Ramadan رمضان 2026

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims fast. It is called the Fast of Ramadan and lasts the entire month. Ramadan is a time when Muslims concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday lives. It is a time of worship and contemplation.

During the Fast of Ramadan strict restraints are placed on the daily lives of Muslims. They are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours. Smoking and sexual relations are also forbidden during fasting. At the end of each day the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar. In the evening following the iftar it is customary for Muslims to go out visiting family and friends. The fast is resumed the next morning.

During Ramadan, it is common for Muslims to go to the Masjid (Mosque) and spend several hours praying and studying the Quran. In addition to the five daily prayers, during Ramadan Muslims recite a special prayer called the Taraweeh prayer (Night Prayer). The length of this prayer is usually 2-3 times as long as the daily prayers. Some Muslims spend the entire night in prayer. The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and the start of the next lunar month, Shawwal. This day is declared when the crescent new moon has been sighted or if sighting of the moon is not possible due to the weather, the completion of 30 days of fasting.

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Fú Dào Le 福到了2026

Those Chinese Characters on the Door

It's a homophone, a play on words. The character that is hung upside down is Fú - 福, pronounced “foo”. It means fortune or luck.

The pun - In Mandarin, saying Fú Dào Le means "luck or fortune has arrived". But the word "Dào" can also imply to fall down or turn upside-down. So, literally turning the character 福, Fú, upside-down is a play on words implying fortune has arrived.

On the door - You'll see the character, usually written in gold on a red background, hung on doors across the country by Chinese hoping for good fortune for the new year. The decorations are often left up all year so you may see it at any time. And why not? Everyone needs a little fortune heading their way.

Year of the Horse 2026

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè 新年快乐 - Fú Dào Le 福到了

A Peranakan Chinese New Year

How the creatures in the Chinese Zodiac found their place

The wily rat made sure it won the race

You may be wondering why the lunar years, as they are known, each bear the name of a different creature - and why there are twelve of them. It's based on an ancient tale, and it goes a little like this.

Why was there a race? The story goes that a race was organised by the Jade Emperor - one of the most important gods in traditional Chinese religion - who invited all the animals in the world to take part. Twelve species turned up at the start line: a pig, dog, rooster, monkey, sheep, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox and rat.

As a reward for turning up, the Emperor named a year in the zodiac after each one, while the race would determine the order each animal would be placed.

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Nián Yè Fàn 年夜飯 Reunion Dinner 2026

A reunion dinner "Nián Yè Fàn" 年夜飯 (also known as Tuán Nián 團年 or Wéi Lú, 圍爐 meaning "gathering around the family hearth") is traditionally held on Chinese New Year's Eve during which family members gather for celebration. It is considered to be the most important part of the celebration and every family member is expected to return to their families. Traditionally, married couples will go the the man’s parental homes (and to the woman's parents on the second day of the festivities).

Reunion dinner is supposed to bring everyone in the family harmoniously together, but for some reasons or other, not following the tradition, is causing tensions among families. This is especially so if one is celebrating his/her reunion with his/her parents as well as with the in-laws. It is therefore not surprising that one would have reunion dinners on a different earlier dates and nowadays, some hold it a week or two before the actual day. By doing so, the traditionalists believe that the Chinese New Year's Eve Reunion Dinner is losing or has even lost its meaning and significance.

To keep up with the tradition that Chinese New Year's Eve Reunion Dinner should be held on its actual date, and that married couples should return to man's parental homes, many families are compromising in order to make everybody happy:

• Eating reunion dinner twice, which means having the first dinner early, and then rushing off to do a second dinner by a certain time on the same actual day.
• Alternating the dinners yearly, one year with parent and following year with in-laws.

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Happy Valentine 2026

7 Ideas To Make Your ‘Love Lockdown’ A Little Extra

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be less fun or romantic in the Covid-19 era

With the lockdown and semi-lockdown still in place for many parts of the world, February 14 is going to look a little unconventional for many this year. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t do something a little different to show some appreciation for your loved one.

Plus, Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year so the question is: Why not?

Whether you're together or apart this Valentine’s Day, or if you want to do a little something special for yourself (because self-love is equally as important and Singles Awareness Day is the day after anyway), here are some stay-at-home ideas to break the monotony of lockdown and have something to look forward to:

• Breakfast in Bed
• Finders Keepers
• Vlog your Valentine's Day
• Let There Be Music
• A Day of Firsts
• Fine Dine In
• Set Up Camp

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