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As leaders in the wireless industry meet Monday in Barcelona for the annual Mobile World Congress, they will be buzzing about the latest open software platform for mobile handsets. More companies are signing up to support it. A few phone makers will be flashing hot off the bench prototypes. Software developers will be snapping up just-released development kits.

The surprise is, the platform isn’t the much-vaunted Open Handset Alliance set up by Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ). Instead, a year-old alliance of companies spearheaded by a group called the LiMo Foundation is horning into the spotlight.

Both are working to create a truly open mobile software platform that standardizes how developers build their applications. Currently applications developers spend large amounts of time rewriting or tuning their applications for a myriad of software environments, including Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) Windows Mobile and Nokia (nyse: NOK - news - people ) Series 60, and beginning last year, some Linux-powered phones. For consumers, an open system could translate into faster access to richer mobile applications like mobile TV and location-based services, and more affordable cell phones.

Google made headlines last year when it unveiled its Open Handset Alliance, a group of 34 technology and mobile companies that also is seeking to develop such an open and free mobile platform. That alliance will have news in Barcelona, too: Several companies, including British chipmaker ARM, are expected to exhibit prototype chips and phones running on the alliance’s platform, dubbed Android. Alliance member HTC Corp. has already said it plans to offer an Android phone this year.

But Android has been plagued by reports of glitches since Google released an early version in November. Google recently announced it was tweaking its software developers kit and postponing the deadline for a contest for developers by two weeks, to mid-April. The Android Developer Challenge will provide $10 million in awards for “innovative and useful” Android-based mobile applications.

Meanwhile, LiMo has been steadily chugging away. “[LiMo] is a very practical initiative, but also a deeply philosophical one, based upon the belief that openness in handsets delivers value to consumers,” says Morgan Gillis, LiMo’s executive director. Inspired by this vision and the desire to exert more control over the operating systems that power their handsets, Motorola (nyse: MOT - news - people ), NEC (nasdaq: NIPNY - news - people ), NTT DoCoMo (nyse: DCM - news - people ), Matsushita, Samsung and Vodafone (nyse: VOD - news - people ) joined forces in January 2007 and set up a LiMo program office in the U.K. to facilitate collaboration.

Universal standards mean they can easily port applications from one device to another. That’s roughly the same vision Google has for its Open Handset Alliance. Currently, half of mobile software developments costs go toward ensuring the application will work correctly on different operating systems.

In Barcelona, LiMo will announce nine new members, bringing corporate participation up to 32 companies, including such heavyweights as Motorola, Panasonic and Vodafone. Eighteen handsets from LG, Motorola, NEC, Panasonic and Samsung will use its platform. The lineup includes Motorola’s Motorokr and Razr2, as well as the high-end 905 series of phones supported by Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo. LG is not an official LiMo member, but will be showing a prototype “LiMo Phone” at the event. LiMo partner Azingo Mobile announced in late January that it had built a full mobile Linux suite based on LiMo’s specifications.

New partners are also showing strong support for LiMo. Orange, the mobile arm of France Telecom (nyse: FTE - news - people ), plans to dedicate part of its 150-person Beijing-based R&D center to working with LiMo, says Yves Maitre, senior vice president of devices. The company, which began working with open platforms in 2002, wants to have 50% of its mobile phones run on open source by 2012, he says.

Similarly another recent member, ACCESS, a global mobile software provider that runs another popular mobile operating system called Garnet, has pledged to oversee future LiMo revisions and work closely with developers. To tap a wide range of developers, LiMo’s SDK suite includes native, Java and Web-based SDKs.

LiMo’s official position toward Google is cordial. The two groups share three members: Motorola, NTT DoCoMo and Samsung. In November, LiMo responded to Google’s announcement of its Open Handset Alliance with a press release that said the two shared “core beliefs” and technology that would allow them to “work together synergistically.”

Nevertheless, these new moves bring the two closer into competition. “There could certainly be overlap,” says Gillis. He hopes LiMo will attract developers by avoiding the types of delays that have beset the Open Handset Alliance. “For developers, what really matters is having a platform and having handsets available immediately, as that’s what will bring their applications to consumers,” he notes. LiMo is “completely on schedule” and “extremely well positioned to quickly deliver … new handsets, applications and services,” he adds.

How soon American consumers will benefit from LiMo is unclear as no American carriers have yet signed onto it. Gillis says he expects they will soon, citing AT&T (nyse: T - news - people ) and Verizon (nyse: VZ - news - people )’s recent commitment to open their networks to outside phones and services, and the “strong American presence” of LiMo members Motorola, Samsung and LG. Sprint Nextel (nyse: S - news - people ) and T-Mobile, the country’s no. 3 and 4 carriers, are Open Handset Alliance members.

LiMo-based phones could be a particular boon for consumers in emerging economies. Orange is proud to be the official operator of the iPhone in France, says Maitre, but the phone’s high price limits it to the elite. LiMo will help Orange reach a broader population in places like Africa by enabling it to offer affordable, feature-rich handsets from well-known brands, he says.

Android is believed to be similarly targeting the mass market with low-priced handsets, but it may have a more complicated model that includes subscriptions to Internet access and mobile advertising, backed by Google’s technology, says consulting firm Capgemini.

Leading handset maker Nokia may have its own open-source ambitions, judging from its recent acquisition of software developer–and LiMo member–Trolltech.

No matter who prevails, the shift will usher in a second cellular revolution, in which openness, innovation and collaboration between industry leaders and developers will transform the way people use their phones, say advocates.

It may also pump money into the telecom sector in general and encourage investors to take more risk with start-ups. Says Maitre, “That will bring value to everyone.”

Wide World of Sports presents Australia versus Sri Lanka, live from the SCG.

Join the expert commentary team, including Richie Benaud, Ian Chappell, Tony Greig, Mark Taylor and Ian Healy, for all the action.

Please note: Although we do try our very best to have accurate times and information on tonight’s viewing for you, these details can change without notice. Happy viewing!

One Day Series - Australia v Sri Lanka on WIN at 6.30pm.

It was just a new day. Nothing had changed overhead, the sky was grey, the rain kept coming and going, casting a shadow over the second match of the Commonwealth Bank tri-series as well. Clearly, cricket was struggling to come to the fore.

The Indians were trying their best nonetheless by sweating it out indoors. Although it was an optional training session, they were out in almost full strength barring Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma. There was no slip in intensity as they did whatever they could on the synthetic surface.

There was one change, however, and that was in planning. Up next is a new team that many believe is India’s principal obstacle on the road to the finals, given that almost everyone is convinced that Australia will be there. Irrespective of what India and Sri Lanka think of that, every game featuring them is going to be a semi-final of sorts.

Yuvraj Singh’s knee injury continues to be a concern and the team is not willing to take any chances by fielding him before he has recovered fully.

“He’s better, but not 100 per cent. I don’t think it’s prudent to rush him back in action. We have a break between the second and third match (on Sunday, in Melbourne against Australia) and Yuvraj is expected to be fully fit by then,” Dhoni had said after Sunday’s match. If Yuvraj stays out, there are unlikely to be changes to the XI that played the first match.

It means another chance for Manoj Tiwary and another test for the middle-order that stays an area of concern. Dhoni said he was toying with the idea of tinkering with the order, but there was no confirmation on that.

While worries over batting stay, the bowling has shown encouraging signs. Apart from glaring at the Australia batsmen, Sreesanth was impressive in what he did on Sunday as was Ishant. Even though Dhoni has talked about giving everybody a chance, Munaf Patel is unlikely to get a look-in unless the skipper opts for five bowlers. With the batting looking wobbly, that option is ruled out, at least for the time being.

The focus remains firmly on the batsmen and how they overcome inexperience with talent. Rohit Sharma looked good for a while and by sending him at the pivotal No 4 slot, the team has shown how hopeful the think-tank is of him.

If the first match was an indication, Dhoni’s plan seems to be conserving himself and Robin Uthappa for the big shots later in the innings. The responsibility of consolidating then lies with Gautam Gambhir, Rohit and Tiwary, after of course, the bigger names at the top of the order.

The Indians will be tested again by the likes of Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga or Mutthiah Muralitharan and in that sense, it’s a precious outing for these young batsmen.

How they make the most of this earn-and-learn opportunity will unfold on Tuesday, weather permitting.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Brain scans of people in chronic pain show a state of constant activity in areas that should be at rest, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday, a finding that could help explain why pain patients have higher rates of depression, anxiety and other disorders.

They said chronic pain seems to alter the way people process information that is unrelated to pain.

“It seems that enduring pain for a long time affects brain function in response to even minimally demanding attention tasks completely unrelated to pain,” the researchers wrote in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Dante Chialvo, a researcher at Northwestern University in Chicago who worked on the study, said: “People with chronic pain — meaning pain that lasts more than six months after their injury — have many other issues that affect their quality of life as much as pain. It is not known where they come from.”

Recent studies have shown that in healthy people, certain regions of the brain take over during a resting state, something known as a default mode network. “It takes care of your brain when your brain is at rest,” Chialvo said in a telephone interview.

