Spring Festival/Chinese New Year

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Mr. Holzheimer arrived for a 17 day visit on February 6. That was the night before Chinese New Year, which is also called "Spring Festival." As dusk fell the most amazing fireworks began. I cannot possibly describe it! Everyone in China buys and set off fireworks. Instead of a carefully planned "official" display of fireworks as we have on July 4, here every Chinese person and his brother (yes, it's basically a "guy" thing) sets off fireworks all night long....the sky was aflame with explosions for hours, culminating at midnight. We had a 180 degree view from our hotel window over the panorama of The Forbidden City and downtown Beijing. Noodle soup from room service also contributed to an amazing evening.

The next night we set off our own fireworks in the courtyard with my wonderful host family and their friends. And for the entire 17 day duration of Mr. Holzheimer's visit fireworks were popping off everywhere, day and night, until about midnight last night which was "Lantern Festival," (unless it was really a celebration of Mr. H. being in China!)

Common sense tells me there must have been a high number of fireworks related accidents, but the news on television is just good news, about people enjoying the celebrations, the workers who triumphed over the bad weather, and everyone home for the holidays.

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