Welcome to the Frederick Puzzler's Corner!
This is a monthly event to encourage puzzle solving in the geocaching community, and all are welcome.
February 5th is Chinese New Year!
Today is the first day of Chinese year 4717, the Year of the Pig (the twelfth sign of the Chinese zodiac), and is also known as Spring Festival. The new year starts on the first new moon of the year, and ends on the full moon 15 days later. It is the biggest holiday in Chinese culture, and celebrated with festivities, fireworks, brightly colored lights, special meals with family and gift giving. Similar to other countries and their holidays, China has modified the “legal” celebration for New Year’s to seven days, this year being from New Year’s Eve on February 4th, through February 10th. If you go back to old folk customs, the traditional celebration starts earlier, on the 23th day of the twelfth lunar month.
The last day of celebration is the day of the Chinese Lantern Festival, held this year on February 19th and marking the end of Spring Festival.
Traditional Chinese holidays are still celebrated based on the lunar calendar, while China has adopted use of the Gregorian calendar for government, business, schools and other organizations. This explains why we see the new year celebration on different dates every year. Based on the Gregorian calendar, the Chinese start their new year anywhere from January 21st to February 20th.
Pigs, with their chubby faces and big ears, are a symbol of wealth. The Pig is yin, and is associated with the hours of 9-11pm. If you were born in a Year of the Pig, count your blessings (and riches), but don’t be gullible, as another trait of Pigs is to be a bit too trusting.
I don’t know about you, but all this talk of pigs is making me very hungry for some good bacon…
And now, for the usual spiel…
This event is open to all cachers, no matter what your statistics say or whether you even like puzzles! So newbies and addicts, socialites and lone wolves, mark you calendar.
If you've got a puzzle or mystery cache that's currently got you stumped and you'd like to pick some brains, this event is for you! Zombies are not welcome here though, so please leave your pets at home - we want everyone to leave with the brains they brought, at minimum.
This event has evolved to a think-tank type gathering, with everyone collaborating on the latest tantalizing quizzler on their radar. Occasionally there may be a short tutorial on some aspect of puzzle solving, but the learning seems to come from working with others to solve a targeted teaser. You don't have to work on puzzles to enjoy this, as there are plenty of stories to be heard. However, you'll have plenty of others to commiserate with, and you might find someone who has already solved a puzzle using a similar technique. We continue to see successes and progress at each gathering.
For the puzzle junkies, bring your puzzle paraphernalia - flagged caches, laptop or tablet (Wi-Fi is available), theories, library card, worksheets, (sp)eye glasses, HTML color code charts, Enigma machine, abacus, scratch paper (don’t forget your writing instrument) - you never know who, or what, will show up, and what kind of help you can take advantage of. Maybe you’ve recently cracked a tough one and want to see the wheels spinning while others tackle it - that can be loads of fun! Yes, we have regular head-slapping moments!
If you have a specific puzzle or puzzling topic you'd like help with, feel free to make note of it in your Will Attend log.
When & Where:
Tuesday, February 5, 2019, 6pm - 8pm
Wegman's Market Cafe
7830 Worman's Mill Road
Frederick, Maryland
All food and beverage costs are your own responsibility.
Field trips not included.
(But it's a good time to plan them!)
If you drop any trackables into this event, make sure they have all been claimed or reclaimed before you leave. We don’t want them getting lost in the muggle world!