When a person performs a task, this network quiets down, he said, but not in people with chronic pain.

Instead, a front region of the cortex mostly associated with emotion is constantly active, disrupting the normal equilibrium.

To study this activity, Chialvo did a type of brain scan known as functional magnetic resonance imaging on 15 people with chronic back pain and 15 healthy people.

They gave their volunteers a simple attention task — tracking a moving bar on a computer screen — to observe the brain shifting out of default mode to handle the task.

Both groups performed the task well but when they measured areas of the brain activated, differences emerged.

“Where we were surprised is the difference in how much brain they used to do the task compared with the healthy group. It was 50 times larger,” Chialvo said.

They said disruptions in this default network could explain why pain patients have problems with attention, sleep disturbances and even depression.

“These findings suggest that the brain of a chronic pain patient is not simply a healthy brain processing pain information but rather it is altered by the persistent pain in a manner reminiscent of other neurological conditions associated with cognitive impairments,” they wrote.

QUITO, Ecuador - Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano shot columns of ash miles into the air on Wednesday, as officials ordered the evacuation of 3,000 villagers living near its slopes.

Some 1,000 villagers from the western flanks of the 16,575-foot volcano fled their homes for shelters at dawn, said Roberto Rodriguez, director of Civil Defense. He said 11 families who refused to leave, fearing looters, were removed by force.

“We’ve taken all of the precautions possible,” President Rafael Correa told reporters on Wednesday, adding that a state of emergency already in place in the area will be extended for 60 days.

Juan Salazar, the mayor of the nearby village of Penipe, said 3,000 people needed to be evacuated — a figure that included the 1,000 villagers who had already fled.

Experts at the Geophysics Institute warn that the intense activity shows no sign of slowing down, and compared it to the massive 2006 Tungurahua eruptions that buried entire villages, leaving at least four dead and thousands homeless.

“The volcano has entered a new explosive eruption cycle, a process which does not seem to be slowing down,” said Hugo Yepez, director of the Geophysics Institute.

The institute said Wednesday’s eruptions shot ash 6 miles into the air.

Populations on Tungurahua’s western flank have been most affected, particularly the communities of Bilbao, Cusua, Chacauco and Puela. The popular tourist town of Banos near the volcano, is currently not at risk.

There were no reported victims, according to Rodriguez, the Civil Defense director.

Ash billowing from Tungurahua, whose name means “throat of fire” in the local indigenous Quichua language, has already covered thousands of acres of farmland, destroying property, crops and livestock.

Tungurahua, located 95 miles southeast of the capital of Quito, has been active since 1999.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the latest example that the U.S. dollar just ain’t what it used to be, some shops in New York City have begun accepting euros and other foreign currency as payment for merchandise.

“We had decided that money is money and we’ll take it and just do the exchange whenever we can with our bank,” Robert Chu, owner of East Village Wines, told Reuters television.

The increasingly weak U.S. dollar, once considered the king among currencies, has brought waves of European tourists to New York with money to burn and looking to take advantage of hugely favorable exchange rates.

“We didn’t realize we would take so much in and there were that many people traveling or having euros to bring in. But some days, you’d be surprised at how many euros you get,” Chu said.

“Now we have to get familiar with other currencies and the (British) pound and the Canadian dollars we take,” he said.

While shops in many U.S. towns on the Canadian border have long accepted Canadian currency and some stores on the Texas-Mexico border take pesos, the acceptance of foreign money in Manhattan was unheard of until recently.

Not far from Chu’s downtown wine emporium, Billy Leroy of Billy’s Antiques & Props said the vast numbers of Europeans shopping in the neighborhood got him thinking, “My God, I should take euros in at the store.”

Leroy doesn’t even bother to exchange them.

“I’m happy if I take in 200 euros, because what I do is keep them,” he said. “So when I go back to Paris, I don’t have to go through the nightmare of going to an exchange place.”

NEW YORK - Tobacco use killed 100 million people worldwide in the 20th century and could kill 1 billion people in the 21st unless governments act now to dramatically reduce it, the World Health Organization said in a report Thursday.

Governments around the world collect more than $200 billion in tobacco taxes every year but spend less than one-fifth of 1 percent of that revenue on tobacco control, it said.

“We hold in our hands the solution to the global tobacco epidemic that threatens the lives of 1 billion men, women and children during this century,” WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said in an introduction to the report.

The WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008 calls on all countries to dramatically increase efforts to prevent young people from beginning to smoke, help smokers quit and protect nonsmokers from exposure to second hand smoke.

It urges governments to adopt six “tobacco control policies” — raise taxes and prices of tobacco; ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; protect people from second hand smoke; warn people about the dangers of tobacco; help those who want to quit smoking; and monitor tobacco use to understand and reverse the epidemic.

Chan announced the report Thursday at a news conference with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, helped fund it with a $2 million grant. The report examines the tobacco policies of 179 countries for the first time, Bloomberg said.

According to the report, nearly two-thirds of the world’s smokers live in 10 countries: China, which accounts for nearly 30 percent, India with about 10 percent, Indonesia, Russia, the United States, Japan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Germany and Turkey.

It forecast that more than 80 percent of tobacco-related deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries by 2030.

Dr. Douglas Bettcher, director of WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative, said WHO estimates 5.4 million smoking-related deaths a year, rising to more than 8 million a year by 2030 if nothing is done. That adds up to 175 million between 2005 and 2030. Beyond that, he said, deaths will continue to rise and statistical projections put the death toll at near 1 billion by the end of the century.

Tobacco use is growing fastest in low-income countries, the report said, “due to steady population growth coupled with tobacco industry targeting, ensuring that millions of people become fatally addicted each year.”

It warned that “the shift of the tobacco epidemic to the developing world will lead to unprecedented levels of disease and early death in countries where population growth and the potential for increased tobacco use are highest and where health care services are least available.”

For the tobacco industry to survive, and keep existing customers hooked and attract new customers, “it spends tens of billions of dollars a year on advertising, promotion and sponsorship,” WHO said.

Michael Pfeil, vice president for communications for Lausanne, Switzerland-based Philip Morris International, said the company advocates “for tough, fair, cohesive regulation of the industry” and believes many countries need to do more. The company has operations in 160 countries.

He said regulations Philip Morris supports mirror some core provisions of the U.N. anti-smoking treaty that came into force last year. These include mandatory health warnings, restrictions on advertising including bans in some media, and minimum age laws for smoking, he said.

“We’re going to continue to spend money,” Pfeil said in a telephone interview. “I think we have a duty as a commercial entity to continue to grow our business, but … our interest is in marketing to adult smokers who are smoking competitive products.”

Chinese New Year (simplified Chinese: 农历新年; traditional Chinese: 農曆新年; pinyin: Nónglì xīnnián; literally: “Agrarian Calendar New Year”) or Spring Festival (simplified Chinese: 春节; traditional Chinese: 春節; pinyin: Chūnjié) is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. It is an important holiday in East Asia. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: zhēng yuè) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival (simplified Chinese: 元宵节; traditional Chinese: 元宵節; pinyin: yuánxiāojié).

Chinese New Year’s Eve is known as Chúxī (除夕). Chu literally means “change” and xi means “Eve”.

Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had a strong influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Koreans, Mongolians, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before 1873. In Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other countries with significant Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, largely by overseas Chinese, but it is not part of the traditional culture of these countries. In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Canada Post issues New Year’s themed stamps in domestic and international rates.

Chinese New Year’s Eve in Meizhou, China
Also called     Lunar New Year, Spring Festival
Observed by     Mainly East Asian civilizations.
Type     Chinese, Cultural, Buddhist
Significance     The first day of the Chinese calendar (lunar calendar)
2007 date     February 18
2008 date     February 7
2009 date     January 26
Celebrations     Dragon dances/Lion dances, fireworks, family gathering, family meal, visiting friends and relatives (拜年), giving red envelopes, decorating with duilian (對联).
Related to     Lantern Festival, which concludes the celebration of the New Year.

