The Jollibee Legacy

 

When it comes to fast food chains here in the Philippines, the Jollibee Food Corporation is among of the best that can sate every Filipino’s hunger for American and Philippine cuisine. The Jollibee Food Corporation is an American-style fast-food restaurant with Filipino-influenced dishes specializing in chicken, burgers, spaghetti and some local Filipino dishes.

Today, the Jollibee Food Corporation is currently the biggest fast-food restaurant in the Philippines. Jollibee Food Corporation also extends its popularity on among of the biggest countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Dubai and Brunei.

As of December 2007, Jollibee has become one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world with 1,635 stores worldwide and total sales of more than $1 billion. As of February, 2008, Jollibee Food Corporation has 1,385 stores in the Philippines namely, Jollibee which has 625 stores, Chowking which has 376 stores, Greenwich Pizza which has 237 stores, Red Ribbon Bakeshop which has 192 stores, Délifrance which has 27 stores and Tio Pepe which has 2 stores. It had 186 stores overseas.

All of this has happened through the time when we first ate at a nearby Jollibee store. But have you ever asked where all of this success started? Well here is a little trip down memory lane of a man that never knew his business will grow to be the biggest fast food chain of all time, the Jollibee Food Corporation.

Tony Tan Caktiong and his family opened a Magnolia Ice Cream parlor at Cubao in 1975 with Jolibe as the original name. Sometime in 1978, Tony Tan Caktiong and his brothers and sisters, being partners, engaged the services of a management consultant in the person of Manuel C. Lumba. Lumba, now Caktiong’s personal consultant, shifted the business focus from ice cream to hamburgers, after his studies showed that a much larger market was waiting to be exploited.

Lumba next re-formed the name Jolibe to Jolly Bee and made the two words form a single name Jollibee, but changed the “y” to an “i” Lumba next created the product name “Yumburger” as well as the name “Chickenjoy”.

Lumba also formulated a long-term marketing strategy, listing up a number of consumer promotions and traffic building schemes. Tony Tan stressed that developing internal strengths was critical. The stores were re-designed, the service transformed into a full self-service, fast-food operation with drive thrus.

Not long after, Tony Tan and Manny Lumba went on an observation tour in the United States, attended food service and equipment conventions. Tony Tan placed Manny Lumba in charge of franchise development. Thus creating the Jollibee Food Corporation. For more information about the Jollibee Food Corporation products, then visit www.expressregalo.com.

A Short Introduction for Jollibee Food Corporation

Among all the fast food chains here in the Philippines, the Jollibee Food Corporation is considered to be the most popular choice among all the Filipinos. The Jollibee Food Corporation has been serving us with their delectable collection of fast food, but what do we really know about the Jollibee Food Corporation? Where did Jollibee Food Corporation come from? When did Jollibee Food Corporation start? Who founded the Jollibee Food Corporation? Well here’s a little history behind the most popular fast food chain in the Philippines.

The Jollibee Food Corporation was founded by Tony Tan Caktiong and his family. And did you know that the Jollibee Food Corporation wasn’t selling fast food back in the days, instead they sell ice creams, and it was named as Jolibe. But after sometime, they decided on getting the services of a management consultant in the person of Manuel C. Lumba. Lumba suggested that to shift their business of ice cream parlor to hamburgers after his studies showed that a much larger market was waiting to get tapped.And sure enough, their hamburgers became a hit for a lot of Filipinos. After this success, Lumba next reformed the name Jolibe to Jolly Bee and made the two words form a single name Jollibee.

Then Lumba next created the product name “Yumburger” for their hamburgers as well as the name “Chickenjoy” for their—ah you what it is.Because of the fame of the Jollibee Food Corporation, they have decided on incorporating some expansions and acquisitions. On 2000, the Jollibee Food Corporation acquired Chowking, allowing Jollibee to be part of the oriental quick service restaurant segment. Similarly, Jollibee also acquired Red Ribbon Bakeshop on 2005, another popular fast-food restaurant in the Philippines. In 2006, Jollibee Food Corporation

acquired the Délifrance which further expanded its penetration in the food service industry particularly in the French cafe-bakery, a growing segment of the Philippine food market.

