacred.
Many American colonists in New England celebrated the
New Year by firing guns into the air and shouting. They
also visited bars and houses to ask for drinks Some people
held open house, welcoming all visitors and feeding them
generously.
Another old custom involved using the Bible to predict
what would happen in the New Year. People chose a passage
of the Bible at random. They then applied the passage
to the coming months of the New Year.
In Babylonia, the New Year celebration lasted for eleven
days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration,
but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities
pale in comparison.
How the Church celebrated the New Year
Although in the first centuries AD the Romans
continued celebrating the New Year, the early Catholic
Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity
became more widespread, the early church began having
its own religious observances concurrently with many of
the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different.
New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision
by some denominations.
During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to
celebrating New Years. January 1 has been celebrated as
a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400
years.
Modern New Year Celebrations
New Year's Eve, which falls on December 31st,
the day before the first day of the calendar year is a
time to have a lot of fun, celebrated with family and
friends. In the Canada, United States, Australia, England,
and many other countries around the world, New Year's
Eve is a festive occasion marked by lively celebrations
to welcome the New Year.
In India, the people of West Bengal, like to wear flowers
of different colours at New Year. Women like to wear yellow,
which is the color of Spring. In Kerala, in southern India,
mothers put food, flowers, and little gifts on a special
tray for the little children. In central India, orange
flags are flown from buildings on New Year's Day. In Gujarat,
in western India, New Year is celebrated at the end of
October, and it is celebrated at the same time as the
Indian festival of Diwali. At the time of Diwali, small
oil lights are lit all along the roofs of buildings. At
New Year, Hindus think particularly of the goddess of
wealth, Lakshmi.
Here in North America, many people go to New Year's Eve
parties. Crowds gather on the Nathan Philis Square in
Toronto, Times Square in New York City, on State Street
in Chicago, and in other public places. People enjoy the
elaborate Tournament of Roses Parade through Pasadena
followed by the Rose Bowl game. At midnight, bells ring,
sirens sound, firecrackers explode, and everyone shouts,
"Happy New Year!" fun-filled people also drink
a toast to the New Year and sing the song of "Auld
Lang Syne."
In Japan, traditionally New Year called Oshogatsu is
welcomed with families and relatives. At the very end
of the old year and the beginning of the new year, Japanese
gather with families and enjoy talking, watching TV, and
eating soba which is a Japanese noodle eaten that night.
Just at midnight, some famous temples ring 108 sounds
with a temple bell, which is a part of a traditional legend.
Then, many kinds of traditional dishes, as sake, Zouni
and rice cake are served at home. These foods are packaged
in beautiful boxes, which usually have triple layers.
Good Luck Traditions
Traditionally, it was believed that one could
affect the luck they would have throughout the coming
year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year.
That is why, about all of us love to celebrate the first
few minutes of a brand new year in the company of our
family and friends. New Year bashes often last for hours
after the ringing in of a new year in the middle of the
night. It was once believed that the first visitor on
New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck
the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that
visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.
Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring
luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape
of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming
full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that
reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's
Day will bring good fortune.
Many parts of the Canada and UScelebrate the New Year
by consuming black-eyed peas. Black-eyed peas and other
legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures.
The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because
it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good
luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day
by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of
prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In
some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New
Year's Day. Japanese make rice cakes, Mochi to bring good
luck in the coming year. The Spanish have had a traditional
custom to celebrate New Year's Eve, 31st of December.
At twelve p.m. everybody has to have twelve grapes to
be eaten each time the clock chimes. By the time the clock
has finished chiming, everybody has to finish their grapes
and the New Year starts.
It would be a lucky guess that we all want to
be lucky, so check out what stars predict for 2005.
For all we know, you all will have a great upcoming year
unless you stalked someone when no amount of luck will
help you. Thank you all for your feedback on this upsetting
matter for your staff, and look out for our profiling
of a salsa loser, hahahaha ...we know quite a few of those
right? Your input and experiences are welcome!
And last but not least,
HAPPY NEW YEAR and many more to come. Enjoy life, have
fun and many more salsa moments in 2005!
NEW ON THE SITE
MEMORIES OF
2004
Some faces that made a year, some events that will always
be remembered click
here
S.L.U.T.
LIST UPDATE
Discriminating tastes from extraordinary audiences.
Check out which songs were your favorites last week,
click
here
SAFETY FIRST
Start 2005 with caution. Read
our article about our stalker. We have also added
some tips so you can check if your friend or beau could
be one, click
here
NEW YEAR FEEDBACK
We do not suggest to stalk these folks, but here is a
result of our quick New Year poll. Where will you go or
want to be when the clock hits the midnight? Find out
what our fellow-salseros think, click
here
UPCOMING EVENTS
And not to forget, keep on checking our event page for
the more accurate update with the upcoming parties, click
here
THE GAME: SALSA CLAUS
Get your adrenalin going. Enjoy, click
here
DRESS SANTA
If you have kids but they interrupt you
while you are getting ready for your salsa outing, this
just might be the thing for them to keep them interested.
Needles to say, if you are a kid at heart you might have
a few minutes of giggle yourself. Start
here
SALSASCOPES 2005
Here is 2005 forecast. It is featured
on the site for the last time. Look out for your newsletter
with a January forecast! Click here for your forecast,
click
here
Enjoy, stay warm and stay safe! On behalf of
all of us at SalsaSPOT we wish you the time of your life
in the upcoming holidays and in the upcoming 2005!
Until the next,