New Year dates

Main article: Chinese Astrology

Animal     Branch     Dates
鼠 Rat     子 Zi     February 19, 1996     February 7, 2008
牛 Ox     丑 Chou     February 7, 1997     January 26, 2009
虎 Tiger     寅 Yin     January 28, 1998     February 14, 2010
兔 Rabbit     卯 Mao     February 16, 1999     February 3, 2011
龍 Dragon     辰 Chen     February 5, 2000     January 23, 2012
蛇 Snake     巳 Si     January 24, 2001     February 10, 2013
馬 Horse     午 Wu     February 12, 2002     January 31, 2014
羊 Sheep     未 Wei     February 1, 2003     February 19, 2015
猴 Monkey     申 Shen     January 22, 2004     February 8, 2016
雞 Rooster     酉 You     February 9, 2005     January 28, 2017
狗 Dog     戌 Xu     January 29, 2006     February 16, 2018
豬 Pig     亥 Hai     February 18, 2007     February 5, 2019
“     Red couplets and red lanterns are displayed on the door frames and light up the atmosphere. The air is filled with strong Chinese emotions. In stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and other cities, products of traditional Chinese style have started to lead fashion trend[s]. Buy yourself a Chinese-style coat, get your kids tiger-head hats and shoes, and decorate your home with some beautiful red Chinese knots, then you will have an authentic Chinese-style Spring Festival.     ”

—Xinwen Lianbo, January 2001, quoted by Li Ren, Imagining China in the Era of Global Consumerism and Local Consciousness[1]
Chinese New Year decoration in London’s Chinatown
Chinese New Year decoration in London’s Chinatown

The lunisolar Chinese calendar determines Chinese New Year dates. The calendar is also used in countries that have adopted or have been influenced by Han culture (notably the Koreans, Japanese and Vietnamese) and may have a common ancestry with the similar New Years festivals outside East Asia (such as Iran, and historically, the Bulgars lands).

Chinese New Year starts on the first day of the new year containing a new moon (some sources include New Year’s Eve)[citation needed] and ends on the Lantern Festival fourteen days later. This occurs around the time of the full moon as each lunation is about 29.53 days in duration. In the Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year, a date between January 21 and February 20. This means that the holiday usually falls on the second (very rarely third) new moon after the winter solstice. In traditional Chinese Culture, lichun is a solar term marking the start of spring, which occurs about February 4.

The dates for the Spring Festival from 1996 to 2019 (in the Gregorian calendar) are at the right, along with the year’s presiding animal zodiac and its earthly branch. The names of the earthly branches have no English counterparts and are not the Chinese translations of the animals. Alongside the 12-year cycle of the animal zodiac there is a 10-year cycle of heavenly stems. Each of the ten heavenly stems is associated with one of the five elements of Chinese astrology, namely: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The elements are rotated every two years while a yin and yang association alternates every year. The elements are thus distinguished: Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, etc. These produce a combined cycle that repeats every 60 years. For example, the year of the Yang Fire Rat occurred in 1936 and in 1996, 60 years apart.

Many confuse their Chinese birth-year with their Gregorian birth-year. As the Chinese New Year starts in late January to mid February, the Chinese year dates from 1 January until that day in the new Gregorian year remain unchanged from the previous Gregorian year. For example, the 1989 year of the snake began on 6 February 1989. The year 1990 is considered by some people to be the year of the horse. However, the 1989 year of the snake officially ended on 26 January 1990. This means that anyone born from January 1 to January 25, 1990 was actually born in the year of the snake rather than the year of the horse.

Many online Chinese Sign calculators do not account for the non-alignment of the two calendars, incorrectly using Gregorian-calendar years rather than official Chinese New Year dates.

History

It is unclear when the beginning of the year was celebrated before the Qin Dynasty. Traditionally, the year was said to have begun with month 1 during the Xia Dynasty, month 12 during the Shang Dynasty, and month 11 during the Zhou Dynasty. However, records show that the Zhou Dynasty began its year with month 1. Intercalary months, used to keep the lunar calendar synchronized with the sun, were added after month 12 during both the Shang Dynasty (according to surviving oracle bones) and the Zhou Dynasty (according to Sima Qian). The first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang changed the beginning of the year to month 10 in 221 BC, also changing the location of the intercalary month to after month 9. Whether the New Year was celebrated at the beginning of month 10, of month 1, or both is unknown. In 104 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established month 1 as the beginning of the year, where it remains. This year the Chinese New Year will be on Thursday, February 7, 2008.

Mythology
Hand-painted Chinese New Year’s poetry pasted on the sides of doors leading to people’s homes, Lijiang, Yunnan, China.
Hand-painted Chinese New Year’s poetry pasted on the sides of doors leading to people’s homes, Lijiang, Yunnan, China.

According to legend, in ancient China, the Nián (年) was a man-eating beast from the mountains (in other versions from under the sea), which came out every 12 months somewhere close to winter to prey on humans. The people later believed that the Nian was sensitive to loud noises and the colour red, so they scared it away with explosions, fireworks and the liberal use of the colour red. These customs led to the first New Year celebrations. Guò nián (simplified Chinese: 过年; traditional Chinese: 過年), which means to celebrate the new year, literally means the passover of the Nian.

Public holiday

Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in a number of countries and territories where a sizable Chinese population resides. Since Chinese New Year falls on different dates on the Gregorian calendar every year on different days of the week, some of these governments opt to shift working days in order to accommodate a longer public holiday. Also like many other countries in the world, a statutory holiday is added on the following work day when the New Year falls on a weekend.

It is also important to understand that informal celebrations, which may span a period of several weeks before and after the official holidays, are the time when many businesses operate in ‘holiday mode’, and generally aren’t the time for making decisions or business negotiations.
Region     Description
Mainland China     The first three days.
Hong Kong and Macau     The first three days. If one of the first three days is on Sunday, Chinese New Year’s Eve will be listed into public holiday. For example, the first day of year 2007 (18 February) is on Sunday, Chinese New Year’s Eve (17 February) is listed into public holiday.
Malaysia and Singapore     The first two days. Sometimes the third day.
Taiwan     The New Year’s eve and the first three days.
Brunei and Indonesia     The first day.
South Korea     The first day and the previous and following days (three days altogether) are public holidays to commemorate Seollal.
Vietnam     New Year’s eve and the first three days. The Vietnamese celebrate Tết, on the same day as the Chinese calendar. However, because of the time difference between Hanoi and Beijing (China), Tết may differ from the Chinese calendar by a day every 22nd or 23rd year.
Japan     The Japanese now celebrate their New Year (shōgatsu) on 1 January, with the first three days being holidays.
Other     A few countries around the world regularly issue postage stamps and numismatic coins to commemorate Chinese New Year. Although Chinese New Year is not institutionalized as public holiday, these countries recognize the significant number of their citizens who are of Chinese origin. The countries and territories that do so include Australia, Canada, Christmas Island, El Salvador, France, New Zealand, the United States, and the Philippines.

Chunyun

The period around Chinese New Year is also the time of the largest human migration, when migrant workers in China, as well as overseas Chinese around the world travel home to have reunion dinners with their families on Chinese New Year’s eve. More interurban trips are taken in mainland China in this 40-day period than the total population of China. This period is called Chunyun (春運 or 春运)

Festivities

The Chinese New Year celebrations are marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends, a practice known as “new-year visits” (Chinese: 拜年; pinyin: bàinián). New clothings are usually worn to signify a new year. The colour red is liberally used in all decorations. Red packets are given to juniors and children by the married and elders. See Symbolism below for more explanation.

All these festivities may vary from region to region and from family to family.

Days before the new year

On the days before the New Year celebration Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning. There is a Cantonese saying “Wash away the dirts on ninyibaat”(年廿八，洗邋遢), but the practice is not usually restricted on ninyibaat(年二八, the 28th day of month 12). It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors and window-panes a new coat of red paint. Homes are often decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases and couplets. Purchasing new clothing, shoes and receiving a hair-cut also symbolize a fresh start (though, as described below, it may be considered bad luck among some.)

In many households where Buddhism or Taoism is prevalent, home altars and statues are cleaned thoroughly, and altars that were adorned with decorations from the previous year are also taken down and burned a week before the new year starts, and replaced with new decorations. A paper effigy of the Kitchen God, the recorder of family functions, is also burned in order to report to the Jade Emperor of the family household’s transgressions and good deeds.

The biggest event of any Chinese New Year’s Eve is the dinner every family will have. A dish consisting of fish will appear on the tables of Chinese families. It is for display for the New Year’s Eve dinner. In northern China, it is also customary to have dumplings for this dinner. Dumplings symbolize wealth because their shape is like a Chinese tael. This meal is comparable to Christmas dinner in the West. After the dinner, some families go to local temples hours before the new year begins to pray for a prosperous new year; however in modern practice, many households hold parties and even hold a countdown to the new lunar year.
Chinese New Year fireworks in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
Chinese New Year fireworks in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

First day of the new year

The first day is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth. Many people, especially Buddhists, abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed that this will ensure longevity for them. Some consider lighting fires and using knives to be bad luck on New Year’s Day, so all food to be consumed is cooked the day before.

Most importantly, the first day of Chinese New Year is a time when families visit the oldest and most senior members of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.

Some families may invite a lion dance troupe as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises. Members of the family who are married also give red packets containing cash to junior members of the family, mostly children and teenagers.

While fireworks and firecrackers are traditionally very popular, some regions have banned them due to concerns over fire hazards, which have resulted in increased number of fires around New Years and challenged municipal fire departments’ work capacity. For this reason, various city governments (e.g., Hong Kong, and Beijing, for a number of years) issued bans over fireworks and firecrackers in certain premises of the city. As a substitute, large-scale fireworks have been launched by governments in cities like Hong Kong to offer citizens the experience.