So there you have it, a small introduction of the history of Jollibee Food Corporation. For more information about the Jollibee Food Corporation, then visit Jollibee Food Corporation.

Sambat Mascara y Regatta Festival in Bohol, Philippines

The Sambat Mascara y Regatta Festival doesnt’ only offer fun in musical competition, bat racing, and masqued street dances. You can also experience sightseeing the historical and nature sites all across Loay. Don’t wait till Christmas. The Sambat Mascara y Regatta Festival in Bohol, is celebrated on the first Saturday of December.

The Sambat Mascara Y Regatta Festival is one of the main festivals in Bohol, specifically celebrated at Loay.

Here is the typical location of the Loay Sambat Mascara Y Regatta Festival. Loay is in the south west coast of Bohol and at 18 kilometers away from the city of Tagbilaran. Loay is at the mouth of the Loboc River where the regatta takes place. The Loay town is established in the year 1740 and as early as that, the Sambat Mascara Y Regatta Festival has been celebrated.

Although the town of Loay celebrates its feast day in May (the exact date is movable within the month), the main attraction in Loay is the celebration of the Sambat Mascara Y Regatta Festival, which is celebrated amidst that colors of activities such as the agricultural-industrial market fair, musical instrument competitions as the drum and bugle competition, and of course the grouped masquerade street dancing and the boat races along the river. The event is also highlighted by the fabulous display and parade of the image of Saint Francis Xavier, the Loay town’s second patron to whom the Sambat Mascara Y Regatta Festival is celebrated in honor.

The Sambat Mascara Y Regatta Festival is celebrated in his honor every first Saturdays of the month of December.

Since the festival is a religiously originated one, you might want to stop over at the Loay Chruch located just over on a plateau overlooking the sea on the upper part of Loay called Ibabao.

Another prominent feature of Loay that you might notice upon festivities visit is the Loay plaza. The sheer simplicity of the Plaza takes from its Spanish colonial roots with only a wide open stretch of space without any landscaping or decorative embellishments. The only distinctive features amidst the grassy area are the two coral stone buildings which are very simplistic yet classical to look at. One of the buildings is a one-story being used as a public school, whicle the other one is a two-story emblemed with the Virgin Mary. The second one is under renovation to be converted as an archdiocese Spanish period archive for church documents coming from all 38 parishes from the diocese of Loay.

Other sites that you don’t want to miss upon visiting during the Sambat Mascara Y Regatta Festival are the Clarin Ancestral House which has a small restaurant / coffee house attached for your convenience, Rio Vista Heights, the Clarin Beach Resort, Himontagon Hills, Punta Baluerte, and the Spanish watchtower located at Villalimpia.

Experience this winter festival. Don’t wait till Christmas to experience all the fun and sightseeing in the wonderful island paradise of Bohol you can get.

Remember your Dreams!

Looking back behind, I can still see the face of my closest friend how happy and excited he was but a little bit hesitate in saying really? you will treat me in the Jollibee?

I was then in a third year high school, when God showed me His mercy and love in due time, the deepest confusion, inferiorities and hardships of my life.

I’m an ambitious young man and I have a lot of great dreams for my future. But how could it be? It’s the same questioned that always lingering in my mind. I’m the product of a broken home family, grew up in the street, and stayed with different and even with the cruel person in this world! It’s good that was finished! The bitter memory of my childhood! And now, I’m renting in this lonely old small room house with my own at least but working on a construction with P120.00 pesos salary per day paying for house rent, foods, and my studies. With this kind of situation, I felt as if I’m still trapped in misery and strife but living with great hope and determination to reach out even just a single of my dream, to finish my studies as a capital to have a brighter future because I believe in sayings that goes like this, “Do your best and God will do the rest”.

