The New Year celebrations have passed. Nowadays majority of people around the world is marking New Year day. Why? Julian-Gregorian calendar has won battle for pre-eminence with numerous Buddhist-Hindu-Confucian-Muslim calendars. However New Year day is not celebrated everywhere with the same fervour as in Western countries.
Christmas Tree in Xi'an, Shaanxi
Christmas Tree next to Bell Tower, Xi'an, Shaanxi
I spent last seven years on Indian subcontinent. New Year day caught me in Tamil Nadu in the deep south and in Dharamsala in the Himalayan foothills. I was mingling with surging crowds on Kolkata's Park Street and was praying with Tibetan monks in peaceful and green courtyard of Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, Bihar, where Lord Buddha gained enlightenment. And I can't say I've noticed large scale festivities. Yes, richer Indians now take a New Year break, going to hill stations or beach resorts or just visiting dance parties in their cities and towns. But overall majority of Indians do not celebrate the first day of Western calendar, both December 31st and January 1st are normal working days.
On street of Beijing
In the West there is tradition of marking the New Year day publicizing results of the past year and outlining plans for the next. Buddhists don't do such things. Real Buddhist should cherish every minute of his/her life and spend it usefully. And result should be one - life where everything is happening naturally as pre-planned and well executed. I wish the same for all readers of Daily Kos - everything is gonna be alright for them in this life or the next!
In front of Jianguo Hotel, Beijing
Instead of Christmas gifts I would like to publish few pictures of Chinese Christmas trees. I just returned from the trip to Tibet and China. Honestly never in my life I heard so many carols as in China. You can listen to them everywhere, in shops, in streets and even in transport (in subways, long haul trains and even buses). And Chinese had put Christmas trees just about everywhere in malls, hotels and simply on the streets.
In Sanlutin, business hub of Beijing