Chinese New Year Celebration 2011 - Part 2

On the eve of CNY, the reunion dinner forms the biggest event of the whole year; it would be unthinkable not to be together with the family on that particular evening. All over China, a migration of epic measures takes place as literally millions of people travel all over the country in order to spend this festival within their families. Even in small Singapore, roads are getting jammed by cars, motorcycles, lorries - anything that can drive and carry people - to transport Chinese who work in Singapore but live in Malaysia back home.The meal usually includes a dish of fish - the bigger the better - as the Chinese associate fish with prosperity. In order to ensure that food would be plenty in the New Year as well, not all of the fish is eaten - the remainder is stored until the next day (the New Year). While in Northern China, 'jiaozi' are served, 'niangao' is a must in the Southern part - 'jiaozi' are dumplings which resemble the shape of the old Chinese tael, thus symbolizing wealth; 'niangao' - meaning 'increased prosperity for every year coming' - is a round, very sweet and sticky cake which signifies long lasting eternal friendship. It is often given to business associates and friends as round - having no beginning and no end - symbolizes eternity and stickiness ensures loyalty (sticking together).

After the reunion dinner, families visit the temple to pray and pay respect to all the gods and ask for a prosperous New Year. In most Chinese countries, it has become customary to follow the Western Tradition of watching an entertainment show, followed by a count down to midnight (even though the Chinese New Year starts at 11pm already) culminating in a magnificent fire work.

Hand Cymbals

On the first day, no cooking is allowed as knives, scissors and anything sharp is deemed bad luck - therefore all food to be consumed has been cooked before. Most people avoid eating meat on the first day as the New Year should not be started with taking someone's life; it also ensures longevity for oneself. It is customary for the whole family to visit the eldest person of the family on the first day to convey the wishes for long life and prosperity - similar to an 'open house'. Red, orange or brightly colored clothing, preferable newly bought, is worn and mandarin oranges in pairs are exchanged as a symbol of luck (thus everyone needs to have stocked up on them in order to be prepared for visitors). In Chinese custom, everything has always to be given in pairs and with both hands as the number one is associated with loneliness. By virtue of their color and shape, these oranges symbolize prosperity and happiness and their name 'kum' pronounced in Mandarin sounds like 'gold! To all children and unmarried relatives, friends and acquaintances as well as employees.

Chinese New Year Celebration 2011 - Part 2

Ang Pows (Hong Baos) are given - these are small red envelopes that should be filled with new notes of even numbered values, for example two 10 Dollar notes (or preferably more:); during the days leading up to CNY, all banks stock newly printed crisp notes for everyone to exchange against the old grubby ones - the queues are long...

Most hotels, but also many private businesses or families invite a Lion Dance group to usher in the New Year and chase away any bad spirits from the past year. These dances are performed by very young athletic men who under a huge lion's mask mimic the movements of this animal, performing artistic stunts on poles, all accompanied by clashing cymbals and loud drumming. During the first few days, the air is filled with the deafening noise of the cymbals and drums all over the place as it is customary to make noise all the time when driving on big trucks with huge waving flags from one performance to the next one.

The second day is especially for the married daughters to visit their birth family as married women only rarely go back to their families during the year.

The third day is reserved to enjoy some 'private' time after all this feasting - it would be ill fitting to visit someone on that day without being asked, but it is not unusual to be particularly invited for lunch or dinner.

After the third day, shops and offices open again and life resumes its normal pace. However, every day continues to be spent in a special way according to the different customs and religions - be it Buddhist or Taoist or Ancestor Worship.

Finally, the fifteenth day - full moon - signifies the end of CNY celebrations.

So, what does the Year of the Rabbit signify? Watch out for the next newsletter in which I will try to demystify superstitious - albeit charming - beliefs and give you some fascinating insights into an ancient philosophy that can easily be applied to our modern times.

Chinese New Year Celebration 2011 - Part 2

Apart from an early interest in the Art and Culture of Asia, Ina Niemann's professional background is in languages but most of all, in Design (Graphic, Fashion, Furniture, Interior) and painting. Ina got interested in Traditional Chinese Medicine in order to help a close family member - with amazing results. This was followed by many years of intensive professional studies of Acupuncture, Reiki, BACH Flowers, JinShinJyutsu, EFT, Personality Analysis (Four Pillars of Chinese Destiny) etc. Throughout the last 23 years, the Theory of the Five Elements - a fundamental outlook on life based on the laws of nature - has influenced her the most. Ina offers help in getting your Life in Balance at http://lifebalance.com.sg and enjoy some insight into the Year of the Rabbit at http://lifebalance.com.sg/Newsletters

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The End of the World 2012 - True Or False?

