Gung Hay Fat Choy! (Happy Chinese New Year!)

Goodbye Year of the Dog; welcome Year of the Red Fire Pig or Boar.

According to the Western solar calendar system, The Year of the Pig or Boar began two days ago. Consequently, according to the Chinese lunar calendar system, this is year 4705: a new moon day, the first day of the first Chinese lunar month, and a yin year.

123ChineseNewYear.com says New Year's is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. Because of cyclical lunar dating, the first day of the year can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February. Holiday Insights explains that the 15 day celebration begins on the first day of the new moon, and ends on the full moon. The celebration on the15th day is called the Lantern Festival.

The astrological new year in China begins a short time later, at the winter solstice. According to the Chinese Fortune-Telling calendar system, the Red Pig New Year began February 18th, 2007, coincident with first day of Tiger month and the Start of Spring.

I hope your year will be happy and healthy, joyful and prosperous.

• More resources: Access Websites that provide more details and ideas for celebrating the Chinese New Year. Access a book list, delectables, music, and music items.
  
• Image attributions: Astrology On the Web.

Kissing and Telling: My Valentine's Day program was a public display of affection

On Valentine's Day, USPS representative Tony Musso and actor-radio host Steve Pal (nee Stephen Plaushin) joined the WVOX engineers, listeners and me for a lovely show. There was something for everyone, whether looking for love or in love, lovelorn or about to tie the knot, distant lovers or chocolate lovers. Content included kissing and call-ins, telling of tales and history, serenading and songs, advice and confessions.

Steve, by the way, is starring in Welcome to Norway this Saturday, February 17 at 3:00 PM and invites one and all to come. The play, by writer-director Robin Anne Joseph, is being presented in Series F of the Riant Theater's Strawberry One-Act Festival.NYC. In the play, "a woman [played by Laura Maggie Kramer] discovers a powerful lesson about life's destinations and how to accept it." - source: the Riant Theater Website

Now, about the Valentine's Day Lisa Tolliver Show. The broadcast included:

MUSIC

We played...

• "Can't Hide Love" (from Earth, Wind & Fire's The Eternal Dance, Volume II)
• "Dedicated to the One I Love" (The Shirelles)
• "I Love My Daddy" (from Hubert Laws' track on the CD 101.9 Presents Columbia & Sony Jazz Collection CD) - which I dedicated to my late father
• "Love You to the Letter" (from Anita Bakers' Compositions CD)
• "On the Radio" (from Donna Summers' Endless Summer: Donna Summer's Greatest Hits CD)

We serenaded listeners with selections from:

• "Take a Letter, Maria" (R. B. Greaves)
  
• "I Just Called to Say I Love You" (Stevie Wonder)

We discussed relationship songs mentioning letters, stamps and mail, such ...

• "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" (by Fred E. Ahlert and Joe Young and sung by many artists)
  
• "The Letter" (Box Tops)
• "Love Letters in the Sand" (written by J. Fred Coots, Nick Kenny and Charles Kenny and performed by various artists)
• "Please Mr. Postman" (Marvelettes)
• "Return to Sender" (Elvis Presley)
• "Sealed With a Kiss" (by Peter Udell and Gary Geld and recorded by various artists)
• "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" (Stevie Wonder)
• "Twistin' Postman" (Marvelettes)
• "Yesterday's Letter" (98 Degrees)
• "You Send Me" (Sam Cooke)

TALK:

Love at the USPS...

• Love Stamps and other romantic trinkets at the USPS Store
• The Valentine's Day Re-Mailing Program at the USPS Post Office in Loveland, USA, which Crew's Nest Holidays reports:"creates a special and one-of-a-kind cancellation stamp every year in order to celebrate Valentine's Day and the romantic name of Loveland, Colorado."
• The Love and Kisses campaign (offering sweepstakes and other sweet somethings) sponsored by USPS and Hershey (commemorating the 100th anniversary of Hershey's Kisses)

Information and advice, such as...

• Valentine's Day history and facts, courtesy of Crew's Nest Holidays (which provided the image, above right) and History.com.
• Love-themed libations, such as those tagged "bride," "honey," "kiss," "lip," "love," "romance," "sex," "sweet," "Valentine," and "wedding" at DrinkNation.com.
• How to write a love letter.
• Many lovers get married on Valetine's Day (and other holidays), but divorce divas say, "don't do that." (If the relationship sours, the holiday will forever serve as a painful reminder). On the flip side, many vengeful spouses also file or serve divorce papers on Valentine's Day.
  
• Why, on holidays, it's better receive than to give engagement rings.

WHAT WE DIDN'T GET TO:

I'd be insulted if anyone ever sang or dedicated either of these popular songs to me:

• "I Love You Just the Way You Are" (Billy Joel) - specifically:

I don't want clever conversation
I don't want to work that hard.
I just want someone to talk to
I want you just the way you are.

• "My Funny Valentine" (Rodgers and Hart) - :

Your looks are laughable, unphotographable.
Yet, you're my favorite work of art.
Is your figure less than Greek ?
Is your mouth a little weak ?
When you open it to speak, are you smart ?
But don't change a hair for me, not if you care for me.

I love you for listening! SWAK