Happy belated Chinese New Year! I like to talk about calendars and dates and ways we’ve historically measured time, and this gives me yet another opportunity to do so.

Most of us are only vaguely aware that Chinese New Year exists. We then remember that it involves paper dragons and fireworks and the Year of the [Insert Animal]. Chinese New Year is probably more accurately called the Lunar New Year because it coincides with the first full moon of the lunar calendar year. In much of Asia, they actual extend their new year celebration for an entire lunar cycle rather than just one very expensive drunken night in clothes you look good in but aren’t very comfortable.

Also, the purpose of the dragon and the fireworks aren’t for fun, but rather to scare away the evil beast-thing Nian, who reputedly eats human flesh on New Year’s day, and New Year’s day only. If only the Fourth of July had as metal a back-story.

UNITED SOCCER LINKS:

• It looks like there may be a USL franchise-in-waiting in Fort Lauderdale, which makes me very excite.
• The Rowdies signed forward Jaime Siaj on Monday.
• If you’ve got a little time, this docuvideo is a good peek into some of the history of the US Open Cup and its first trophy.