What's the deal with the end of the world 2012 prediction?

Is your first reaction to dismiss it as nonsense? This isn't the first "the end of the world" prediction, or catastrophic prediction, like Y2K, bonking us over the head.

As humans, our lives can get heavy with news of worldly information, especially negative information. Though we're a very smart bunch of big-brained people, when you compile all this news and information, the build-up of the end of the world paranoia and fear can add up to overwhelming proportions.

The End of the World 2012 - True Or False?

In addition, some of us gain pleasure from fanatical information that creates a big buzz and sends a frenzy of fear and sometimes sheer panic within the collective minds of huge populations of normally sane, relatively positive people. It is easy to see that the end of the world 2012 prediction theory has very strong potential for major reactive thinking.

Reacting to ideas or beliefs, whether good or bad, have powerful consequences.

It's been scientifically proven: When a belief is fortified with strong emotion, incredible results occur. For example, under strong emotional convincing, an ice-cube will burn skin, the mind will actually produce a burn on the skin. These types of experiences have been documented over and over again.

The question that needs answering is how do we control this type of information? Potentially the end of the world 2012 theory can cause some serious damage, like a financial recession where everyone tightens up their purse strings thus magnifying the idea that a lack of money is looming like an unstoppable black cloud of limitation, when most of us instinctively know that wealth and prosperity surround us in every form, at all times.

Beliefs and expectations are powerful.

The images of the 2012 end of the world nightmare are very convincing: The earth opening up and swallowing entire cities: The climate suddenly exploding into an evil storm of darkness and all other visions of absolute destruction. And the reasons for this destruction seem to be focused on us, as if we all missed the boat and lived so sinfully that god or nature has made some conscious choice to viciously end everything, to cleanse and clarify our "sinful" lifestyles and end the world.

On the other hand, some of us take a totally different view.

For example, let's consider the fundamental law of cause and effect. Is it not absolutely true that for every action there is an equal reaction? This can be understood as a perfect law. You could reasonably say that "evil" does not exist because everything that happens is a perfect reflection of simple laws of nature. In other words, if something happens it must therefore be natural or it couldn't possibly happen.

Does a frog desire to be a famous opera singer? We could all agree that would be, for lack of a better word, "evil." If you struck a C-chord on a perfectly tuned musical instrument and the sound came out as an F-chord, would the hairs on the back of your neck not stand up?

Of course the above scenarios could never happen because the natural world would not survive for more than an instant if fundamental laws of the universe behaved so unlawfully. Everything from the slightest mathematical formula would collapse in a micro-second and life would cease to exist faster than the blink of an eye.

Will the end of the world 2012 happen...?

Good question.

Will the world end next Tuesday?

Anything is possible.

What do YOU think?

The End of the World 2012 - True Or False?
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Richard Woolsey is an Internet Marketing [http://onlinetoday.ca] Expert and Humanitarian With Strong Beliefs in Helping Social Issues such as, Solar Energy Products and roof insulation technology.

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Salsa Timing - 5 Tips To Finding The First Beat Of The Music

One of the most challenging humps to get over for many beginning salsa dancers is to learn to recognize the first beat of the music and actually count the music properly to keep on the correct salsa timing. Yet, rhythms are often innate in us. Just like we can become aware of our heart beat, we can become to be able to recognize the salsa rhythm.

However, just like it is actually much harder to count your pulse, learning to count and understand the direction of the salsa music is much harder. But with proper guidance counting salsa timing will become easy as well. Here is how to do it.

Tip # 1 Listen To The Cow Bell To Find The Salsa Rhythm

Salsa Timing - 5 Tips To Finding The First Beat Of The Music

The salsa rhythm goes quick, quick, slow, quick, quick, slow. The first step to learning timing is to make sure that you can recognize the rhythm. After you recognize the rhythm, half of your job is already done. One of the easiest ways to recognize the salsa rhythm is to try to find the cow bell in the music. The cow bell plays on the core beats of 1,3,5,7, loops over and repeats 1,3,5... and so on. Not all songs have the cow bell included, but many traditional salsa songs does and this can help you find the rhythm.

Tip # 2 Listen To The Montuno Rhythm To Find The First Beat Of The Music

In salsa there is a rhythm called Montuno that is often played with piano. If a particular salsa song is playing the montuno rhythm, recognizing it is one of the easiest ways to finding the first beat of the music. The reason for this is that unlike the cow bell, for example, the piano montuno rhythm is played over eight beats rather than just four. In other words, when you listen to the cow bell, you can find the rhythm, but you might easily mistaken the first beat of the music to be the fifth and vice versa. Piano montuno rhythm however can go something like this, 1, and, 2,3, and, 4, 6,7,8, and, 1 and so on. Obviously, this is harder to understand conceptually and it would be much better if I could actually play this salsa timing for you so that you could hear the difference. But nevertheless, this is one of the easiest ways to find the first beat to the music.

