Having experienced both, I agree with you. I think that the Chinese New Year is more exciting. New Years in the US seems to have been reduced to watching the countdown on tv and maybe some fireworks. But in China there are a lot more traditions that come into play, and the celebrations start weeks before the actually holiday, and the holiday itself actually lasts for two weeks. There is a lot of festive decorations everywhere you go too - particularly lots of cute tigers this year! I've been going crazy with my camera >.>

Like everything in the US, it's becoming far too commercialized. Which takes away the fun. Though that's not my original reason for not caring much for it.

I bet it IS beautiful to see over there. Especially as you said with all the tigers this year. I LVOE tigers!

There is some commercialization in China over the new year, but it doesn't feel overbearing. There are various decorations and such available to buy (like these tigers), but when it comes time for the actual holiday, whole cities basically shut down while people spend time with their families.

I love tigers too, and am very proud to be a tiger XD

Oh, those are adorable though! And it seems it's much more traditional there than what we have done to so many holidays here in the US.

Tigers are such beautiful animals. You know they always say the lion is king of the jungle, but for one thing, it's the lionESS that does most of the work and hunting. Next, tigers are generally bigger than lions. So they should really be the "kings and queens" of the jungle. I like all cats, big and small, but to me, the lion/lioness are the ugliest if I had to say that about a big cat. Tigers are absolutely beautiful, as are cheetahs, and.......well they all are :lol:!

Lions actually don't live in "the jungle" either - they live on the savanna, so I've never really gotten the whole "king of the jungle" thing. Like you said - the male lions do nothing but laze around all day and steal the best bits of the prey before anyone else gets to eat. If I were a lioness, I'd tell the "king" to go get his own food!

Tigers are very beautiful and majestic - very fitting "queens and kings of the jungle." Definitely one of my favorite kinds of felines. Cheetahs too - such beauty and elegance!

Watching the Olympics con los amigas (with my friends) and eating sushi. This is how we celebrate.

Hello everyone!

Yup on the whole "jungle" thing as well.

It's sad how rare tigers and cheetahs are becoming. Though they really seem to be much more dangerous in terms of actually killing people. I forgot where it was, but there's one area that they regularly attack people still. Cheetahs really are a work of art, but the very things that make them beautiful are the same things that make them so fragile. They are also the only big cat that purrs. And their claws don't retract.

Can you tell I really like cats?! Of course these are the big ones we're talking about, but I love little ones, too!

Hey, Little Miss! You know, I've never had sushi.

...You've never... had... sushi?

Little Miss - I :heart: sushi! Mmm - I could really go for some right now! But, I think it might be a hundred miles or so to the nearest sushi :<

Infinitys Echo - I love cats too - the wile ones and the "tame" little ones that make good lap-warmers and are fun to play with. My family has three cats, and I always miss them when I'm traveling. Yes, it is awful how rare some felines are becoming. Some species of tigers are already extinct, and cheetahs are threatened from enough genetic diversity to keep the species healthy T.T

Little Miss: Nope, never had it, but then, I don't like seafood anyway, so I guess it's ok.

Zen: I have four furbabies myself. Love my kitties! Leopards are pretty awesome, too. They're harder to find and film, but they are actually doing pretty well, survival wise. I always marvel at the way they can drag such huge kills up into trees the way they do!

I hate seafood, but i loooove sushi for some reason. I hope I don't get a allergic to shellfish like my mum

Yay, Chinese New Year!

I'd like to see the New Year coming in, in China one day. That would exciting! :)

Kris - I hope you get to celebrate the Chinese New Year in China sometime - it is worth the trip!

Little Miss - even people with shellfish allergies can eat most sushi. Fish tastes quite different raw from cooked, so I have known some people who like it better one way or the other. I eat both, but sushi is my favorite.

Infinitys Echo - it is amazing how much jaw power felines have, isn't it? I can't imagine dragging something that weighs almost as much as I do up a tree, or anywhere for that matter. Leopards are pretty amazing. Jaguars too - also hard to photograph.

...But I'm a Horse. DX

Mingnon - You don't have to be a tiger to come chat and enjoy the festivities. Come have some dumplings XD

Dumplings?


...What kinds are there? >.>

Steam-boiled dumplings of whatever flavor you want. One of my personal favorites is the egg and leek dumplings. There are also sauce dishes where you can mix whatever combination you like of soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and peppercorns. Help yourself^^

Happy Year of the Tiger!

A bunch of friends and I went out for chinese food to celebrate and had tons of fun. We're a really loud bunch, and I think we were somewhat disturbing to all the other people in the restaurant though. :D

Originally Posted by Shimawa_zen

Fading Existence - Being on the ground floor during firecrackers does sound awful. That person should have had more respect than to set one off in your ear too. Is visiting the grave on new year common in your country?

Nah...but we went because we had time so we thought we'd go visit her. It's been a while since we went :)

Originally Posted by Infinitys Echo

Little Miss: Nope, never had it, but then, I don't like seafood anyway, so I guess it's ok.

I've seen beef, whale, and horse sushi on some Japanese shows before, and according to them, it's delicious :O They roast them slightly over a barbeque rack before placing them onto the sushi rice so the meat's still rather raw, then dip them in soy sauce before eating...makes me want to try and see if it's really as delicious as they say it is :sweat:

They had dumplings Yay! and I took a crappy video of a lion dance performance.

HitsuHime - Yay! I'm glad you got your dumplings XD

Chexala - Sounds like fun. Happy Year of the Tiger to you too!

Fading Existence - I saw horse sushi at a restaurant in Tokyo once. I didn't try any because I'm pescetarian, but it looked pretty raw. I've also seen raw duck, and some kinds of cooked meat sushi - including hamburger patties, believe it or not. Never seen whale sushi, and I hope I never do since I am strongly against whaling.

My friend was playing with her food. she got pizza...
I want to go there again. the food was so good. *Q*

GO SHEEP!!!

Mmm - pizza sounds good . . . .

That makes two sheep who have visited this thread XD

Well the pizza they had wasn't very good by her opinion. But there were this really delicious things I think the little tag thin said they were sugar biscuits. they were so good. O_O seriously I may be addicted to them more than I am addicted to marshmallows, gummy bears and pocky.