Second day of the new year
Incense is burned at the graves of ancestors as part of the offering and prayer ritual.
Incense is burned at the graves of ancestors as part of the offering and prayer ritual.

The second day of the Chinese New Year is for married daughters to visit their birth parents. Traditionally, daughters who have been married may not have the opportunity to visit their birth families frequently. On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.

Business people of the Cantonese dialect group will hold a ‘Hoi Nin’ prayer to start their business on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year.The prayer is done to pray that they’ll be blessed with good luck and prosperity in their business for the year.

Third and fourth days of the new year

The third and fourth day of the Chinese New Year are generally accepted as inappropriate days to visit relatives and friends due to the following schools of thought. People may subscribe to one or both thoughts.

1) It is known as “chì kǒu” (赤口), meaning that it is easy to get into arguments. It is suggested that the cause could be the fried food and visiting during the first two days of the New Year celebration.[citation needed]

2) Families who had an immediate kin deceased in the past 3 years will not go house-visiting as a form of respect to the dead. The third day of the New Year is allocated to grave-visiting instead. Some people conclude it is inauspicious to do any house visiting at all.

Fifth day of the new year

In northern China, people eat Jiǎozi (simplified Chinese: 饺子; traditional Chinese: 餃子) (dumplings) on the morning of Po Wu (破五). This is also the birthday of the Chinese god of wealth. In Taiwan, businesses traditionally re-open on this day, accompanied by firecrackers.

Seventh day of the new year

The seventh day, traditionally known as renri 人日, the common man’s birthday, the day when everyone grows one year older.

It is the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten. This is a custom primarily among the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore. People get together to toss the colourful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity.

For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat.
Chinese New Year’s celebrations, on the eighth day, in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
Chinese New Year’s celebrations, on the eighth day, in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.

Ninth day of the new year

The ninth day of the New Year is a day for Chinese to offer prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven (天公) in the Taoist Pantheon. The ninth day is traditionally the birthday of the Jade Emperor.

This day is especially important to Hokkiens and Teochews (Min Nan speakers). Come midnight of the eighth day of the new year, Hokkiens will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will include sugarcane as it was the sugarcane that had protected the Hokkiens from certain extermination generations ago. Tea is served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honored person.

Fifteenth day of the new year

The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as Yuánxiāo jié (元宵节), otherwise known as Chap Goh Mei in Fujian dialect. Rice dumplingsTangyuan (simplified Chinese: 汤圆; traditional Chinese: 湯圓; pinyin: tāngyuán), a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, is eaten this day. Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home. This day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival, and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns.

This day often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities.

New year cuisine
Niangao, Chinese New Year cake
Niangao, Chinese New Year cake

Reunion dinner

A reunion dinner is held on New Year’s Eve where members of the family, near and far away, get together for the celebration. The venue will usually be in or near the home of the most senior member of the family. The New Year’s Eve dinner is very sumptuous and traditionally includes chicken and fish. In some areas, fish (simplified Chinese: 鱼; traditional Chinese: 魚; pinyin: yú) is included, but not eaten completely (and the remainder is stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase “may there be surpluses every year” (traditional Chinese: 年年有餘; simplified Chinese: 年年有余; pinyin: nián nián yǒu yú) sounds the same as “may there be fish every year.”

In mainland China, many families will banter whilst watching the CCTV New Year’s Gala in the hours before midnight.

Red packets for the immediate family are sometimes distributed during the reunion dinner. These packets often contain money in certain numbers that reflect good luck and honorability. Several foods are consumed to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune. Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things.

Food items
Name     Description
Buddha’s delight
(traditional Chinese: 羅漢齋; simplified Chinese: 罗汉斋; pinyin: luóhàn zhāi)     An elaborate vegetarian dish served by Chinese families on the eve and the first day of the New Year. A type of black hair-like algae, pronounced “fat choy” in Cantonese, is also featured in the dish for its name, which sounds like “prosperity”. Hakkas usually serve kiu nyuk (Chinese: 扣肉; pinyin: kòuròu) and ngiong tiu fu.
Fish     Is usually eaten on the eve of Chinese New Year. The pronunciation of fish (魚yú) makes it a homophone for “surpluses”(餘yú).
Jau gok (Chinese: 油角)     The main Chinese new year dumpling. It is believed to resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots (simplified Chinese: 金元宝; traditional Chinese: 金元寶; pinyin: jīn yuán bǎo)
Jiaozi dumplings     Eaten traditionally in northern China because the preparation is similar to packaging luck inside the dumpling, which is later eaten.
Mandarin oranges     Mandarin oranges are the most popular and most abundant fruit during Chinese New Year — jin ju (Chinese: 金橘子; pinyin: jīn júzi) translation: golden tangerine/orange or kam (Chinese: 柑; pinyin: gum) in Cantonese.
Melon seed/Kwatji
(Chinese: 瓜子; pinyin: gwāzi)     Other variations include sunflower and pumpkin seeds
Nian gao (Chinese: 年糕)     Most popular in eastern China (Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai) because its pronunciation is a homophone for “a more prosperous year”.
Noodles     Families may serve uncut noodles, which represent longevity and long life, though this practice is not limited to the new year.
Sweets     Sweets and similar dried fruit goods are stored in a red or black Chinese candy box.
Bakkwa     Chinese salty-sweet dried meat which is trimmed of the fat, sliced, marinated and then smoked for later consumption or as a gift.
Tikoy (Chinese: 年糕)     Known as Chinese New Year pudding, tikoy is made up of glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, salt, water, and sugar. The colour of the sugar used determines the colour of the pudding (white or brown).
Taro cakes
Turnip cakes

New Year practices

Red packets
Red packets for sale in a Taipei, Taiwan market before the Year of the Rat
Red packets for sale in a Taipei, Taiwan market before the Year of the Rat

Traditionally, Red envelopes or red packets (Cantonese: lai shi or lai see) (利是, 利市 or 利事); (Mandarin: ‘hóng bāo’ (紅包); Hokkien: ‘ang pow’ (POJ: âng-pau); Hakka: ‘fung bao’; are passed out during the Chinese New Year’s celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. It is common for adults to give red packets to children. Red packets are also known as 壓歲錢/压岁钱 (Ya Sui Qian, which was evolved from 壓祟錢/压祟钱, literally, the money used to suppress or put down the evil spirit ) during this period.

Red envelopes always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. The amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals (帛金 : Bai Jin). Since the number 4 is considered bad luck, because the word for four is a homophone for death, money in the red envelopes never adds up to $4. However, the number 8 is considered lucky (for its homophone for “wealth”), and $8 is commonly found in the red envelopes. Sometimes chocolate coins are found in the red packets.

Odd and even numbers are determined by the first digit, rather than the last. Thirty and fifty, for example, are odd numbers, and are thus appropriate as funeral cash gifts. However, it is common and quite acceptable to have cash gifts in a red packet using a single bank note — with ten or fifty yuan bills used frequently.

The act of requesting for red packets is normally called (Mandarin): 討紅包, 要利是. (Cantonese):逗利是. A married person would not turn down such request as it would mean that he or she would be “out of luck” in the new year (無利是).

New Year markets
Shoppers at a New Year market in Chinatown, Singapore
Shoppers at a New Year market in Chinatown, Singapore

Markets are set up near the New Year especially for vendors to sell New Year-related products. These usually open-air markets feature floral products, toys, clothing, for shoppers to buy gifts for new year visitations as well as decor for their homes. The practice of shopping for the perfect plum tree is not dissimilar to the Western tradition of buying a Christmas tree.

Fireworks

Bamboo stems filled with gunpowder that were burnt to create small explosions were once used in ancient China to drive away evil spirits. In modern times, this method has eventually evolved into the use of firecrackers during the festive season. Firecrackers are usually strung on a long fused string so it can be hung down. Each firecracker is rolled up in red papers, as red is auspicious, with gunpowders in its core. Once ignited, the firecracker lets out a loud popping noise and as they are usually strung together by the hundreds, the firecrackers are known for its deafening explosions that it is thought to scare away evil spirits. See also Myths above. The lighting of firecrackers also signifies a joyous occasion and has become an integral aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations.[2]

Firecracker ban

The use of firecrackers, although a traditional part of celebration, has over the years witnessed many unfortunate outcomes. There have been reported incidents every year of users of fireworks being blinded, losing body parts, or suffering other grievous injuries, especially during festive seasons. Hence, governments and authorities eventually enacted laws completely banning the use of firecrackers privately, primarily because of safety issues.

* Mainland China - Firecrackers are banned in many urban areas, although Beijing lifted a decade-old ban in 2007, and the rules are not always enforced. In rural areas, they remain very popular, and streets are often carpeted red by the remnants of firecrackers.

* Hong Kong - Fireworks are banned for security reasons — some speculate a connection between firework use and the 1967 Leftist Riot. However, the government would put on a fireworks display in Victoria Harbour on the second day of the Chinese New Year for the public. Similar displays are also held in many other cities in and outside China.