Tip # 3 Listen To The Vocals

In salsa music, like in many other types of music as well, it is often customary for the vocals to start on the first beat of the music as well. This is another concept that can help you learn to recognize the first beat of the music. So the next time you are listening to salsa songs, rather than pay attention to the instruments, if the song has a vocalist(s), pay attention when they begin and try to see how that correlates with the rhythm of the music. Chances are they start on the first beat and if so, you have found the one.

Tip # 4 If All Else Fails, Buy A Salsa Timing CD

Salsa timing CD is a great way to help you find the first beat of the music. What makes salsa timing so challenging is that there are many interlaying rhythms and not one easy beat to follow. What can be extremely helpful is to listen to a song with a voice over of someone who keeps you on count. This way, you can constantly monitor how you understand the timing and compare your counting to someone who is keeping you on track. By listening on a salsa timing CD at home you can take your time to develop your understanding and reflect how the counting reflects the rhythms.

Tip # 5 Keep At It

It is very easy to get frustrated if you don't quite get a grasp of the rhythms and salsa timing right away. But don't get discouraged. When I started, it took me months just to be able to hear the rhythm. I am probably one of the most ungifted children musically, yet, it has been my determination and perseverance that has made me one of the experts in salsa musicality. So keep at it and your ear will soon be able to detect even the subtlest of salsa rhythms and you will be able to recognize the first beat of them music with ease.

And there you have it. The 5 simple tips to hearing the first beat of the salsa music. Your keys to dancing with the correct salsa timing!

Salsa Timing - 5 Tips To Finding The First Beat Of The Music
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Mikko Kemppe is a stiff rhythmically challenged basketball player who became a salsa dancing star. To learn more about salsa timing, just click the previous words.

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10 Great Activities For Autistic Children

Sometimes trying to come up with activities for autistic kids that will be fun, educational and not cost a lot can be a struggle. So it's reassuring to know that there are a number of possibilities out there, it's just a matter of finding some that will appeal to your child's personal tastes. The following are examples of popular activities for autistic children between the ages of 7 and 11.

Indoor Activities:

- Singing - autistic children gain a number of benefits from singing. Children who are non-verbal can hum, make sounds, or play musical instruments such as whistles, tambourines, drums, kazoos, or small keyboards. Repeating sounds, making up new tunes, or even learning educational lyrics can be very useful for helping kids to learn and may also provide them some much-needed sensory stimulation - the same they would get from yelling, only more pleasing to the parental ear! Mimicking one another's notes and tunes can be an important social experience that encourages interaction. Experiment with different sounds and different types of music to find the ones your child enjoys and responds best to.

10 Great Activities For Autistic Children

- Funny Sounds - making and mimicking funny sounds can be a laughter-filled social learning experience for autistic kids and their parents. Children enjoy the sensory outlet and repetition element of this game. You can try writing down a number of different animals or items on different pieces of paper and whichever you choose you have to make the appropriate noise.

- Castles - building castles out of just about anything can be a great deal of fun. The type of building "blocks" depends on the motor skills of the child. It can range from plastic or wooden alphabet blocks to large "Lego" or "Duplo" style blocks, or even playing cards if they're manually dexterous.

- Safe Emergencies - these games are educational based but can also be fun to. They involve enacting the right procedures for what to do in an emergency event. This includes what to do in case of fire and other urgent situations. The important part of these games is to build a calm routine around them.

- Simple Board Games - Begin with simple or basic board games and increase the difficulty level as your child gets older and learns how to work with the rules of the games. Many board games are enjoyable activities for autistic kids because they are relatively predictable and provide a routine. They also encourage turn taking, but make sure losing is never a big deal, it's just an outcome. Otherwise they may associate negative emotions with the game and refuse to play.

Outdoor Activities:

- Simple Childhood Games - think back to your childhood and the games you used to play. For many children there's no reason why they can't take part in basic childhood games. As long as they are not too socially complex, many autistic children can have a lot of fun playing games such as tag or follow the leader. Keep in mind that the best activities for autistic children don't require them to keep close or extended physical contact with other people. You may want to make sure that you stick to games that focus on your child's unique skills to add comfort and confidence to the playing.

- Organized Sports - many children enjoy taking part in organized sports like any other children their age. Aim for sports that allow them to take part without too much sensory stimulation and that doesn't require lots of equipment. Golf and baseball are good activities for autistic kids, whereas sports such as tackle football may not suit.

