The Chinese Lunar New Year

The lunar new year is coming up next week and I thought I write a
bit more on the subject. I thought it was interesting to note that
just like Japanese culture the house is cleaned on December 31,
the same is done here only the house is cleaned before the lunar
New Year and a special type of couplet/poem is written and
placed above the entrance ways.

Chun lian is a special type of duilian and is used only during the
lunar New Year. While duilian is permanent, chunlian is a
temporary decoration but with changing times some people may
keep them up all year long. These couplets are written on vertical
strips of red paper in the best calligraphic style, and not made on
Adobe Photoshop or Macromedia Fireworks like these. But in
these changing times I am sure it is no longer uncommon!

The first, called upper line is posted on the right side of the front
entrance way. The second, called lower line is posted on the left
side of the front entrance. In addition a third horizontal line may
be posted across and on top of the front entrance.

So this is the couplet

The translation is as follows:
The first(right side): Spring arrives, birds sing, fragrant flowers
The second(left side): Winter leaves, clear mountain water sparkles
The third(top): Spring returns to earth

**Please note: I am using a Japanese OS to type these characters.
There maybe some differences from the Chinese characters.
For example: 透or秀. The simplified and the traditional form.