20 Hoodie Hoo Day
21 Card Reading Day
22 Walking the Dog Day
23 Tennis Day
24 National Tortilla Chip Day
25 Pistol Patent Day
26 Carnival Day
http://www.holidayinsights.com

Kaylen Thomas
Seasons Editor
krazee_kay@hotmail.com
       February first seems to mark the day when most high school singles start to doubt themselves. No one wants to be alone on Valentine’s Day- especially girls. While having something romantic planned on the fourteenth may seem like the best option, don’t forget you aren’t the only one at Alta High School whose facebook profile is listed as “single.” I’ve noticed each February that teens are extremely flirty and try to hint at Valentine’s day to a cute boy or girl in their class.  Because single people become desperate for the first two weeks of February, the fourteenth has also been named National Single Awareness Day or S.A.D. because people feel depressed when thinking about their single status. Don’t be one of the depressed people this holiday- have fun with all the other singles with this list:
        -Pamper yourself: Buy yourself your favorite ice cream and watch your favorite movie- treat yourself to a nice relaxing evening.
        -Hang out with Friends- You aren’t the only single one in your group of friends, get together and go to dinner and have fun
         -Try out a new recipe- Try making that dessert you haven’t had time to try and bake- Need ideas? Check out the foods link for more.
         -Secret Santa- Valentine’s Style- Who needs a significant other to give you a gift on Valentine’s Day? Have your friends have a secret santa and pick names to buy for
          -Plan a Party- What do you get when you mix Just Dance, a romantic comedy, and lots of chocolate? A singles only party! Get your party on!!!

Forget S.A.D. and know that being single doesn’t define you!
Posted 2/1/12

Kaylen Thomas
Seasons Editor
Krazee_kay@hotmail.com
         We all know the theme song for Subways five dollar foot long. In fact, it’s going through my head right now. Why is February the month that sandwich chain, Subway, has decided to make people come get any five dollar foot long sandwich?  It could easily have been JanuANY.                  
         Subway’s five dollar foot long has been around since 2008 when they decided to have a promotion. They got the idea from one of their other owners, Stuart Frankel, who noticed in 2004 that on the weekends he was selling less. He came up with the idea to sell a foot long sub for an even five dollars. There was an noticeable increase in sales and a few other subway restaurants caught on.
        For the past four years, Subway has been offering five dollar subs as its most successful promotion every February because that was when the first five dollar promotion was offered. Ultimately, there is really no reason why February is considered a special month for Subway, just that it is an anniversary.
Posted 2/21/12

Kaitlyn Rowbotham
National/Community News Editor
krow94@hotmail.com  
    It’s the year of the dragon and people around the world are celebrating. Many traditions are a part of this global celebration of the lunar New Year, performed in hopes of bringing good luck for the upcoming year.
    Traditionally, Red envelopes or red packets are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried people. It is also common for adults or young couples to give red packets to children. Red packets almost always contain money, from a couple of dollars to several hundred. Custom dictates that the amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers because odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals.

In the above picture, two people watch fireworks burst over Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong on January 24. Thousands watched the fireworks show on the second day of Chinese New Year to usher in the Year of the Dragon. It is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day. Bamboo stems filled with gunpowder that were burnt to create small explosions were once used in ancient China to drive away evil spirits. Today, this method has evolved into the use of fireworks during the festive season.                                                            In the picture below, Chinese folk artists perform the lion dance at a temple fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Jan. 22 in Beijing, China. Dragon and lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beat of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively can get rid of evil spirits.

In the picture above, a Chinese calligrapher writes different Chinese characters meaning "dragon" as people begin to celebrate the Year of Dragon in Weifang, China, on Jan. 16. In Chinese tradition, each year is dedicated to a specific animal. The Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Rat, Boar, Rabbit, Dog, Rooster, Ox, Tiger, Snake, and Ram are the twelve animals that are part of this tradition. In 2012, the Dragon is welcomed back after the 2011 year of the Rabbit. Each of these animals are thought to bestow their characteristics to the people born in their year.                                                                       While the Year of the Rabbit was characterized by calm and tranquility, the Year of the Dragon will be marked by excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration and intensity. The Rabbit imbues people with a sense of cautious optimism, but people respond to the spirit of the Dragon with energy, vitality and unbridled enthusiasm, often throwing all caution to the wind – which can be an unwise move: The Dragon is all about drama but if you take unnecessary risks, you may find yourself starring in your own personal tragedy.

In the picture above, Chinese employees dress as gods of fortune to attract customers while distributing discount vouchers outside a shopping mall in Beijing, China, on Jan. 17. These gods include Cai Shen Ye and Che Kung.Cai Shen Ye is the Chinese god of prosperity and Che Kung was originally a military commander of Southern Song Dynasty, who legendarily had supreme power to suppress rebellion and was renowned for his loyalty to the Emperor. He was also famous for his power to suppress plagues and his skill in medicine. He is believed by some worshipers to have been involved in the attempt to keep the Song state alive by bringing Prince Ping and his brother to the South. He is now considered a god by Daoists regarded him as a god due to his contributions. Inside a temple of Che Kung, pinwheel can always be found. It is believed that the one who rotates the pinwheel can obtain good luck.
    Kung Hei Fat Choi ( Congratulations and be prosperous in the new year!)
 (Photo Credits: MSNBC.com)

Posted 1/25/12