* Singapore - a partial ban on firecrackers was imposed in March 1970 after a fire killed six people and injured 68.[3] This was extended to a total ban in August 1972, after an explosion that killed two people[4] and an attack on two police officers attempting to stop a group from letting off firecrackers in February 1972.[5] However, in 2003, the government allowed firecrackers to be set off during the festive season. At the Chinese New Year light-up in Chinatown, at the stroke of midnight on the first day of the Lunar New Year, firecrackers are set off under controlled conditions by the Singapore Tourism Board. Other occasions where firecrackers are allowed to be set off are determined by the tourism board or other government organizations. However, they are not allowed to be commercially sold.

* Malaysia - firecrackers were banned for the same reason as Singapore. However, many Malaysians managed to smuggle them from Thailand to meet their private needs.

* Indonesia - Firecrackers and fireworks were forbidden to be performed in public during the Chinese New Year, especially in areas with significant non-Chinese population in order to avoid any conflict between the two. However, there were some exceptions. The usage of firecrackers were legal in some metropolitan areas such as Jakarta and Medan, where the degree of racial and cultural tolerance was considerably high.

* United States - For 2007, New York City lifted its decade-old ban on firecrackers, allowing a display of 300,000 firecrackers to be set off in Chinatown’s Chatham Square.[6] Los Angeles regularly lights firecrackers every New Years Eve, mostly at Taoist and Buddhist temples and benevolent association shrines.

* Australia - Australia does not permit the use of fireworks at all, except when used by a licensed pyrotechnician. These rules also require a permit to be sought from local government, as well as any relevant local bodies such as maritime or aviation authorities (as relevant to the types of fireworks being used) and hospitals, schools, et cetera within a certain range.

Clothing

Clothing mainly featuring the colour red is commonly worn throughout the Chinese New Year because it is believed that red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. In addition, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize a new beginning in the new year.

Shou Sui

守岁(守歲) (Shou Sui) occurs when members of the family gather around throughout the night after the reunion dinner and reminisce about the year that has passed while welcoming the year that has arrived. Some believe that children who Shou Sui will increase the longevity of the parents.

一夜连双岁，五更分二年 means that the night of New Year’s eve (which is also the morning of the first day of the New Year) is a night that links two years. 五更 (Wu Geng — the double hour from 0300 to 0500) is the time that separates the two years.

Symbolism

During these 15 days of the Chinese New Year one will see superstitious or traditional cultural beliefs with meanings which can be puzzling in the eyes of those who do not celebrate this occasion. There is a customary reason that explains why everything, not just limited to decorations, are centered on the colour red. At times, gold is the accompanying colour for reasons that are already obvious. One best and common example is the red diamond-shaped posters with the character 福 (pinyin: fú), or “auspiciousness” which are displayed around the house and on doors. This sign is usually seen hanging upside down, since the Chinese word 倒 (pinyin: dǎo), or “upside down”, sounds similar as 到 (pinyin: dào), or “arrive”. Therefore, it symbolizes the arrival of luck, happiness, and prosperity.

Flowers

The following are popular floral decorations for the New Year and are available at new year markets.

Floral Decor     Meaning
Plum blossom     symbolizes luck
Kumquat     symbolizes prosperity
Narcissus     symbolizes prosperity
Chrysanthemum     symbolizes longevity
Bamboo     A plant used for any time of year
Sunflower     means to have a good year

Icons and ornamentals

Icons     Meaning     Illustrations
Fish     The Koi fish is usually seen in paintings. Decorated food depicting the fish can also be found. It symbolizes surplus or having additional savings so as to have more than enough to live throughout the remaining year. It coheres with the Chinese idiom (Pinyin: niánnián yŏuyú)
Yuanbao ingots     The gold yuanbao (金元宝; jīn yuánbǎo) symbolizes money and/or wealth. Yuanbao shaped ingots were the standard medium of exchange in ancient China.
Lanterns     These lanterns differ from those of Mid Autumn Festival in general. They will be red in colour and tend to be oval in shape. These are the traditional Chinese paper lanterns. Those lanterns, used on the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year for the Lantern Festival, are bright, colourful, and in many different sizes and shapes.
Decorations     Decorations generally convey a New Year greeting. They are not advertisements. Chinese calligraphy posters show Chinese idioms. Other decorations include a New year picture, Chinese knots, and papercutting and couplets.
Dragon dance and Lion dance     Dragon and lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits. Lion dances are also popular for opening of businesses in Hong Kong.
Fortune gods     Cai Shen, Che Kung,etc.

Superstitions during the New Year period
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Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007)

The following is a list of beliefs that vary according to dialect groups / individuals.

Good luck

* Opening windows and/or doors is considered to bring in the good luck of the new year.
* Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to ’scare away’ ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.
* Sweets are eaten to ensure the consumer a “sweet” year.
* It is important to have the house completely clean from top to bottom before New Year’s Day for good luck in the coming year. (however, as explained below, cleaning the house after New Year’s Day is frowned upon)
* Some believe that what happens on the first day of the new year reflects the rest of the year to come. Asians will often gamble at the beginning of the year, hoping to get luck and prosperity.
* Wearing a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you.
* The night before the new year, bathe yourself in pomelo leaves and some say that you will be healthy for the rest of the new year.

Bad luck

* Buying a pair of shoes is considered bad luck amongst some Chinese. The word “shoes” is a homophone for the word for “rough” in Cantonese, or “evil” in Mandarin.
* Buying a pair of pants is considered bad luck. The word “pants”(kù) is a homophone for the word for “bitter”(kŭ) in Cantonese. (Although some perceive it to be positive, as the word ‘pants’(fu) in Cantonese is also a homophone for the word for “wealth”.)
* Washing your hair is also considered to be washing away one’s own luck (although modern hygienic concerns take precedence over this tradition)
* Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year.
* Talking about death is inappropriate for the first few days of Chinese New Year, as it is considered inauspicious as well.
* Buying books is bad luck because the word for “book” is a homonym to the word “lose”.
* Avoid clothes in black and white, as black is a symbol of bad luck, and white is a traditional funeral colour.

New Year parades

Origins

In 1849, with the discovery of gold and the ensuing California Gold Rush, over 50,000 people had come to San Francisco to seek their fortune or just a better way of life. Among those were many Chinese, who had come to work in the gold mines and on the railroad. By the 1860’s, the Chinese were eager to share their culture with those who were unfamiliar with it. They chose to showcase their culture by using a favorite American tradition — the Parade. Nothing like it had ever been done in their native China. They invited a variety of other groups from the city to participate, and they marched down what today are Grant Avenue and Kearny Street carrying colourful flags, banners, lanterns, and drums and firecrackers to drive away evil spirits.

Today

Today, Chinese New Year parades are annual traditions across North America in cities with significant Chinese populations. Among the cities with such parades are San Francisco,[7] Los Angeles,[8] New York City, and Vancouver, British Columbia.[9] However, even smaller cities that are historically connected to Chinese immigration, such as Butte, Montana,[10] have recently hosted parades.

Greetings

The Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as 吉祥話 (Jíxiánghùa), or loosely translated as auspicious words or phrases. Some of the most common examples may include:

Happy New Year

simplified Chinese: 新年快乐; traditional Chinese: 新年快樂; pinyin: Xīnnián kuàilè; Hokkien POJ: Sin-nî khòai-lo̍k; Cantonese: San nin faai lok. A more contemporary greeting reflective of western influences, it literally translates from the greeting “Happy new year” more common in the west. But in northern parts of China, traditionally people say simplified Chinese: 过年好; traditional Chinese: 過年好; pinyin: guònian hǎo instead of simplified Chinese: 新年快乐, to differentiate it from the international new year. And 過年好 can be used from the first day to the fifth day of Chinese new year.

Congratulations and be prosperous
Kung Hei Fat Choi at Lee Theatre Plaza, Hong Kong
Kung Hei Fat Choi at Lee Theatre Plaza, Hong Kong

simplified Chinese: 恭喜发财; traditional Chinese: 恭喜發財; pinyin: Gōngxǐ fācái; Hokkien: Keong hee huat chye (POJ: Kiong-hí hoat-châi); Cantonese: Kung Hei Fat Choi; Hakka: Kung hei fat choi, which loosely translates to “Congratulations and be prosperous”. Often mistakenly assumed to be synonymous with “Happy new year”, its usage dates back several centuries. While the first two words of this phrase had a much longer historical significance (legend has it that the congratulatory messages were traded for surviving the ravaging beast of Nian, although in practical terms it may also involve surviving the harsh winter conditions), the last two words were added later as ideas of capitalism and consumerism became more significant in Chinese societies around the world. The saying is now commonly heard in English speaking communities for greetings during Chinese New Year in parts of the world where there is a sizable Chinese-speaking community, including overseas Chinese communities that have been resident for several generations, relatively recent immigrants from Greater China, and those who are transit migrants (particularly students).
Other greetings

Numerous other greetings exist, some of which may be exclaimed out loud to no one in particular in specific situations. For example, as breaking objects during the new year is considered inauspicious, one may then say 歲歲平安 (Suìsuì píng’ān) immediately, which means everlasting peace year after year. 歲 (Suì, meaning “age”) is homophonous with 碎 (meaning “shatter”), in demonstration of the Chinese love for wordplay in auspicious phrases. Similarly, 年年有餘 (Niánnián yǒuyú), a wish for surpluses and bountiful harvests every year, plays on the word yú to also refer to 魚 (meaning fish), making it a catch phrase for fish-based Chinese new year dishes and for paintings or graphics of fish that are hung on walls or presented as gifts.

