Chinese New Year Preps....

Questions which many do not know : ( Adpated from Straits time Sunday 3 Feb)

1. Why must the amount of cash given out in hongbao be even-numbered?

2. Why must you stay up during Chinese New Year Eve?

3. Why do we wear red-coloured clothes on Chinese New Year ?

4. Why is the Chinese "FU" placed upside down?

5. Why are madarin oranges Xchange during Chinese New Year??


Ans:
1. There's a Chinese Saying that " Good things comes in pairs". Odd-numbered amounts are generally associated with money given at funerals.

2. It's believed that the later children stay up on the eve of Chinese New Year, the longer their parents will live.

3. According to a legend, there's a New Year monster called "Nian". Because the monster fears the colour red, it became a tradition for the Chinese to wear red to frighten it away.

4. Turning something upside down is known as "dao" in Mandarin, which sounds like arriving. Therefore turning the words upside down means blessing will arrive.

5. The Mandarin word for mandarin oranges is "ju", which sounds like "ji",meaning good luck. Another version is that oranges are called "kam" in cantonese, which sounds like the Cantonese word for gold.

Interesting Chinese New Year Beliefs??? more to come on Singaporean test...

Singapore Citizen Test :

1. In which year did singpaore became independent ?

2. What do the five stars and cresent moon on the Singapore flag symbolise ?

3. Who was Singapore's first elected president ?

4. What do these acronyms stand for : AYE, CPF, SGH ?

5. Can you recite the Singapore's national pledge ?

6. Who is Singapore's biggest trading partner ?

7. Who is the only Singapore to have won an Olympic medal and in what sport ?

8. What's Singapore's national flower ?

9. What's the meaning of "kiasu" ?

10. Name a Singapore Brand that has made it worldwide ?

ANSWERS ::

1. 1965

2. The cresent moon -> young naton in the ascendant, 5 stars are ideals of
Singapore - Democracy, Peace, Progress, Equality and Justice.

3.Ong Teng Cheong

4. Ayer Rajah Expressway, Central Provident Fund, Singapore General Hospital.

5. We, the citizens of Singapore pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happinese, prosperity and progress for our nation.

6. Malaysia

7. Tan Howe Liang in Weightlifting 1960.

8. Vanda Miss Joaquim

9. Hokkien for "afraid to lose"

10. SIA,Breadtalk,Creative Tech INC

Have a great sunday ahead.... :)