One day, one of my closest friend approached me and said…friend, are you still working? Yes! I said…why? He answered …we have quiz today; please attend the class because if you will missed it then you know absolutely what happened, right? Remember your dreams that you told me! Was the warned word of my friend while leaving. Thanks so much friend, I will! I assured back to him. So I hurried up to finish my work, loading the truck with some cements and gravels. When I finished, I hurriedly headed toward my lonely home to make some quick preparations of my school things that I needed because the class will start at 1:30 p.m. and it was then 12:30 so at least I have one hour to prepare myself. While doing so, this closest friend of mine knocks on my door, so we went to school together.

It was not yet time for the class to start, so we decided to pass by in the library. By there, my adviser saw and called me! Mr. Reconalla, can you go in my office? I have an urgent matter to discuss with you! I paused for a while to think and guess what were going to discuss and oh! What came in my mind just make me feel nervous and makes me a little bit sick! Because I was thinking that most of the cases like mine that the adviser talk privately with his/her students was when you’re a delinquent kind of students on academic, behavior or in any kind of poor performances and despite of that I felt very weak to think a positive one since I didn’t eat and rest well yet before I went here in school. Of course I don’t have any choice, with a heavy feet and heart, I followed and entered into my advisers’ office and there she was waiting patiently. I could hardly wait what she will going to tell me because before she opened her mouth to start, I could not almost hold the different emotions and feelings to the things she going to tell me. I can hear the tremendous pounding of my heartbeat. And at last! She started to talk. I understand what you feel right now my dear! She said, as she was reading the expression in my face and as she was looking straight in the window of my soul….Oh! Thanks I said for minimizing and giving a little relief.

You know, I have a better plan for you! I was aware of the situation you have through your friend and I observing you for so long in your class performance and I salute you! It’s really hard for you to finish your schooling in high school with such kind of situation for it’s only few opportunities here to help you to support your needs than to college, so I encourage you to take a Philippine Examination Placement Test by next week. I have confident with you that you can do it! She said, unaware of my informal education background. I did not passed through a step-by-step grade level from elementary and some of my cards were just faked by merciful teachers to let me jumped to a higher grade and now here in high school with this third year level. And here I am, I could hardly believe, my teacher wants me to jump again to college and she has confident on me!” Confident”, a word that I needed most to hear on that time for inferiorities succumbed me most of the time in my life! Just prepare this so and so…. And I will help you to register when you have all the things that I said you would needed.

Some other things she was talking about were not clear anymore because of my excitement and happiness in replacement of my feelings I felt before I entered in the office. I thank God and my adviser for such good opportunity for me! I really thanked God with great relief and with a deep sighed for providing an instrument so that step by step I can fulfill my dreams.

After our class, I shared it with my closest friend and he too was so very happy and excited with me because I told him that I’m going to treat him in Jollibee if I am able to pass this exam, so I let him pray for me. Of course my dear friend! He assured me! So we separated from each other with happiness and excited in our hearts. Night came and I was visited with various emotions in my heart and thought in mind that I could hardly sleep. What if I failed, what if I did not finish my studies… and so many, many what ifs’ questioned that entered in my mind again. Oh! My life maybe has really no direction and worthless after if I failed this good chance for me. So I bowed down and prayed hard to give me wisdom and strength to face another challenge of everyday life that would come especially the coming test that I am going to take! After that, I slept peacefully with a lighter load of burden and cares of uncertainties of life!

A days before examination, I went to my sisters’ house to lent money that I would needed, and when I arrived there she was so happy that I was able to visit her but when I told the real reason why visited her she was a little bit disappointed but grant my request and gave me her last money in her pocket. She said luck for me and I immediately headed to my advisers house because she promised that she’s the one who will go to register me. So we went to the registration office and lo and behold! It was only one blank registration form left for me as if it was really waiting for me because if we were late a little bit or just a second then it might get by others and I need to wait another year or perhaps some other year again. My kind teacher and I were so very thankful to God with that miracle event I could say!

