Welcome to the Year of the Pig

On Tuesday February 5, 2019, we celebrated Chinese New Year and brought in the year of the pig. The Chinese new year falls on a different day every year and this is because it is based on a lunar cycle, unlike our calendar, which is based on the movement of the sun. In the Chinese zodiac, each year is dedicated to an animal, and it runs in twelve year cycles in a specific order. Each year also corresponds to an element based on the Chinese five element system – Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. This year is the year of the earth pig.

Years of the Pig include 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, and 2031. The pig year occupies the twelfth and last position in the Chinese zodiac. There are twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac, starting with the rat and ending with the pig.

People who are born in a year associated with a specific animal are said to have certain traits. Those born in a pig year are said to have the personality traits below. There are also five elements which rotate throughout the zodiac, 2019 is the year of the pig associated with the earth element. These elements further distinguish personality traits among people born in pig years. The different characteristics are listed below.

The Pig Personality

Pigs are diligent, compassionate, and generous. They have great concentration, and once they set a goal, they will devote all of their energy to achieving it. Though Pigs rarely seek help from others, they are always generous with their time and energy. Pigs tend to be very trusting, so can be easily fooled. They need to work on being a bit more discerning with the people they meet.

General speaking, Pigs are calm and collected when facing difficulties in life. No matter how difficult the problems Pigs encounter, they can handle things thoughtfully and carefully. They have a great sense of responsibility and are very good at being able to finish what they start.

Pigs might not stand out in a crowd, but they are realistic and grounded. Others may be all talk and no action, but pigs are the opposite – they are hard workers and dedicated to the task at hand always managing to bring their efforts to fruition.

Pigs are careful with money, but they do allow themselves to enjoy life. They love entertainment and sometimes treat themselves to things that make them happy. They are a bit materialistic, but this motivates them to work hard and earn money. Being able to hold solid objects in their hands gives them a sense of needed security.

Pigs are energetic and always enthusiastic, even if they are in boring jobs. If given the chance, they will take positions of power and status. Pigs believe that leaders are the ones who have often worked the hardest to advance, thus are the ones who should make decisions and tell people what to do. This motivates pigs to work hard so they can get ahead in life and business.

Metal Pig – Years – 1971, 2031

• Mind their own business and are not interested in gossip
• Slightly lazy and unmotivated but focus on their work
• Will succeed if they place more emphasis on work, not play
• Must learn how to budget and save to not squander financial luck that comes with their sign

Water Pig – 1983, 2043

• Responsible and serious
• Full of ideas
• Easily influenced by others
• Good in relationships, attentive and caring partners
• Listen and communicate well with friends and family
• Have good fortune and will retire with ample savings

Wood Pig – 1935, 1995

• Earnest and lovable
• Not focussed on accumulating money
• Need to plan and save for the future
• Take each day at a time
• Face difficulties with calm and equanimity
• Have kind and loving relationships

Fire Pig – 1947, 2007

• Dependent on others
• Excel in jobs that require cooperation and teamwork
• If they focus in their work, they will be successful
• Very good with money
• Very popular, get along well with everyone
• Some difficulties in romantic relationships

Earth Pig – 1959, 2019

• Very social with friends from all walks of life
• Have a lot of support in both work and life
• Fortunate lives and can find happiness
• Often have success later in life
• Need some work in the relationship department, not particularly romantic

If you were born in a pig year the following things are considered lucky…

• Lucky numbers: 2, 5, 8, and numbers containing them (like 25 and 58)
• Lucky days: the 17th and 24th of every Chinese lunar month
• Lucky colors: yellow, gray, brown, gold
• Lucky flowers: hydrangea and daisy
• Lucky direction: east and southwest
• Lucky months: the 2nd, 7th, 10th, and 11th Chinese lunar months

Unlucky Things for Pigs

• Unlucky color: red, blue, green
• Unlucky numbers: 1, 7, and numbers containing them (like 17 and 71)
• Unlucky direction: southeast
• Unlucky months: the 4th, 9th, and 12th Chinese lunar months

Men born in the Pig year are optimistic and gentle. They are very focused – once they decide on a goal, they’ll put everything into it.

They are not the best with money. Though cool-headed, they are also too gullible. They trust others easily and are often taken advantage of. If they are not careful, this can cause them to lose a fortune.

These men are also quiet. They love learning but don’t really know how to put their knowledge into words. They’re not conversationalists, but treat everyone warmly. This results in a large social circle with a lot of friends. Whenever they run into difficulties, there are always people who stand up to help. Though some people will lie to them, more people will love them because of their warm, honest personalities.

Women born in the Pig year are full of excitement. They attend social events whenever possible and treat everyone genuinely. Combined with their easygoing personality, they gain everyone’s trust and are well liked by everyone.

However, they are sometimes over-friendly. In their excitement, they can forget to give others personal space.

They also have good fortune with wealth. As long as they keep at it, their efforts will not be wasted. Though they don’t start with an advantage, their hard work will keep money flowing in and give them financial security.

At home, they are highly organized. If a room in their home is messy, they’d stay up the entire night to clean it up until it was spotless and up to their standards. These women love children too. Playing with children is one of the things that brings them the greatest joy.

Famous People Born in Pig Years

• Henry Ford (Founder of the Ford Motor Company, born July 30, 1863)
• Ronald Reagan (40th U.S. President, born February 6, 1911)
• Arnold Schwarzenegger (Former Governor of California, born July 30, 1947)
• Hilary Clinton (Former First Lady of the U.S., born October 26, 1947)

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Sources:

China Highlights – https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/pig.htm

Chinese Zodiac – https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/pig/

The featured image photo by George Watercolor Art