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FROMTHEEDITORINCHIEFTimeissuchafascinatingsubjectwhenyouthinkintermsofthecalendar.TherewasanEgyptiancalendarLunarcalendarRomanJuliancalendarandGregoriancalendar.Throughouthistorytheevolutionoftimeandcalendarshastransitionedfromaneedtoknowthebesttimetoplantthecropsthatsustainustokeepingtrackofalltheeventsthatwescheduleandwhichdefineourmodernlives.JuliusCaesarwassoannoyedbytheimprecisionofthethencurrentcalendarthatbyimperialdecreehedeclaredthat46B.C.wouldhave445dayssothatthecalendarwouldmorecloselyalignwiththeseasonsmovingforward.HenceforththeNewYearwastobeginonJanuary1andnotthespringequinoxinlateMarch.DespitethecorrectiontheJuliancalendarwasstill1112minuteslongerthantheactualsolaryearanamountoftimethataddsupoverthecenturies.PopeGregoryXIIIsoughttofixthisinaccuracyanddecreedthatThursdayOctober41582wouldbethelastdayoftheJuliancalendarandthatthenextdaywouldbeFridayOctober15thefirstdayoftheGregoriancalendar.Therecognitionofperiodicleapyearswouldmaintainthecalendarx19saccuracywhichhascontinuedtothisday.Notwithstandingtheleapyearfixthecurrentcalendargainsanaverageof26secondsperyear.Itwillequalonefulldayin3323years.TheChinesecalendarisbasedonnumerouspreciseastronomicalobservationsofthelongitudeofthesunandthephasesofthemoon.ItissocomplicatedthatIdarenottrytosummarizeithere.SufficeittosaythatinmostAsiansocietiestheGregoriancalendarisrelieduponforday-to-daylifeandtheChinesecalendarisusedtorecognizeimportantholidayssuchastheLunarNewYear.OnthisnoteitisonlyfittingthatIwishyouHappyNewYearsinthepluraltocovertheGregorianNewYearof2012andtheLunarNewYearof4710theYearoftheWaterDragon.InthisissuewehighlightalonglistofNewYearx19sx1cDox19sandDonx19tsx1dandadviseyouhowtoobservethe15daysoftheLunarNewYearalongwithahostoftraditionalactivitiesintendedtobringluckandprosperity.WehavehighlightedtraitsofeachanimalzodiacsignthatimpacttheirlovelivesinpreparationforValentinex19sDaywhichhasgainedinpopularityinAsia.WeshowyouhowthedifferentAsiancountrieshaveaddedtheirculturalspintothisholidayoflove.TheymaygiveussomeideasV.HoangPhotobyCollinKelly