Examination day came. Nervousness haunted me once again for I’m thinking that maybe I’m the oldest guy taking an exam there and can’t imagine I’m surrounded by young persons staring at me to let me feel embarrass and uncomfortable. So again, I prayed fervently to God that just do His Will for me and let me overcome the feelings I had. When I entered and seat in my designated place, I tried to look around if I was right in my imagination and see! There’s a lot, lot older persons than myself, than I was thinking before. The exams were so hard for me and I can’t remember any that I was able to studied and learned from the classroom, why? Because despite of my informal education background, if I’m not late then I was absent then. So I just relied on the Will and Wisdom from above and with some information’s I learned from my personal readings of books which I borrowed for sometimes in some of my good friends.

One month had passed; I could hardly wait for the result of my exams. My closest friend and adviser were also waited for me. Also, sometimes I could hardly sleep to think about it, so I decided to go on the office of the examination center and asked for a result. Surely, I was not disappointed, they gave it to me! When I got to know the result, I want to shout…… shout for joy! Because I made it! But instead I looked up my head up to heaven and ascended my thanks giving prayer! I went to my adviser and thanked her and she said that I am free now to enroll in college. Oh! What a blessing for me! But of course before my story end, for sure we have a little celebration in Jollibee with my closest friend.

How happy I was during those times but for sure I will much, much happy when I had received my diploma as a bachelor holder in History and Minor in Political Science and passed the Teachers Board Exam, the fulfilled dream of my life!

Now, I working as school Guidance Counselor, College Instructor and Working Students Supervisor and same time upgrading my master degree in Guidance and Counseling.

To you, my readers, I firmly encouraged you, Do your best and God will do the rest!

Always remember that the Future Belongs To Those Who Believe In The Beauty Of Their Dreams!

Wish you many blessings to come and God Bless!

Moises Padin Reconalla

Our Lives With Red Ribbon

 

Cakes are very popular everywhere you look. Cakes are always present on some restaurants, serving it as a dessert or sometimes as the main course. Cakes are also popular as a form of a gift to give thanks or to receive forgiveness. Cakes are always present in every birthday that we’ve gone through. We haven’t really taken any thought about it, but cakes have become part of our lives. And bakeries such as the Red Ribbon Bakery have become a household name in every Filipino family.

 

The Red Ribbon Bakery is among of the many bakeries in the Philippines that specialize in providing a wide Array of premium cakes from birthday cakes to cakes given as a gift. But before the Red Ribbon Bakeryhas become as popular as it is today, in the past years, it wasn’t even known throughout the Philippines but popular in certain places. But today, the Red Ribbon Bakery has become so popular that Filipinos abroad can even enjoy its cakes because of it’s continues expansion throughout the world.

 

Red Ribbon Bakery is a popular fast-food chain and bakery in the Philippines and the United States, offering a wide range of cakes and pastries. Some bakeries also offer pastas, macaronis, and some Filipino dishes such Palabok.

 

Red Ribbon Bakery is a popular bakery in the Philippines and in the United States, offers the widest range of cakes and pastries that will sure hit the taste of Filipinos, in and out of the country.

The Red Ribbon Bakery began in 1979 in Quezon City along Timog Avenue, it is where the first Red Ribbon Bakery opened its door to its customers.

 

It started its franchising in the year of 1999. But before they started that, the Red Ribbon Bakery first opened their first US branch in West Covina, California.

 

As of March 2008, there are an over of 194 branches of Red Ribbon Bakery that can be found all over the Philippines, each offering its unique collection of cakes for Filipinos. There are also 20 stores all over California, two in Las Vegas, two in New Jersey, one in metro Phoenix, and in New York.

It was in 2005 that Red Ribbon was acquired by Jollibee Foods Corporation, a conglomerate of popular fast-food chains in the Philippines.

 

But aside from cakes being popular as a symbol for a special event or occasion, cakes are also popular as gifts. And this is what Express Regalo can provide for their customers, a way to send gifts all over the world.

