Joining them will be indigenous Pacific Islanders on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands who are reviving their traditional use of the lunar calendar.
The two U.S. insular areas have created separate 2009 lunar calendars featuring the traditional lunar months and moon phases in their indigenous Chamoru and Refaluwasch languages.
The calendars also feature traditional fishing almanacs for the two cultures, the tides and moon rise and set times for Saipan and Hagåtña, and the winning entries of local student art contests focused on theme of the seasons of the moon and their relationship to the people, land and sea of the Mariana Archipelago.
The calendars and student art contests were initiated and sponsored by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, with funding support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program.
The calendars will be available for download from the council’s website at www.wpcouncil.org/education.
“The ancient Chamoru depended on the phases of the moon for their livelihood, and it was based on the thirteen months that begin with Tumaiguini, which falls this year today,” said Peter R. Onedera, chairman of the committee that worked to create the Guam calendar.
The 2009 lunar calendar project will culminate with the first-ever Lunar New Year festival on Guam held Saturday, Jan. 24.
During the day event, the Guam calendar distributed to the public, they also enjoyed exhibits, crafts and entertainment that presented in the Chamoru language.
The major highlight of the event was the chinahan, an ancient Chamoru method of cooking underground.
The public was invited for the preparation of the chinahan, when fish and starch crops such as taro, yams, breadfruit, tapioca and sweet potatoes were placed in the earthen oven and unearthed at 6:30 p.m.
Chinese Association of Saipan to perform lion dances round the island in the Year of the Ox
(Chinese Association of Saipan) — Today, the Chinese Association of Saipan will go round the island to stage multiple performances of the traditional lion dance to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Ox.
According to Chinese Association of Saipan director Rose Chan-Matsuda, the Chinese lion dance troupe will perform the lion dance throughout the day at several business centers located in different villages to drive away evil spirits and to attract good fortune.
“Through the lion dance, the Chinese Association of Saipan hopes to bring good luck and better economy to the island. We’d like to see the whole island enjoy the lion dance and we wish everybody a good and prosperous New Year,” Chan said.
The lion dance in Chinese culture is a time-honored dance form in which dancers wearing a lion costume imitate a lion’s movements.
The lion dancers visit businesses to “pick greens.”
Businesses would tie a hung bao or red packet filled with money to a head of lettuce and hang it high above the front door of the business.
The lion will seize the lettuce, keep the money and discard the leaves.
The dance is believed to bring good luck and fortune to the business and the dancers are rewarded with the red packet.
The lion dances will follow this schedule:
Jan. 26
9 a.m. —TSL Plaza
10 a.m. — Saipan Grand Hotel
11 a.m. — Hyatt Regency Saipan
12 noon — Palms Resort Saipan
3 p.m. — Subway Gualo Rai and Transpac Business Center
6 p.m. — Fiesta Resort & Spa
7:30 p.m. — Duty Free Shoppers Galleria
Jan. 27
10:30 a.m. — Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino
Contributed photo
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The Kagman Flea Market begins on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 8 a.m.
Interested individuals who would like to sell used items are encouraged to join. No businesses are allowed to participate.
Call the Kagman Post Office at 256-POST for more info.
You can participate by text (285-6382, calling (287-4230), or through e-mail ([email protected]).
• Jan. 28 — Cervical Cancer Cervical Cancer Survivor Breast & Cervical Cancer Program Manager
• Feb. 11 — Legislative Leadership: Senate President Pete P. Reyes; and Major Unresolved Issues: Speaker Arnold I. Palacios
• Feb. 18 — Preventing Teen HIV & Public School System Unintended Pregnancies
• Feb. 25 — Agriculture and Aquaculture, NMC-CREES Research and Economic Opportunities
• March. 11 — Retirement Fund Crisis: Retirement Fund board and administrator
• March 25 — Immigration and Labor Uncertainty: CNMI Immigration and Department of Labor