- Water Balloons - autistic children can often benefit from various sensory stimulators and water balloons can fit the bill. Tossing them about, or holding and squishing them can be lots of fun. This also encourages children to play with others when it comes to games such as "hot potato" - tossing the water filled balloon to one another pretending it's a hot potato.

- Skipping Rocks - if you are fortunate enough to live near water and your child is responsible around water, skipping rocks can be a great way to have fun and use arm muscles, encouraging the development of motor skills. If you have a swimming pool that is large enough, you can try skipping plastic floating disks instead.

- I Spy - whether trying to pass the time in the car or sitting in the yard, this game is a great way to learn colors socially interact with others.

These activities for autistic children are a great way to have fun, learn important lessons, and develop basic social skills without spending the earth.

10 Great Activities For Autistic Children
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Grab your free copy of Rachel Evans' brand new Autism Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you and your family find out about fun activities for autistic children.

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The Bagpipe and Its History

You may have heard that bagpipes are a Scottish invention; you may have heard that they are an Irish invention. The truth (of course) is neither one. The bagpipe was invented in the middle east.The Old Testament mentions the instrument in the book of Daniel chapter 3, where it is listed as one of the instruments that was used to call the people to worship a golden statue that king Nebuchadnezzar had set up. (Anyone who disobeyed had to be thrown into a blazing fire --yaiks!!) This event took place in ancient Iraq, which was then part of the Babylonian empire.

From the middle east migrating tribes of peoples took the instruments to different parts of Europe, Asia and northern Africa.
Some 200 years ago the instrument was very popular throughout Europe.
It was around that time that the ruling class started to forbid the instrument.
It was decided that this instrument, with it's droning sound was a "poor man's instrument" and should have no part in modern music.

As a result, the instrument was forbidden in almost all of Europe, except for a few outposts such as Scotland and Bulgaria.
The bagpipe in its many forms, as of today still has retained its natural tuning.

The Bagpipe and Its History

The melody pipe or chanter has to tune in with the drone, therefore, it is hard to play together with other "tempered tuned" instruments. The key cannot be changed, also on account of this droning.

However, modern music, even though more sophisticated, has lost a very important ingredient of music, namely the rich overtones.

Those rich tones that you can hear in a well-tuned bagpipe can only be heard when the notes are exactly tuned. This is only the case in bagpipes, hurdy-gurdies (a similar instrument that operates with strings instead of pipes) and in voice.

However recently the bagpipe has been revived in modern music and there are now world wide many people who play the instrument.
This is primarily due to the fact that the (scottish highland)bagpipe has been used as a military instruments.

Today the instrument is being used in many different types of music, there are not only players of many different kinds of bagpipes again, there are also modern bagpipe builders.

This modern revival of the instrument has been inspired by painters such as Pieter Brueghel, who painted the instrument as it was played in the 1600's.

The Bagpipe and Its History
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Duco Sminia, Bagpipe maker.

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Fabulous Facts on the Orchestra

Going out to the Orchestra, Opera, Musical Theatre or Mass is a past time which many people enjoy. Music plays a great part in many peoples lives, whether it is to listen to or take part in. These groups mentioned earlier all consist of an orchestra. So, what is an orchestra?

The word Orchestra comes from ancient Greek. It originally meant the semi-circular space in front of the stage in a theatre where the chorus in a Greek play danced or sang. Later, at the beginning of the seventeenth century when the first Italian Operas were performed, a small group of musicians accompanied the singers and were seated in a similar space in front of the stage. And so the word Orchestra came to mean a body of musicians.

There are various types of orchestras. The group size may be large or small and a conductor usually directs them.

Fabulous Facts on the Orchestra

Large orchestras of around one hundred musicians, are seen in most large cities and perform in a variety of settings. They are often called:
1. Symphony Orchestra because of the symphonies they play which require a large number of musicians. They also play a wide range of other music.
2. Philharmonic Orchestra which means 'loving harmony of music"

Smaller Orchestras come in varying types and styles and include the following:
1. Chamber Orchestra: This orchestra usually consists of about twenty players who can comfortably perform in a large room of a mansion, hence the name. music performed consists of works from the eighteenth century eg from Bach and Mozart, and also more modern works.

2. Small Orchestra: This orchestra is slightly larger than the chamber orchestra and plays more modern works.

3. Theatre Orchestras: These orchestras accompany musical theatre, opera, ballets and can consist of up to sixty players.

4. String Orchestra: This orchestra consists of around twenty string instrumentalists only. Music played is classical and modern.