 

For more information about what Express Regalo can provide, or about the cakes of Red Ribbon, then visit Express Regalo at www.expressregalo.com for more details.

 

 

How to make the most of your vacation time

Favorite Summer Destination

The world’s famous island of Boracay can be found in the Philippines. It is located in Aklan and south of Manila. It is accessible by air from Manila,the capital of the Philippines. And its also been voted as one of the best beaches in the world. It’s ranked # 7 in the Top 10 World’s best beaches.

You can find lots of restaurant, bars, and cafes just a few step away from the crystal clear water and white powdery sand of Boracay. Be it adventure, relaxation, shopping or diving. You can find it in the island. Anything that you can think of can be find in Boracay, fascinating tattoos, beaded accessories, picture with the sand castles made by the native in the island.

You can do scuba diving.There are plenty of dive shops to choose from in Boracay. Experienced divers recommend the wreck and the wall dive. They also have Horseback Riding for a very affordable prices. You can explore the parts of Boracay away from the usual tourists trail with the friendly native horses and ponies. You can do sailing,too. Ride the waves and go beach-hopping with the outrigger sailing boat. You can bring your snorkel gears for a tour of some of the best spots a crossed the island. The island also offer some fun rides like banana boat riding. This ride is very enjoyable and exciting and you can avail it for only $3.50 every 15 minutes.They also have Spas. In fact one of the country’s best spa called Mandala Spa can be found here in the island-its numerous Asian Awards are proof enough. Talking about Kite Boarding,they have it and as of now it is one of the most popular new sports in the island. Name it,they have it, motorbiking,rock climbing,windsurfing, and surprisingly you can play golf in the island, Fairways and Blue Waters resort have it. Take you a golfing skills to the test-tee off across the mass of rolling and undulating terrains. It has unique golfing experience you may not find anywhere else in the world.

The island has also some exotic wildlife. In some jungle-like areas you will see monkeys,snakes and some monitor lizards. As you walk along the white beaches in the evening you may see the fling foxes flying overhead. The variety of trees and bushes in Boracay is stunning. There are literally hundreds of different varieties of flowers, bushes, plants and fruit trees

White Beach extends along much of the islands west coast, this famous stretch of white sand is the premier beauty and tourists attraction of Boracay. So, pack your clothes, gather the whole family and start booking your flights to Boracay.

Christmas 2007: Hottest new Asian cuisine cookbooks

Dharma is food and food is love so what better way to show it than a good Asian cookbook. Where to start India, Thailand, there is just too much ground to cover and too many recipes to try. Hard to find ingredients? Not anymore with a wealth of resource on line right at your fingertips. The choice for hot new books was not easy but here a few of my favorites for holiday gift giving.

“Memories of a Philippine Kitchen” by Amy Besa and Romy Doroton with lush, mouth watering photography from Neal Oshina.

Within the first pages you are pulled into the family gathering spot, the kitchen. A cultural journey through food into the heart of the Philippines. Filipino cuisine is by nature a fusion of Native, Chinese, American and Spanish flavors sometimes all in one dish. Amy and Romy take you by the hand and guide you through the history and changes over time of the most traditional dishes. Some of the more than 100 dishes are easily prepared in minutes, other require the whole day such as pig roasting. A beautiful book to look at and a delicious one to experience.

“Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook” by Fuchsia Dunlop

Hunan cooking from the land of Mao. Beautifully written tales and legends surrounding the spirited cooking of the Hunan region. Specialty holiday and banquet foods are explained along with plenty of everyday pleasant peasant fare. Good explanations for new techniques and unique ingredients make this a very kitchen friendly volume. A solid start for a step up to one of the worlds oldest hearths.

“Tibetan Cooking: Recipes for Daily Living” by Elizabeth Esther Kelley

A big ole chunk of love from one of America’s long running monastery cooks. She pulls us to her and weaves a spiritual tale of love through food. These dishes are simple, easy to prepare and most of the ingredients are readily available. Breath in the richness from the bubbling pot and the mysterious mountains of Tibet are only a blink away. This is a great book for whole family cooking. Kids and Grandmothers alike can work side by side with these exotically simple family recipes.

