Ice cream was invented in China around 2000 B.C. when the Chinese packed a soft milk and rice mixture in the snow. China is the fourth largest country in the world. The Chinese year is based on the cycles of the moon. It is called a lunar schedule. A complete cycle of the Chinese calendar takes 60 years. The Chinese calendar dates back to 2600 B.C. It is the oldest known calendar. Each year is represented by an animal. There are 12 animals which represent the 12 months. Fourth graders are expected to know 2,000 of the over 40,000 written Chinese characters. By the time they leave college, they will know 4,000 or 5,000 characters. Unlike the 26 letters of our alphabet, Chinese words cannot be sounded out letter by letter. Buddha named the years after the twelve animals that came to visit him before he left the earth. The Chinese believe that you have some of the characteristics of the animal representing the year in which you were born. Red is considered a lucky color in China. At one time, wedding dresses were red. New Year’s banners, clothing and lucky money envelopes are still red.
— mapsofworld.com