5. Jazz and Concert Orchestras which play and record light music.

It is interesting to note that a group of wind instrumentalists playing together are usually called a Band eg Symphonic Band

So what are the instruments of a typical Symphony Orchestra?
There are four main groups of instruments which play in a symphony orchestra.

String Instruments take up about two thirds or three quarters of the entire orchestra. They consist of around 32 violins ( first and second ), 12 violas, 10 cellos and 8 double basses plus one or two harps.

Woodwind Instruments consist of flutes, clarinets, oboes and bassoons. There are usually around 2 to 4 players of each of these instruments. One player from each instrument type may double up on a higher or lower version of that instrument eg flute players double up with a piccolo which is a shorter, higher flute.

Brass Instruments consist of trumpets, horns, trombones, tuba(s) and sometimes a cornet. The numbers vary depending on the work performed. Some modern works can use 6 trumpets, 8 horns, 4 trombones and 2or 3 tubas.

Percussion Instruments consist of 4 to 5 players. The instruments are varied and are shaken, rubbed or struck Examples used in a symphony orchestra are the timpani, tam-tam, cymbals, triangle, tambourines and various kinds of drums.

Where do these instrumentalists sit?
A typical symphony orchestra has a seating plan in the shape of a semi-circle ( from the original meaning of Orchestra ) with a conductor in the middle front on a raised stand. The layout can vary according to conductor used.

The violins sit to the left of the conductor in order of first violins near stage edge and second violins next to the firsts. the cellos (stage edge ) and violas sit to the right of the conductor, with the double basses behind. The woodwinds sit in the middle with the flutes ( front ) and clarinets ( back ) to the left and oboes ( front ) and bassoons ( back ) to the right. The brass sit behind the woodwinds. And the percussion sit at the back of the orchestra

What does the Conductor do?
The conductor directs the orchestra with use of a baton and their arms. They indicate to the musicians all sorts of things like music speed, rhythm, expression like loud and soft playing and bringing in the instrumentalists at the correct place. In rehearsal they correct musicians on these aspects. The principal violin, who is the leader of the orchestra, is responsible for the discipline of musicians during rehearsal.

As you can see, there are a variety of orchestras which have varying numbers of people and instruments. A symphony orchestra is just one type of orchestra and consists of a large number of string, woodwind, brass and percussion players. Orchestras usually have a conductor who directs the musicians and give the music spark.

Fabulous Facts on the Orchestra
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Are you an orchestral player and need to update your instrument? Or maybe you want to learn an orchestral instrument. Take a look here.

Are you interested in sheet music? Take a look here.

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Free Sheet Music

Long before radios, movies, television and the Internet popularized music, sheet music made compositions of the good old days popular, or at least, known.

Defined, sheet music is a printed musical composition. Musicians back then publish their songs in these unbound sheets of paper. Performers also used these as they played a musical piece to an audience.

Today, sheet music is still made. However, it is used mainly by musicians such as singers, pianists and guitarists. For many, they are just mere sheets of paper. You will often find old sheet music hidden in piano benches or placed in a box, untouched for ages, collecting dust.

Free Sheet Music

If you are interested in finding old sheet music, you can still see many of them in music stores. You can even find them in several web sites that offer them in computer-readable and easy to download formats. There are sites that sell sheet music for as low as to as much as . There are also sites that allow sharing, downloading and printing of sheet music for free.

Most free sheet music available is sheet music of classical and old songs. This is because the copyrights these old songs and classical music have already expired. In the US, a copyright expires 70 years after the death of the last surviving creator of the music. Furthermore, the law states that those published before 1923 must be in public domain.

There are sites that offer musical scores of popular and latest songs (scores are printed music of all instruments used to play a piece). Usually, the free downloadable and printable sheet music available are only samples and are merely parts of the entire score.

New arrangements and editions of the old songs may have been made. Some of these new versions are freely available while some are sold for a reasonable price. There are also personal sites of music enthusiasts that offer free sheet music of their favorite songs. You can check these sites to look for sheet music of the songs you like.

Free Sheet Music
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Sheet Music provides detailed information on Sheet Music, Free Sheet Music, Piano Sheet Music, Guitar Sheet Music and more. Sheet Music is affiliated with Music Education Theory [http://www.e-MusicEducation.com].

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Promise Rings! Hot Symbols of Commitment Since the 16th Century!

What's all this fuss about promise rings? Are they something new or have they been around for a while? What do they mean and why is my teenager wearing one? If you've ever wondered what the rage is all about, then you've come to the right place!

What exactly is a promise ring?

When an agreement or oath has been made between two people, a promise ring is a piece of jewelry given as a token of the commitment that was made.

Promise Rings! Hot Symbols of Commitment Since the 16th Century!