“Into the Vietnamese Kitchen” by Andrea Nguyen

Beautiful explanations of technique and timing. Thorough guides to what may be unfamiliar foods and spices with suggestions for substitutions for what maybe hard to find ingredients. Ms Nguyen gives down to earth descriptions of how to make and use basics like fish sauce. The recipes are well laid out and easy to follow from the easy street snack to the all day one pots. Totally accessible for amateurs and rife with depth for the more astute among us.

“Cradle of Flavor” by James Oseland and Christopher Hirscheimer

This cookbook takes you on a cultural journey through Malaysia, the markets of Singapore to the tips of Sumatra and Java. It brings the home cooking from these vastly diverse yet very close peoples together for a series of culinary treats you won’t soon forget. Based on traditional home cooking the recipes are broken down in a way that makes them accessible to anyone. There is an incredible resource guide for obtaining hard to find items. Intriguing stories and compelling history bring the festival extravaganzas and the quick lunch into reach of us all. There is no other book on the market quite like this one. Though it breaks new ground I feel that this will soon be a coveted classic.

Travel destinations: Hundred Islands National Park, Philippines – Part 1

The INDIANheritage, ancient civilization, diverse cultures, vibrant people, colorful clothes, different languages and dialects, vast golden Thar Desert dotted with palaces, forts, temples, miles of sandy palm fringed beaches, green lagoons and backwaters, flora and fauna of the dense jungles, the Great Himalayas : India offers a destination for every traveler. A land that touches you with the past, indulges in the present and tugs your soul through Yoga and Meditation.

The very word NAMASKAR (greetings) says everything, as we welcome you.

Once India was called The Golden Bird. Years have passed but charm is still the same. India is a Land of All Seasons, it is the Destination of the Millennium. It is a land of hills, rivers, plateaus, plains, beaches, deltas and deserts.

India has become a popular tourist destination with thousands of people visiting the different parts of India each year. It has much to offer to travelers and tourists. Almost all the cities in India have some or the other attractions. India has a very rich and dynamic culture that attracts every traveler.

Some of the major tourist destinations in India are Himalayas, Agra, Jaipur, Goa, Kerala, Delhi, Orissa and Maharshtra. To the north lie the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Leh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and northern West Bengal which are just the right places to be in to fulfill adventure quests.

Royal Train Tours – Palace on Wheels

An extraordinary train for extraordinary people. A train with historic charm and modern conveniences. A royal train is beckoning you to step aboard for a week of splendor. It takes you on a Royal Odyssey, bringing alive the luxury of princely travel of the age of the Maharajas . The Palace- On- Wheels has been designed to suit modern needs with central air-conditioning, soothing four channel music, interconnected telephone system in the train, a separate pantry and lounge in each coach, comfortable coupes with the privacy of attached bathrooms, two specialty restaurants – ‘Maharaja and ‘Maharani’, serving exotic Indian, Continental and Rajasthani cuisine, a library, a well stocked bar, a reading and relaxing lounge and friendly smiling attendants serving you round the clock. So why wait, pack your bags and make the Palace on Wheels your home for a week. Weekly Wednesday departure from Delhi.

Day 1 Wednesday Delhi

Day 2 Thursday Jaipur

Day 3 Friday Jaisalmer

Day 4 Saturday Jodhpur

Day 5 Sunday Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary

Day 6 Monday Udaipur

Day 7 Tuesday Agra (Taj Mahal)

Day 8 Wednesday Delhi

The Manila Melting Pot

Like many cities in developing nations, Manila is not without its pollution and traffic, nor the conspicuous divide between rich and poor. Nevertheless, this bustling Philippines capital, situated on the west coast of the island of Luzon, is a remarkable melting pot of Asian and Latin cultures, thick with history and flavor.