These greetings or phrases may also be used just before children receive their red packets, when gifts are exchanged, when visiting temples, or even when tossing the shredded ingredients of yusheng particularly popular in Malaysia and Singapore.

Irreverent children may jokingly use the phrase (Traditional Chinese:恭喜發財,紅包拿來, Simplified Chinese: 恭喜发财，红包拿来) (Mandarin PinYin: Gōngxǐ fācái, hóngbāo nálái) ( Cantonese: 恭喜發財,利是逗來 ), roughly translated as “Congratulations and be prosperous, now give me a red envelope.”

Back in the 1970s, children in Hong Kong used the saying: 恭喜發財,利是逗來,伍毫嫌少,壹蚊唔愛 (Cantonese), roughly translated as, “Happy New Year, now give me a red envelope, fifty cents is too little, don’t want a dollar either.” It basically meant that they disliked small change - coins which were called “hard substance” (Cantonese: 硬嘢). Instead, they wanted “soft substance” (Cantonese: 軟嘢), which was either a ten dollar or a twenty dollar bill.

Google China (along with Google Taiwan, Hong Kong, and possibly other versions of Google in Asia) celebrates Chinese New Year today.

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. It is an important holiday in East Asia. [Wikipedia]

This year is the Year of the Rat, that’s why you are seeing the rats up there. The Chinese character on the logo (福), loosely translates as luck and wealth. Google Translate returns something else though.

Happy Chinese New Year!

A Community Unit School District 300 bus driver who was charged with disobeying a railroad crossing signal Jan. 9 was charged Jan. 18 with child endangerment and has since been fired from his job, according to a district spokeswoman.

Donald D. Gorder, 67, of Huntley, received the traffic citation at 3:41 p.m. Jan. 9, Gilberts police Sgt. Jack Rood said.

Eleven students from Hampshire Middle School were on the bus at the time, and the approaching train was going 25 mph, Rood said.

Rood saw Gorder stop before the tracks on Big Timber Road near Tyrrell Road with the bus’ lights flashing and door open, then proceed across the tracks as the railroad signal lights began flashing. Rood said the railroad crossing gates “just missed the school bus.”

District 300 school administrators were “apprised of certain details earlier” and received news about the updated charges on Friday, said Allison Smith, a spokeswoman for the district.

Durham School Services, the transportation company contracted by the district, fired Gorder after the child endangerment charge, Smith said.

“The school district did not make the decision on this, Durham did and the school district was very pleased with the decision,” Smith said. “We’re pleased that Durham knew to take such a charge very seriously.”

Gorder posted $100 bond and is scheduled to appear in court at 1 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Kane County Judicial Center. If found guilty, Gorder could face a fine of up to $1,000 and up to one year in jail, Rood said.

Exactly as rumored, Apple announced the new monstrous 16GB version of the famous or better yet notorious Apple iPhone. Currently the new Apple iPhone 16GB is available through the Apple store and AT&T stores in USA. The European carriers offering the iPhone are a bit slow to catch up in active promoting - they are expected to start offering it as of tomorrow - the 6th February 2008.

The Apple iPhone is probably the single most controversial mobile phone in the industry and it’s changed the US mobile market beyond recognition. We are not going to elaborate on its features but we’ll better concentrate on its price tag right after this graphic jump.

The latest Apple iPhone 16GB will be sold for USD 500 before taxes, while the current 8GB model will be selling for the same USD 400 price (again before taxes). If you ask us, it’s simply a matter of time before Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs announces the next price cut just as he did with initial iPhone 4GB/8GB models.

As far as European carriers are concerned, the only details we have now, is that O2 UK will be selling the new 16GB model for GBP 330, which is around EUR 440 or USD 650. You probably already know that the iPhone is selling with a hefty European premium here at the Old Continent (some serious tax burden as it seems).

The other interesting announcement today is that the iPod Touch, the iPhone’s cousin, also has received a doubled storage space. The new iPod Touch 32GB will be selling at a USD 500 price tag (before taxes). The 16GB version which has been available for quite some time retains the USD 400 price, along with the 8GB model, which is still priced at USD 300.

The new Apple iPhone 16GB is already available for purchase.

Source: Mobile Phones

Courtney Oliver is only 10 years old and already knows exactly what she will be doing for the rest of her life because she completed her college coursework. She’s already a certified veterinary assistant at the South Bay Veterinary Hospital in Olympia, Washington. During surgery, it’s reportedly difficult to tell Courtney from Dr. Michelle Shoemaker (her mentor) with their masks on, however, Courtney is the really tiny one.

What is incredible is that Courtney is still of the age to be in elementary school, but has a college degree, and an on-online certification as a veterinarian assistant.

Dr. Shoemaker said of Courtney:

“She’s amazing. She’s a wonderful girl. Always been so bright, very very smart actually.”

Courtney said:

“Dr. Shoemaker and I are like twins. We just love animals. We just wanted to do this because this is our thing.”

Apparently, despite Courtney’s qualifications and college degree, she can’t practice alone because the state law deems her too young.

What an amazing kid eh? Courtney is being called new Doggie Howzer! I love it.

Born     March 24, 1979 (1979-03-24) (age 28)
New York City, New York, United States

Biography

Early life

Bell was born in New York City, the daughter of Robin Bell, a senior designer at a decorating firm,[1] and Harvey Siegel. Her father is Jewish and her mother is of W.A.S.P. background.[2] She has an older brother named Luke Siegel who owns a sliding wall and door company called Raydoor in New York City. She also has two half-sisters, Courtney and Mackenzie.

Bell attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York before transferring to Rose Bruford College in London, England. There, she landed roles in several theatrical productions, including The Seagull and The Pentecost. She remained in London for a year after graduating, then relocated to Los Angeles, California.

Career

Bell landed her first big job with the lead female role in NBC’s War Stories, also starring Jeff Goldblum. She made two guest appearances on ER in 2002, then went on to play Alicia Silverstone’s wisecracking best friend, Victoria, in NBC’s short-lived series Miss Match. In 2004, Bell made her debut as Sally Heep in The Practice, and her character was carried over into the series offshoot, Boston Legal, where she was made a regular cast member until she left the series in 2005. Bell went on to play the lead role in the sci-fi show Surface, which premiered September 19, 2005, and was cancelled in May 2006.

In the fall of 2006, Bell returned to Boston Legal for two episodes, reprising her role as Sally Heep as opposing counsel to Alan Shore (portrayed by James Spader). Her film work includes Chris Fisher’s The Hillside Strangler (2004), Love Your Work (2003), Speakeasy (2002), and Slammed (2001). She recently wrapped on her latest film, Pride and Glory (2008), which also stars Edward Norton and Colin Farrell. She also has a leading role in the upcoming thriller Still Waters (2008), starring opposite Jason Clarke and Clifton Collins, Jr.

Obama’s speech seeks to turn the story of his victory here and around the country into his message:

They are young and old, rich and poor. They are black and white, Latino and Asian. They are Democrats from Des Moines and Independents from Concord; Republicans from rural Nevada and young people across this country who’ve never had a reason to participate until now. And in nine days, nearly half the nation will have the chance to join us in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again.

Also, he hits the Clintons, while recognizing the danger a story line about race poses him:

We are up against the idea that it’s acceptable to say anything and do anything to win an election. We know that this is exactly what’s wrong with our politics; this is why people don’t believe what their leaders say anymore; this is why they tune out. And this election is our chance to give the American people a reason to believe again.

And what we’ve seen in these last weeks is that we’re also up against forces that are not the fault of any one campaign, but feed the habits that prevent us from being who we want to be as a nation. It’s the politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon. A politics that tells us that we have to think, act, and even vote within the confines of the categories that supposedly define us. The assumption that young people are apathetic. The assumption that Republicans won’t cross over. The assumption that the wealthy care nothing for the poor, and that the poor don’t vote. The assumption that African-Americans can’t support the white candidate; whites can’t support the African-American candidate; blacks and Latinos can’t come together.

Full remarks, as prepared, after the jump.

Over two weeks ago, we saw the people of Iowa proclaim that our time for change has come. But there were those who doubted this country’s desire for something new — who said Iowa was a fluke not to be repeated again.

Well, tonight, the cynics who believed that what began in the snows of Iowa was just an illusion were told a different story by the good people of South Carolina.

After four great contests in every corner of this country, we have the most votes, the most delegates, and the most diverse coalition of Americans we’ve seen in a long, long time.