Sounds simple enough doesn't it? Well, be careful because the promise made between two people can be practically anything. It's imperative that both parties are clear on the meaning of the pact or pledge. For example:
Monogamy: A promise to stay faithful to one another. Chastity or Purity: A promise to keep ones virginity until marriage. Friendship: A promise to seal a pledge of eternal friendship. Substance or Sobriety: A promise to remain free from addictive behavior (alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, etc.). Religious or Christian: A promise to remain committed to one's faith or belief in the God of their understanding.

These are just a few of the more popular reasons to give or wear a promise ring.

Pre-Engagement

That being said, the most popular reason to give a promise ring is for pre-engagement.

Are you confused yet? Pre-engagement is actually not as bad as it sounds. It has always been popular to exchange promise rings, so a couple can showcase their commitment to one another prior to getting engaged. In other words, this ring is symbolic of a promise there will be an engagement ring forthcoming.

If you are old enough to remember "going steady" with someone then giving this type of promise ring is kind of the updated version of going steady. The symbolism of the promise ring is really no different than a girl of years ago wearing her boyfriend's high school ring on a chain around her neck or wearing her steady boyfriend's letterman jacket. If you are too young to understand this analogy, talk to your parents or grandparents and they can enlighten you.

This trial period before the engagement is a good way for a couple to test the waters before they make an actual commitment to marriage. Some may scoff at this gesture of pre-engagement. However, with the rise in divorce rates in this country it may be wise to start off slowly in the relationship instead of rushing ahead into something you are not ready for.

The other good news here is that a promise ring costs significantly less than an engagement ring. It makes a wonderful alternative for the couple who chooses not to spend a fortune on a ring at this time but still wants to make a statement about their commitment to one another.

How does one wear a promise ring - which finger, which hand?

Basically it's strictly a matter of personal preference, however the finger and hand you choose can depend entirely on the type of ring it is and in some cases the type of pledge. For example, an Irish Claddagh ring can have several meanings depending on the way it is:

Worn on the left hand, the wearer has made a promise of love and fidelity. Worn on the right hand with the heart facing outward, the wearer's heart is free. Worn on the right hand with the heart turned inward, the Wearer's heart is taken.

If you are exchanging friendship rings, it may be wise to wear the ring on your right hand so there is no confusion about romantic ties. There are many different types of rings you can share with a friend that will be meaningful to you both. A fun vacation you went on or the love of a certain hobby or animal, for example. My best friend and I share a love of cats. Therefore, we bought matching kitty cat rings, gold with diamond pave no less! These rings are special only to us and are a symbol of our friendship.

Most people associate the wearing of a ring on the left hand ring finger to mean that a significant commitment of some sort has been made.

If the promise is for pre-engagement, many couples choose to wear this ring on their left hand ring finger. They then switch the ring to their right hand once the actual engagement ring or wedding band is received.

Likewise a ring exchanged for the promise of monogamy or fidelity would be worn on the left hand ring finger to symbolize that the wearer's heart is taken.

Where did the promise ring originate?

Rings themselves have been symbolic for many thousands of years. The circle has no beginning and no end and is a strong symbol for eternity.

Have you ever heard of a scribbling ring? In sixteenth century England, uncut diamond crystals were set into rings and exchanged by lovers. The wearers of these scribbling rings would use the points of the diamonds to etch (or "scribble") romantic writings to each other in glass, mirrors or windows.

Another popular ring exchanged during Shakespearian times was called a Posey Ring. Posey rings are inscribed with poetic phrases or dates significant to the wearer.

It is believed that wearing words next to ones skin has a magical effect. These symbolic words may be carved on the outside or inside of the ring, or on both sides, there is no right or wrong way to do it!

Posey rings are a romantic way to share an expression of love and come engraved with beautiful sayings. It is no surprise that since French is said to be the language of love -- the French poseys are very popular. Some special phrases include:

A Ma Vie De Coer Entier - My whole heart for my whole life A Vila Mon Coer, Gardi Li Mo - Here is my heart, guard it well Amor Meus - My Love Autre Ne Veuil - No one, but you De M'Amoure Soiez Sure - Of my love be sure

Ok, so maybe French isn't your thing - how about one of these:
In Gaelic - Anam Cara - Soul Friend In English - I Am My Beloved's & My Beloved Is Mine In Latin - Semper Amenus - Our love is forever In German - Mine Genyst - My heart In Hebrew - Mazel Tov - Marital good luck ring Christian - With This Ring, I Thee Wed In Italian - Mani In Fede - Hands Together in Faith In Spanish - No Tengo Mas Que Darte - I have nothing more to give you but my heart
Use your imagination and write a Posey of your own!