When in Manila, sightseeing is protocol. Many history lessons have been learnt while visiting the oldest part of the city, Intramuros (Latin for “within the walls”), which was founded by the Spanish in 1571 and houses numerous historic buildings and churches. Rizal Park, named after anti-colonialist Dr. José Rizal, features a skating rink, chess plaza, beautiful ornamental gardens and free concerts on Sundays. Other places worth visiting are the Malacañang Palace, The National Museum of the Philippines, Binondo (Manila’s Chinatown) and the Chinese Cemetery, where some of the rich are buried with air conditioners, chandeliers and flushing toilets.

Various accommodation in Manila is available, ranging from 5-star hotels to more affordable options on Roxas Boulevard or in the districts of Ermita and Malate. As with dining choices, the high end brings us to Lolo Dad’s Café, a popular restaurant for gourmet Filipino cuisine and Ilustrado, which serves Filipino and Spanish dishes.

For the more adventurous foodie, a great selection of street foods such as isaw (grilled chicken and pork innards), banana cue, kamote cue (deep fried banana and sweet potato with caramelized brown sugar), kwek kwek (hard boiled quail, chicken or duck eggs covered in orange batter, then fried and seasoned) and halo-halo (shaved ice with condensed milk, preserved fruit, sweet beans and a scoop of ice cream) can be found throughout the city.

The best way to get a feel for Manila shopping is to go to a ‘tiangge’, a market of stalls, where everything can be bargained. Market! Market!, St. Francis Square, Greenhills Shopping Center and Tiendesitas are examples of such.

Traffic is a major headache but a Manila experience wouldn’t be complete without a ride on the colorful and crowded Jeepneys – jeeps once used by American Armed Force units that have been modified for public transport and are known for their flamboyant decorations. To find out more about this exciting metropolis visit the official tourism website.

Chinese New Year 2008: What to expect from the Year of the Rat

“Do you want your rat grilled or poached?’ You may hear enterprising farmers in Thailand and the Philippines asking their adventurous diners. NBC.com reports the popularity of eating rat meat to celebrate the Chinese New Year. In Malaysia, red hot panties with rat motif are flying off the shelves. Red being the lucky color, to usher in a good year. You want to be caught in one of those. Finnair’s China flights will be serving the traditional sweet dumplings to customers flying to Chinese destinations on this auspicious day.

On the 7th of February, some 1.374 billions of Chinese people will ring in the Year of the Rat. The first of the twelve-animal cycle of the Chinese zodiac, 2008 starts another twelve year cycle. First established by Emperor Huang Ti in 2006 BC, the celebration of the new year is one of the most important of Chinese traditions.

Chinese New Year or Chun Jie in Chinese, literally means Spring Festival and it celebrates the coming of Spring. It signifies new beginning, a fresh start for everyone. Another word commonly used is Guo Nian. According to legend, Nian was a man-eating beast from the mountains that would appear once a year, nearing the close of winter to terrorize villagers. Soon, the villagers discovered that loud noises and the color red frightened the monster. In a concerted effort, they managed to scare the monster away with explosions, fireworks and the liberal use of red. Freed, they celebrate the Passover of Nian with food, festivities and reaffirmation of familial ties and friendship.

In China and parts of Asia where there is a predominance of Chinese people, everything slows down for two weeks to observe this auspicious change of lunar calendar. Prior to the actual day, households are frenzied with meticulous cleaning and shopping. A clean house is needed to welcome good will and luck. The streets teem with Chinese New Year delicacies and goods-sweet dumplings, sticky cakes, waxed duck, barbecues meat, melons seeds in barrels, preserved kumquats, oranges by the crates, chrysanthemums, plum blossoms and pussy willow. Every item carries a special significance but in sum, they promise luck, prosperity, longevity, and wealth for the coming year.

Perhaps the most important of all the observances is the Reunion dinner, taken the eve of Chinese New Year. All married sons with their families make their way home to their parents to share this important meal. It’s customary to eat fish and have some left

Next Page »