Keenly attuned to the play of symbols, this anthropological study explores one of the major manifestations of Chinese popular tradition: the celebration of lunar the New Year. It analyzes a multitude of folk practices within a holistic perspective on Chinese traditional society, crafting a new picture of a world in which the social rhetoric of gender, lineage continuity, and ancestry were challenged by ritual manifestations of iconic symbolism. Viewed through the lens of Chinese imagery, the traditional calendar reveals new stories about the social organization of time as an expression of existential concerns in late imperial Chinese social life.

New Year's celebrations are times when families and friends come together to celebrate endings and new beginnings. When a religious element is added to these celebrations, there is also a sense of spiritual duty. Rather than simply 'ring in the New Year' with food and festivities, participants in religious New Year's celebrations consider the meaning of the holiday, the passage of time, and the opportunity for personal change. Focusing on Diwali (Hindu), Rosh Hashanah (Jewish), El am Hejir (Muslim), and Matariki (Maori), Religious New Year's Celebrations explores how cultures around the world contemplate the passage of time during these deeply sacred festivals.

Part contemporary family drama, part ghost story, this engrossing novel dramatizes the difficult process of letting go of one's childhood to embrace one's new chosen family. This is the story of twin sisters, their children, and an accident that claims the life of one, and leaves the others to find their way away from, and back to each other.

Educational resource for teachers, parents and kids!

From its beginnings as a farming celebration marking the end of winter to its current role as a global party featuring good food, lots of gifts and public parades, Chinese New Year is a snapshot of Chinese culture. Award-winning author and broadcaster Jen Sookfong Lee recalls her childhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, and weaves family stories into the history, traditions and evolution of Chinese New Year. Lavishly illustrated with color photographs throughout.