The list of Posey ring sayings is endless! If you really want to "wow" the love of your life, come up with a special phrase that is meaningful to just the two of you. Having a special ring engraved with one of your own poseys would be a very romantic way for you to share your most heartfelt sentiments with a special someone you care about!

Promise Rings! Hot Symbols of Commitment Since the 16th Century!
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Mary Ferguson is a successful writer and internet entrepreneur. She has written many informative jewelry articles on such topics as Promise Ring Significance, and Promise Ring Etiquette.

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Symbolism In Snow White

Snow White is actually an ancient fairy tale, which was documented by the Grimm Brothers in 1812. It has variations in other cultures, but the most well-known version today is likely to be the Disney version.

Many fairy tales seem to be a simple children's story on the surface, but there are messages, morals and symbolism contained within the story. A closer look a Snow White will reveal some messages that you may not have noticed before. Much of the symbolism is Christian based and there are several parallels to stories in the Bible. Other aspects of symbolism are tied to common story lines in traditional fairy tales.

Hand Cymbals

The colors White, Red and Black:

Symbolism In Snow White

The colors presented at the beginning of the story (skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, hair as black as ebony) provide a direct indication that Snow White is a "coming of age" story. White represents innocence (birth), red represents life and passion, while black represents death. The story of Snow White starts out with Snow White being a young girl in the original versions, and a rather naive young woman in the Disney version (the white phase). She undergoes maturity through the movie (the red phase), and experiences death (in her sleep-like state, the black phase).

No mother:

The absence of the birth mother makes it possible for storytellers to introduce the role of the evil stepmother. The evil stepmother is a common element of many fairy tales: Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel. The lack of a mother at all is also common, because if a mother were present, the series of events would not unfold as they do in stories where there is no maternal influence. People have often accused Walt Disney as being a proponent of stories without mothers (it is true that many Disney movies do not have mothers) but Disney re-created classic stories where the mother being dead was already a part of the story development. This element of story telling aims to engage the readers sympathy and it does that very well.

The poison apple:

This would seem to point all the way back to the biblical reference of the apple which was offered to Eve by the serpent (evil/Satan). The evil queen offers Snow White the apple in much the same way. Snow White knows she should not be speaking to strangers, but she does it anyway and she pays for that mistake by falling under the spell.

The significance of seven:

The number seven was used many times in the Bible for signifying perfection. The book of Revelation contains numerous groups of sevens such as angels, churches, trumpets, crowns, mountains, stars, and kings. It is one of the most significant numbers in Christianity in the sense that "God created the world in seven days", or rather he created the world in six days and on the seventh he rested.

The names of the dwarfs:

Some people have thought to correlate the seven dwarfs with the seven deadly sins, but that correlation doesn't hold water. In the Grimm version of Snow White, the seven dwarfs do not have names. In Disney's version of Snow White, the dwarfs do have names but those names were chosen out of sixty or so possible names and they do not correspond to the seven deadly sins. The names of the seven dwarfs are: Dopey, Grumpy, Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sneezy and Sleepy. These names are more aptly "the seven moods of man" rather than sins.

The Seven Deadly Sins:

The Seven Deadly Sins are represented in the story of Snow White, but not in the form of the seven dwarfs.

Pride/Vanity: Clearly the vanity of the Evil Queen. The mirror is clearly a direct reference to vanity.

Lust/Extravagance: Again, the Queen as royalty is extravagant

Gluttony: The seven dwarfs eating (maybe a stretch). Or in the original tale, the Queen actually eats the heart of Snow White.

Greed: The Queen again

Sloth: Originally meant sadness, melancholy,apathy, depression, and joylessness which would distract from attention to god. This applies to the dwarfs after Snow White dies and sloth in the form of sloppiness certainly applies to the seven dwarfs in their manner of housekeeping.

Wrath: The wrath of the seven dwarfs upon the witch after they discover Snow White dead.

Envy: The Queen (again)

The seven deadly sins have opposites in the seven holy virtues: Humility, Chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patiences, kindness. All of these are characteristics of Snow White.

Resurrection:

Snow White "dies" and comes back to life. This certainly parallels the death and resurrection of Jesus from the Bible.

The hand washing:

The part of the story where Snow White demands that the dwarfs wash could be related to the cleansing of baptism. After the dwarfs have washed, they become people that seem to have a new purpose in life, except for Grumpy who protests the most. Grumpy does undergo a transformation throughout the movie though, from a skeptical dwarf into one that is very devoted to Snow White.

The Work Ethic:

Snow White cleans the little house without prompting and cooks without being asked. The seven dwarfs also are hard at work in the mines (Hey Ho...).

These are a few of the symbols that are the most visible in the story of Snow White, and there are probably some more!

