Mandarin Chinese Christmas Vocabulary

Mandarin Chinese Christmas Vocabulary Christmas  is not an official holiday in China, so most offices, schools, and shops remain open. Nonetheless, many  people still get into the holiday spirit during the Yuletide, and all the trappings of Christmas can be found in China,  Hong  Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.   Additionally, many people in recent years have begun celebrating Christmas in China. You can see Christmas decorations in department stores, and the custom of exchanging gifts is becoming more popular- especially with the younger generation. Many also decorate their homes with Christmas trees and ornaments. So, learning Mandarine Chinese Christmas vocabulary can be helpful if you plan to visit the region. Two Ways to Say Christmas There are two ways to say â€Å"Christmas† in Mandarin Chinese. The links provide a transliteration of the word or phrase (called  pinyin), followed the word or phrase written in  traditional Chinese  characters, followed by the same word or phrase printed in simplified Chinese characters. Click on the links to bring up an audio file and hear how to pronounce the words. The two ways to say Christmas in Mandarin Chinese are  shà ¨ng dn jià © (è â€"è ªâ€¢Ã§ ¯â‚¬ traditional Ã¥Å" £Ã¨ ¯Å¾Ã¨Å â€š simplified) or  yÄ“ dn jià © (è€ ¶Ã¨ ªâ€¢Ã§ ¯â‚¬ trad è€ ¶Ã¨ ¯Å¾Ã¨Å â€š simplified). In each of the phrases, the final two characters (dn jià ©) are the same. Dn refers to birth, and jià © means â€Å"holiday.† The first character of Christmas can be either shà ¨ng or yÄ“. Shà ¨ng translates as â€Å"saint† and yÄ“ is a phonetic, which is used for Jesus yÄ“ sÃ… « (è€ ¶Ã§ ©Å' traditional è€ ¶Ã§ ¨ £ simplified). Shà ¨ng dn jià © means â€Å"the birth of a saint holiday† and yÄ“ dn jià © means â€Å"the birth of Jesus holiday.† Shà ¨ng dn jià © is the more popular of the two phrases. Whenever you see shà ¨ng dn, though, remember that you can also use yÄ“ dn instead. Mandarin Chinese Christmas Vocabulary There are many other Christmas-related words and phrases in Mandarin Chinese, from Merry Christmas to poinsettia and even gingerbread house. In the table, the English word is given first, followed by the pinyan (transliteration), and then the traditional and simplified spellings in Chinese. Click the pinyan  listings to hear how each word or phrase is pronounced. English Pinyin Traditional Simplified Christmas shng dn ji Christmas y dn ji Christmas eve shng dn y Christmas eve ping n y Merry Christmas shng dn kui l Christmas tree shng dn sh Candy Cane gui zhng tng Christmas presents shng dn l w Stocking shng dn w Poinsettia shng dn hng Gingerbread house jing bng w Christmas card shng dn k Santa Claus shng dn lo rn Sleigh xu qio Reindeer m l Christmas carol shng dn g Caroling bo ji yn Angel tin sh Snowman xu rn Celebrating Christmas in China and the Region While most Chinese opt to overlook Christmas’s religious roots, a sizable minority do head to church for services in a variety of languages, including Chinese, English, and French. There are  approximately 70 million practicing Christians in China as of December 2017, according to  the Beijinger, a monthly entertainment guide and website based in Chinas capital. The figure represents only 5 percent of the countrys total population of 1.3 billion, but its still large enough to make an impact. Christmas services are held at an array of state-run churches in China and at houses of worship throughout Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. International schools and some embassies and consulates are also closed on Dec. 25 in China. Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and Boxing Day (Dec. 26) are public holidays in Hong Kong, so government offices and businesses are closed. Macau recognizes Christmas as a holiday and most businesses are closed. In Taiwan, Christmas coincides with Constitution Day (è ¡Å'æ† ²Ã§ ´â‚¬Ã¥ ¿ µÃ¦â€" ¥). Taiwan used to observe Dec. 25 as a day off, but currently, as of March 2018, Dec. 25 is a regular working day in Taiwan.

Laurie Halse Anderson - Award Winning Young Adult Author

Laurie Halse Anderson - Award Winning Young Adult Author When Laurie Halse Anderson was Born: October 23, 1961 in Potsdam, New York Her Background: Anderson grew up in Northern New York and from an early age loved to write. She attended Georgetown University and graduated with a degree in languages and linguistics. After graduation she worked several different jobs including cleaning banks and working as a stockbroker. Anderson did some writing as a freelance reporter for newspapers and magazines and worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She published her first book in 1996 and has been writing ever since. Anderson is married to Scot Larabee and together they have four children. (Source: Scholastic) Laurie Halse Anderson’s Books: Anderson’s writing career is prolific. She’s written picture books, fiction for young readers, nonfiction for young readers, historical fiction, and young adult books. Here are some of her most well-known books for teens and tweens. Speak (Speak, 2006. ISBN: 9780142407325) Read Speak Review Twisted (Speak, 2008. ISBN: 9780142411841) Fever, 1793 (Simon and Schuster, 2002. ISBN: 9780689848919) Prom (Puffin, 2006. ISBN: 9780142405703) Catalyst (Speak, 2003. ISBN: 9780142400012) Wintergirls (Turtleback, 2010. ISBN: 9780606151955) Chains (Atheneum, 2010. ISBN: 9781416905868) Forge(Atheneum, 2010. ISBN: 9781416961444) For a complete list of all her books, including out of print books, visit the Laurie Halse Andersons  Web site. Awards and Recognition: Anderson’ s award list is long and continues to grow. Besides being a New York Times bestselling author and having her books listed multiple times on the American Library Association’s many teen lists, she has received starred reviews from the Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal. Her most prestigious awards are the following: Speak 1999 National Book Award Finalist2000 Printz Honor bookEdgar Allan Poe Award Finalist Chains   2008 National Book Award Finalist2009 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction   Catalyst  Ã‚     2002 Odyssey Book Award   (Source: Authors 4 Teens Web site) In 2009 Anderson received the American Library Association’s Margaret A. Edwards Award for significant and lasting achievement in young adult literature. The award focused specifically on Anderson’s books Speak, Fever 1793, and Catalyst. Censorship and Banning Controversies: Some of Anderson’s books have been challenged based on their content. The book Speak is listed by the American  Library Association as one of the top 100 books challenged between the years 2000-2009 and has been banned from some middle and high schools for sexuality, situations of suicidal thoughts in teens, and gritty teenage situations.  School Library Journal interviewed Anderson about Speak after a Missouri man tried to get it banned.  According to Anderson, there was a huge outpouring of support with people  posting comments and stories.  Anderson also received several requests for interviews and comments.  (Source: School Library Journal) Anderson takes a strong stance against censorship and discusses the topic along with her books on her Web site. Movie Adaptations: A movie adaption of Speak was made in 2005 starring Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame. The Author Online: Anderson stays in touch with her fans and provides materials for teachers and librarians on her Web site. Laurie Halse Anderson Trivia: Anderson milked cows and worked on a dairy farm to earn money for college.She loves listening to Mozart’s’ Requiem.A motto that Anderson lives by is: When life gets tough, pick up a book and read. (Source: Simon and Schuster Web site)