No one really knows when or where origami was invented. A good guess would be around AD 105 when paper was invented in China. No doubt paper folding came soon after as a creative use for this new medium. Origami is well known as a Japanese art, though Japan isn't the only country that explored its different applications. The Arabs used origami around the 12th Century to study geometry. The Chinese used their paper models for various ceremonies and celebrations. Even today the Mars Rover is able to rove due to origami engineering. However we must thank the Japanese for making it popular and accessible to the world. The Basic Symbols used for origami instructions were developed by Master Yoshizawa Akira in the 1950's. He published several books that introduced both old and new models. Thanks to his development of this uniform means of teaching origami, anyone anywhere can learn this wonderful art.

Traditionally origami was taught through demonstration...mainly from mother to daughter. I credit my mother for teaching me the basics of origami. Later my interest led me to books and other resources. A good number of my models were from library books.

What to do with origami once it's complete? First savor the sense of accomplishment. Then display it!

Chinese ink is black and was originally made from pine soot and glue made from animal hide or horn. The painstaking process made the ink extremely expensive. Around the tenth century this process was simplified. Soot or lamp black was taken from an oil lamp to make the ink. This made ink cheaper and more available. The ink is usually sold as solid rectangular blocks called inksticks. The inkstick is ground on an inkstone that allows the artist to determine the ink's consistency. A beautiful demonstration of the ink's versatility can be found in ink-and-wash paintings where depth, weight, light, and texture can be expressed with ink alone.

Whether the subject is a Chinese character or a bird on bamboo, there is no question that Chinese calligraphy and painting is a skillful art that requires years of study and practice. In the world of Chinese calligraphy, I am but an amateur.

A total of 50,000 Chinese characters have accumulated throughout the centuries. Most are rare or slight variations of the same characters. A typical Chinese dictionary will contain around 8,000 characters. A literate Chinese need only learn 3,000 to 4,000 characters. Writing skills are emphasized at an early age to prepare the child for the intricate characters. Rote memorization has been the sole method for instilling these characters.

Chinese characters are logographic symbols, each representing a syllable or concept, unlike English where a symbol represents a sound. A small number, perhaps 5% of Chinese characters are pictographs. These are characters that are recognizable as a picture of something. Another small number are ideographs, characters that represent an abstract idea, such as the number one. A combination of both makes up the remaining characters.

Chinese characters are universal throughout the Chinese world, however, the spoken language consists of many different dialects that are mutually incomprehensible. A person from Hong Kong can read a letter from a person in Beijing, but if they call each other on the phone speaking their own dialect (Cantonese and Mandarin respectively), they wouldn't be able to understand each other. Still, we can boast that next to English, Chinese is the most widely used language in the world. After all, the Chinese are a majority in the world population.

Feasts include specialties such as the Nian Gao (annual cake) made of sticky rice flour and can be either sweet or salty. To top off the celebration, Yuanxiao is served. Also made of rice flour, Yuanxiao is a sweet dumpling filled with sweet sesame or peanut paste. Round in shape, it symbolizes family unity, completeness and happiness.

Red envelopes are exchanged with good cheer. Children are rewarded red envelopes when they say, "Gong xi fa chai!" and perform the respectful bow with folded hand in another hand. The phrase "gong xi fa chai" means "Congratulations! Get rich!", congratulating the giver for surviving another year, escaping the New Year monster, and wishing them riches for the year to come.

Visits with friends add to the enjoyment of the holiday. Acquaintances stop by unannounced with gifts of fruit or cake. It is an opportunity to catch up and re-establish ties. Public celebration includes performances of the Dragon dance and other entertainment. Firecrackers are readily available and though are used to celebrate other holidays, are most abundant during the New Year. The noise of it supposedly scares away the New Year Monster. No doubt it does, as it would scare the dead. After 15 days the celebrations finally wind down with the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Jie). On that night people go out with lighted lanterns of all shapes and design to have a final night of fun.