They are young and old, rich and poor. They are black and white, Latino and Asian. They are Democrats from Des Moines and Independents from Concord; Republicans from rural Nevada and young people across this country who’ve never had a reason to participate until now. And in nine days, nearly half the nation will have the chance to join us in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again.

But if there’s anything we’ve been reminded of since Iowa, it’s that the kind of change we seek will not come easy. Partly because we have fine candidates in the field — fierce competitors, worthy of respect. And as contentious as this campaign may get, we have to remember that this is a contest for the Democratic nomination, and that all of us share an abiding desire to end the disastrous policies of the current administration.

But there are real differences between the candidates. We are looking for more than just a change of party in the White House. We’re looking to fundamentally change the status quo in Washington — a status quo that extends beyond any particular party. And right now, that status quo is fighting back with everything it’s got; with the same old tactics that divide and distract us from solving the problems people face, whether those problems are health care they can’t afford or a mortgage they cannot pay.

So this will not be easy. Make no mistake about what we’re up against.

We are up against the belief that it’s ok for lobbyists to dominate our government — that they are just part of the system in Washington. But we know that the undue influence of lobbyists is part of the problem, and this election is our chance to say that we’re not going to let them stand in our way anymore.

We are up against the conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as President comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to the White House. But we know that real leadership is about candor, and judgment, and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose - a higher purpose.

We are up against decades of bitter partisanship that cause politicians to demonize their opponents instead of coming together to make college affordable or energy cleaner; it’s the kind of partisanship where you’re not even allowed to say that a Republican had an idea — even if it’s one you never agreed with. That kind of politics is bad for our party, it’s bad for our country, and this is our chance to end it once and for all.

We are up against the idea that it’s acceptable to say anything and do anything to win an election. We know that this is exactly what’s wrong with our politics; this is why people don’t believe what their leaders say anymore; this is why they tune out. And this election is our chance to give the American people a reason to believe again.

And what we’ve seen in these last weeks is that we’re also up against forces that are not the fault of any one campaign, but feed the habits that prevent us from being who we want to be as a nation. It’s the politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon. A politics that tells us that we have to think, act, and even vote within the confines of the categories that supposedly define us. The assumption that young people are apathetic. The assumption that Republicans won’t cross over. The assumption that the wealthy care nothing for the poor, and that the poor don’t vote. The assumption that African-Americans can’t support the white candidate; whites can’t support the African-American candidate; blacks and Latinos can’t come together.

But we are here tonight to say that this is not the America we believe in. I did not travel around this state over the last year and see a white South Carolina or a black South Carolina. I saw South Carolina. I saw crumbling schools that are stealing the future of black children and white children. I saw shuttered mills and homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from all walks of life, and men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. I saw what America is, and I believe in what this country can be.

That is the country I see. That is the country you see. But now it is up to us to help the entire nation embrace this vision. Because in the end, we are not just up against the ingrained and destructive habits of Washington, we are also struggling against our own doubts, our own fears, and our own cynicism. The change we seek has always required great struggle and sacrifice. And so this is a battle in our own hearts and minds about what kind of country we want and how hard we’re willing to work for it.

So let me remind you tonight that change will not be easy. That change will take time. There will be setbacks, and false starts, and sometimes we will make mistakes. But as hard as it may seem, we cannot lose hope. Because there are people all across this country who are counting us; who can’t afford another four years without health care or good schools or decent wages because our leaders couldn’t come together and get it done.

Theirs are the stories and voices we carry on from South Carolina.

The mother who can’t get Medicaid to cover all the needs of her sick child — she needs us to pass a health care plan that cuts costs and makes health care available and affordable for every single American.

The teacher who works another shift at Dunkin Donuts after school just to make ends meet - she needs us to reform our education system so that she gets better pay, and more support, and her students get the resources they need to achieve their dreams.

The Maytag worker who is now competing with his own teenager for a $7-an-hour job at Wal-Mart because the factory he gave his life to shut its doors — he needs us to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas and start putting them in the pockets of working Americans who deserve it. And struggling homeowners. And seniors who should retire with dignity and respect.

The woman who told me that she hasn’t been able to breathe since the day her nephew left for Iraq, or the soldier who doesn’t know his child because he’s on his third or fourth tour of duty — they need us to come together and put an end to a war that should’ve never been authorized and never been waged.

The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders. It’s not about rich versus poor; young versus old; and it is not about black versus white.

It’s about the past versus the future.

It’s about whether we settle for the same divisions and distractions and drama that passes for politics today, or whether we reach for a politics of common sense, and innovation — a shared sacrifice and shared prosperity.

There are those who will continue to tell us we cannot do this. That we cannot have what we long for. That we are peddling false hopes.

But here’s what I know. I know that when people say we can’t overcome all the big money and influence in Washington, I think of the elderly woman who sent me a contribution the other day — an envelope that had a money order for $3.01 along with a verse of scripture tucked inside. So don’t tell us change isn’t possible.

When I hear the cynical talk that blacks and whites and Latinos can’t join together and work together, I’m reminded of the Latino brothers and sisters I organized with, and stood with, and fought with side by side for jobs and justice on the streets of Chicago. So don’t tell us change can’t happen.

When I hear that we’ll never overcome the racial divide in our politics, I think about that Republican woman who used to work for Strom Thurmond, who’s now devoted to educating inner-city children and who went out onto the streets of South Carolina and knocked on doors for this campaign. Don’t tell me we can’t change.

Yes we can change.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can seize our future.

And as we leave this state with a new wind at our backs, and take this journey across the country we love with the message we’ve carried from the plains of Iowa to the hills of New Hampshire; from the Nevada desert to the South Carolina coast; the same message we had when we were up and when we were down - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope; and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people in three simple words:

Yes. We. Can.

Source: CNN

Deanna Russo, one of the stars of SCI FI Channel’s upcoming original movie Ghost Voyage, told SCI FI Wire that the movie is “like Sartre with ghosts,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to the French existentialist.

“The character I play on Ghost Voyage, her name was Serena,” Russo said in an interview, adding: “She’s an art curator, and she wakes up on this ship with a bunch of other strangers, and they don’t know what they’re doing there, and it’s kind of a surreal, you know? [There’s a] No Exit kind of moment when they realize where they are. It could be the afterlife, we don’t know. It could be, like, the transitional period.”

No Exit was the 1944 existentialist play by Jean-Paul Sartre, about three people who find themselves trapped in a hotel room with no way out.

Russo was sort of kidding about the No Exit comparison, of course. But what really impressed her about Ghost Voyage was the location.

“We shot it in Bulgaria, and I can’t wait to go back, actually,” she said. “I really want to go back and work with the Bulgarians.” Ghost Voyage airs on Jan. 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Russo will next be seen in NBC’s upcoming Knight Rider TV movie, which airs in February.

The big story was the good work done by private investigator Jay Salpeter in turning up new evidence that freed Tankleff from a life prison sentence. Click Here

Marc Howard, associate professor of government at Georgetown University, wrote a piece in Newsday about his association with Tankleff while he was incarcerated.  Howard says that NY is going to drop charges against Tankleff on January 18.

Martin (”Marty”) Tankleff (born August 29, 1971) is a Long Island, New York resident who was convicted of murdering his wealthy parents, Seymour and Arlene Tankleff, on September 7, 1988. After 20 years of imprisonment, his conviction was vacated, all charges were dropped, and he was released from prison.

Indictment and Conviction

Police said he caught their attention because he claimed to have slept through the attack and displayed what they considered to be insufficient emotion at the scene of the crime.

Tankleff has always professed his innocence, claiming he was pressured by detectives working the case to confess to the murders after extended questioning. The confession was admitted into evidence despite Tankleff’s claims that it was improperly coerced. Specifically, the lead detective informed Tankleff during questioning that his father had come out of his coma and named Marty as his attacker. Shortly after hearing this admitted falsehood, Tankleff wondered whether he could have “blacked out” and, with the encouragement of the detective, confessed to the murders and was ultimately convicted, at age 19, in 1990 and sentenced to two terms of 25 years to life.

Tankleff recanted his confession almost immediately. His contention since the day of the murders (notwithstanding the confession, which he refused to sign, asserting it was false and coerced by lead detective McCready, who also hand wrote it) is that his parents were ordered murdered by his father’s business partner, Jerry Steuerman, who owed the elder Tankleff several hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Steuerman was the last guest to leave the Tankleff home the night of the murders, and, while Seymour Tankleff was in a coma, changed his appearance, faked his death and fled to California.

Retrial Motion

In 2004, his lawyers petitioned the county court for a new trial. The motions were based upon new evidence that Tankleff claims shows that career criminals connected to Jerry Steuerman were the true murderers of his parents. Tankleff also presented evidence, unrefuted by the district attorney, that the lead detective and Jerry Steuerman were acquaintances and business associates prior to the Tankleff murders, in contradiction to the detective’s testimony at Tankleff’s original trial. According to a scathing report by the New York State Investigation Commission on corruption and misconduct in Suffolk County law enforcement, this same detective had perjured himself in a previous murder trial.