Symbolism In Snow White

Michelle Rahn loves Disney movies. She provides a great deal of information on Disney movies on http://www.disneydvdsearch.com

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The Six Essential Elements of Child Development

As a caring and involved parent, you want to assist your child's development in any way you can. Why not acquire educational toys geared toward encouraging growth in all of the developmental areas? Authorities differ slightly on how to organize these domains. However, a good standard to follow is that set by Drs. Dorothy and Jerome Singer of Yale University, who identify six essential elements of developmental play that can be cultivated through the use of age-appropriate educational toys:
Motor development: the development of gross motor skills that use large muscle groups for activities such as running, kicking, balancing, jumping, hopping, lifting, climbing, and swinging, and the development of more delicate fine motor skills, such as the pincer grip of thumb and forefinger. Eye-hand development and vision: the development of keen powers of perception and of the ability to use the eyes and hands together in coordination to perform a task. Cognitive learning: the development of the ability to learn new knowledge and to process, understand, and apply this knowledge to different ends. Developing this area helps a child improve his or her capacity for mental activities such as reasoning, interpreting, comparing and contrasting, evaluating, judging, inferring, predicting, sequencing, and visualizing. It also helps children master specific content knowledge relating to vocabulary, mathematics, science, and so forth. Hearing, Listening, and Voice: the development of skills relating to the senses and communication. Developing this area allows a child to discriminate between different types of sensory input, processing those that are important and screening out ones that are not. Social/Emotional: the development of skills relating to how one interacts with other people and how one behaves oneself. Creative/Imaginative: the development of skills relating to pretending about the world and using the imagination to explore new ideas and possible solutions to problems.

Which Educational Toys to Get

To develop gross motor skills, look for toys that require large, yet controlled movements from your child. As they begin to stand and walk, provide younger children with wooden push and pull toys. As they gain more control over their muscles, get them wagons, play strollers and shopping carts, tricycles, and kid-powered ride-on cars such as the Plasma Car. Look for toys that develop more specific gross motor skills, such as hopscotch sets (hopping), jump ropes or the Spin Master Stomp Rocket (jumping), or hula hoops (rotating body). Sports equipment also promotes the development of more varied gross motor skills.

The Six Essential Elements of Child Development

To develop fine motor skills, look for toys that require your child to perform precise, controlled hand movements. For example, get lacing cards or activity books or boards that have the child perform life skills such as buttoning, tying laces, zipping, snapping, cutting, and locking and unlocking.

To promote eye-hand development and vision, seek out toys that require children to use keen perception in concert with hand dexterity. For example, get nesting and stacking toys such as the Melissa and Doug Geometric Stacker; blocks and other building sets; peg boards; puzzles; and art activities such as drawing, cutting, painting, sculpting, or lacing beads. Also look for toys that increase your child's sense of perception, such as I Spy books or puzzles that require children to differentiate between different sizes or colors of the same object.

To develop cognitive skills, look for toys that require the use of logic, identifying patterns, finding solutions, and solving puzzles. For example, get games that require children to use clues and deductions to solve problems, such as the classic board game Clue or FoxMind Games's Logix I. Or get science and nature kits that develop children's powers of observation and investigation, such as Battat's Bug Catcher Set. Or get toys and games that teach content skills and problem-solving skills, such as Melissa and Doug's See and Spell. Or get building sets or model sets by makers such as Meccano that require children to think about how pieces can and should fit together.

To develop hearing, listening, and voice, look for toys that appeal to the senses. Get musical instruments such as shakers, drums, whistles, triangle, tambourines, and xylophones to encourage children to play with and compare different sounds. You can also get toys that help children discriminate between different sounds, such as sound puzzles.

To develop social and emotional skills,look for toys that require your child to interact with other people. For example, games such as FoxMind Games' Babylon teach skills like taking turns and good sportsmanship. Building toys such as wooden unit block sets or Legos encourage skills such as cooperation and sharing as children work together to construct something.

To develop creativity and imagination, look for toys that encourage your child to create things or to pretend or role-play scenarios. For example, Uberstix construction systems can be used to build an infinite variety of structures. Art and craft supplies give children practice with making things. Dolls, dollhouses, Battat toy vehicles, and toy dinosaurs can all be used as props to make up stories and recreate real-life scenarios. Costumes, props, and copies of real-life objects can all also be used in imaginative play.

The Six Essential Elements of Child Development
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About Kids Toy Club
Kids Toy Club is an online provider of educational toys that is dedicated to adding value to the money its customers spend. Understanding that educational toy purchases are an investment in a child's future, Kids Toy Club makes the effort to provide quality products and useful information about the relationship between toys and child development.

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