Category: Curiosity

February is always a bit of an uneventful month, isn’t it? Post-new year buzz; pre-springtime joy, it always passes by without much excitement.  Which makes it lucky that it’s our shortest month. But why does it only have 28 days when all the other months have 30 or 31? 

Well… apparently our modern calendar is loosely based on the Roman’s calendar. Originally Romulus, the first king of Rome, created a 10-month calendar that begin in March and ended in December. His successor, Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, then decided to fine-tune the idea by synching it with the actual Lunar year, which was then thought to have 355 days. 

Roman superstition held that even numbers were unlucky. Therefore, Numa reorganised the number of days in each month so that they would each have an odd number. In order to reach the 355 days, one month had to have an even number. February was chosen and, as it was an unlucky month, it became the month that they held Roman rituals honouring the dead.

Days have been added to all of the other months but February has remained the same, apart from every four years when it gains a leap day.  But that’s another story…

We hope February hasn’t been unlucky for you! However, at Munchachos HQ we are very much looking forward to bursting into the spring and getting a bit of much-needed sunshine!!

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Chinese New Year is the biggest celebration in the country’s calendar. The date varies each year and this year it will be celebrated on the 5^th February. 

Chinese New Year celebrations last sixteen days. The period of celebration includes cleaning and preparing the house; decorating the house; celebrating and, on the final day, the Lantern Festival.  

There are many fabulous customs that the Chinese incorporate into their celebrations. Here are just a few of our favourite traditions:

• Spring Couplets: A pair of lines of poetry that are usually hung on the sides of doors leading to people’s homes. They are used as a New Year’s decoration that expresses happiness and hopeful thoughts for the coming year.

• Red Envelopes: Gifts presented at social and family gatherings containing money. Red is a symbol of good luck.

• Firecrackers: Firecrackers and fireworks are set off at the stroke of midnight to scare away evil spirits and to celebrate the coming of the new year.

• Lanterns: Lit at the Lantern Festival which, this year, takes place on the 19^th February, these symbolise the wish for a bright future. They are red and gold – red being the symbol of luck and gold being the symbol of wealth.

• Dragons: Chinese Dragons bring luck.  The Dragon Dance is performed at special festivals to scare away evil spirits. Click here to  learn more about the Chinese Dragon!

This year is the Year of the Pig.  Someone born in the Year of the Pig are said to be considerate, responsible, independent and optimistic.  They always show generosity and mercy to ensure other people’s mistakes.

Why not bring in the Chinese New Year with a packet of our Long Tong Noodles?

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When is Australia Day and what do we Celebrate?

The 26^th January is Australia Day, when Australians celebrate all the things they love about their country. 

The day marks the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival in Sydney in 1788 from England. Australia Day was initially a celebration of the expansion of the British Empire. However, it has since become a celebration of the country’s cultural diversity. From the Aboriginals to the British, the country is a rich mix of nationalities and cultures.

In fact, in a recent survey 75% of Australians said that Australia Day had a far bigger meaning beyond being just a day off work! 

There is some controversy…

There has been much controversy in recent years about the date of Australia Day. Some celebrate the 26^th January as the day that the British Empire arrived on Australian soil. Others mourn the day that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples lost much of their land. Many who can claim native heritage use the day to mark the survival of their ongoing traditions and cultures and others want to use it as a day to teach others about their nation’s past. 

How do we celebrate?

Controversy aside, the national day provides an opportunity to celebrate the country as a whole, and what it means to be an Australian in 2019. Australia Day falls in the middle of the Australian summer and is often celebrated outdoors in parks or on the beach. Aussies enjoy outdoor concerts and performances, street parades and fireworks in celebration.

We wish all our Australian friends a very Happy Australia Day! 

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