On March 17, 2006, Suffolk County Judge Steven L. Braslow denied Tankleff’s motions for a new trial, to vacate his previous conviction, to disqualify Suffolk County, New York’s District Attorney Thomas Spota from the case, and to grant access to DNA evidence that might support Tankleff’s claim of innocence.

The case has been presented by 48 Hours Mystery, which was broadcast and updated on August 11, 2007.

Appellate Division vacates conviction

The case was reviewed by the New York State Appellate Division: Second Judicial Department in Brooklyn, New York. The Innocence Project assisted his defense. The New York Times reported on December 21 that the Appellate Division of the NY Supreme Court has vacated Tankleff’s conviction and granted a new trial on December 21, 2007.

On December 27, 2007 Tankleff was released following a bail hearing.

DA Drops all Charges

On December 29, 2007 the New York Times reported that New York State has begun an official inquiry into Suffolk County law enforcement’s handling of the investigation into the 1988 murders of Arlene and Seymour Tankleff. The inquiry began more than a year ago when the State Investigation Commission started gathering legal documents in the long-disputed case. The inquiry is to be directed by a special counsel at the state commission, Joseph Kunzeman, a retired state appellate judge. The commission is taking special interest in the Tankleff case as a follow-up to its investigation of Suffolk County law enforcement in the 1980s, which found entrenched misconduct among the police and prosecutors. Though the commission has no enforcement powers, it can refer evidence of crimes to the authorities or propose a special prosecutor.

On January 2, 2008, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota announced that Martin Tankleff would not face a retrial.

Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases are inherited diseases of the central nervous system. These diseases have the same symptoms, though they are caused by mutations (changes) in different genes. A form of each disease affects babies and is fatal.What are the symptoms of Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases?
Babies with the classic (infantile) forms of Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases appear healthy at birth and seem to develop normally for the first few months of life. Symptoms generally appear by about 6 months of age when an apparently healthy baby gradually stops smiling, crawling, turning over and reaching out. The baby continues to lose skills gradually and eventually becomes blind, paralyzed and unaware of surroundings. Babies with Tay-Sachs disease usually die by age 5, and those with Sandhoff disease by age 3 (1, 2).

What causes the symptoms of these diseases?
Babies with classic Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases lack an enzyme (protein) called hexosaminidase. There are two versions of this enzyme, hex A and hex B. Babies with Tay-Sachs disease do not make hex A, and babies with Sandhoff do not make either hex A or hex B. A small number of babies with Tay-Sachs disease (AB variant) make both versions of the enzyme, but lack another protein that is needed for these enzymes to work properly.

Hexosaminidase is necessary for breaking down certain fatty substances (called GM2 gangliosides) in cells of the brain. Without this enzyme, these fatty substances build up and gradually destroy brain cells, until the entire central nervous system stops working.

Are there other forms of Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases besides the classic type that affects babies?
There are also late-onset forms of these diseases, referred to as juvenile and adult-onset disease, depending on the nature of the symptoms and when they begin.

While babies with classic Tay-Sachs do not produce any hex A, individuals with the late-onset forms produce very small amounts of the enzyme. This is probably why their symptoms begin later in life and generally are milder than in the classic form.

Children with juvenile Tay-Sachs disease develop symptoms between 2 and 10 years of age that resemble those of the classic form (3). Although the course of the disease is slower, death generally occurs by age 15 (3).

Individuals with adult-onset Tay-Sachs disease (also called chronic Tay-Sachs disease) have far milder symptoms than children with the classic or juvenile forms. Symptoms usually begin between adolescence and the mid-30s, although they can begin in childhood (4). Affected individuals usually do not lose vision or hearing. Some individuals may have loss of certain mental abilities, including problems with memory and comprehension. Symptoms vary greatly in severity and can include slurred speech, muscle weakness, muscle cramps, tremors, unsteady gait and sometimes mental illness. Life expectancy is variable, and in some cases appears to be unaffected (4, 5).

Rare late-onset forms of Sandhoff disease appear to share many of these symptoms.

Is there any treatment for these diseases?
There is currently no treatment that will prevent these diseases from running their course. Affected children can only be made as comfortable as possible and given other supportive care.

Researchers are investigating whether stem cell transplants (sometimes called bone marrow transplants) could help babies with classic Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases. Stem cells are immature blood cells that produce all other kinds of blood cells. Stem cells are obtained from umbilical cord blood or from the bone marrow of a donor. Unfortunately, stem cell transplantation has not yet been successful in stopping or reversing brain damage in Tay-Sachs or Sandhoff diseases, and this treatment poses a high risk of death in affected babies (6).

Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of drug treatments (including a drug called miglustat, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat a related disorder) in helping to reduce the build-up of fatty substances in brain cells in individuals with these diseases (7, 8).

Who is at risk for Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases?
Tay-Sachs disease occurs most frequently in descendants of Central and Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jews. About 1 out of every 30 American Jews carries a mutation in the gene that codes for hex A (9). Some non-Jewish individuals of French-Canadian ancestry (from the St. Lawrence River Valley of Quebec) and members of the Cajun population in Louisiana are also at increased risk (9). Individuals in other ethnic groups in this country have about a 1 in 300 chance of carrying a mutation in this gene (9).

Sandhoff disease can occur in any ethnic group, though it is uncommon. Individuals not of Jewish ancestry are more likely to carry one of the gene mutations that causes Sandhoff disease than those of Jewish ancestry (1 in 600 vs. 1 in 1,000) (2).

How are the diseases transmitted?
All forms of Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases are inherited. Tay-Sachs disease is caused by mutations in a gene on chromosome 15 that codes for hex A, while Sandhoff disease is caused by mutations in a gene on chromosome 5 that codes for hex B. Both diseases are passed on through parents who carry one of these mutations. A carrier does not have the illness. However, when two carriers become parents:

* There is a 25 percent (1-in-4) chance that any child they have will inherit a gene mutation from each parent and have the disease.
* There is a 25 percent chance (1-in-4) that the child will inherit the normal gene from each parent. The child will not have the disease and will not be a carrier.
* There is a 50 percent (2-in-4) chance that the child will inherit one normal and one abnormal gene. The child will not have the disease but will be a carrier like the parents.

If only one parent is a carrier, none of that person’s children can inherit the disease. However, each child has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the gene mutation and being a carrier.

Carrier screening is commonly performed before or during pregnancy for adults in populations who are at risk for these disorders.

Can these diseases be diagnosed before birth?
Yes. Prenatal tests called amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) can diagnose these diseases before birth. Amniocentesis usually is done between the 15th and 20th week of pregnancy. In this test, the doctor inserts a needle into the mother’s abdomen to take a sample of fluid that surrounds the fetus. The fluid contains fetal cells, which the lab tests to see if they contain hex A (when testing for Tay-Sachs) or hex A and hex B (when testing for Sandhoff).

CVS is generally done between the 10th and 12th weeks of pregnancy. In CVS, the doctor retrieves a sample of cells from the developing placenta either through a thin tube inserted through the vagina or by inserting a needle through the mother’s abdomen. The placenta contains cells that are genetically identical to those of the fetus, and these cells are examined for the presence of the enzyme.

If prenatal testing shows that only hex A is missing, the baby will have classic Tay-Sachs disease. If both hex A and hex B are missing, the baby will have classic Sandhoff disease. In a small number of cases, the doctor may recommend DNA-based genetic testing to look for known mutations in the hex A gene or hex B gene that cause the late-onset forms of the diseases. This type of test can determine whether the fetus has classic or a late-onset disease, and possibly how severely affected the child may be.

Some medical centers have begun offering genetic testing to carrier couples who undergo in vitro fertilization (a process in which eggs are removed from a woman’s ovaries and fertilized in the laboratory with her partner’s sperm). The embryos are tested for a genetic disease, and only healthy ones are implanted in the mother. This is called pre-implantation genetic testing.

How can people find out if they are carriers?
An individual can take a test that measures the amount of hexosaminidase in the blood. Tay-Sachs carriers have about half as much of hex A as noncarriers, but this is plenty for the carrier’s own needs. Similarly, carriers of Sandhoff disease have reduced but adequate amounts of both hex A and hex B.

A blood sample also can be used to perform DNA-based genetic testing for known mutations in the hex A or hex B genes.  This kind of testing may be recommended if the results of the carrier screening test are uncertain.

Where is carrier screening for Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases available?
Carrier screening is available from a genetic services center or clinic. A health care provider can provide referrals to local sites where testing is available, as can the National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association.

The genetic services center performs the carrier screening test that can determine whether one or both partners carry mutations that can cause these diseases. Trained genetic counselors will explain the test results so that individuals know whether or not their children will be at risk for the disease.

What research on Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases is being conducted by March of Dimes grantees?
March of Dimes grantees helped pinpoint mutations in the hex A gene that are responsible for late-onset forms of Tay-Sachs disease. I