Chinese New Year & The Chinese Zodiac

By Emma Suttie, D.Ac, AP

Chinese New Year

The celebration of the New Year is the longest, most important and most anticipated Chinese holiday. The Chinese New Year is celebrated by an estimated one-sixth of the population or one billion people! Because it is traditionally a holiday spent with family, the coming New Year causes an enormous number of people to travel to be with loved ones and has been called the largest annual human migration in the world. The traditional holiday period is 23 days long and is called the Spring Festival. it is broken up into three parts. The first eight days are called Little Year. This is when the preparations for the New Year begin and go until New Year's Eve. Chinese New Year officially begins on the ninth day and runs for the next ten days, for eleven days in total. This is officially called the Spring Festival. The last four days are called the Lantern Festival. Preparations begin on the first day and the Lantern Festival is held on the last day. Below is a chart to help you visualize it.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels

The Lunar Calendar

The date for the Chinese New Year varies each year because the Chinese Zodiac system is based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar and not the solar or Gregorian calendar that is used in the West and internationally. Using the lunar calendar, the first day of the month begins on the new moon. Chinese New Year's day is the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar. This is why the specific date of the Chinese New Year changes every year but is always between January 21st and February 20th.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels

The 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac

There are twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac and they go in a specific order. Every New Year it signifies the movement to the next animal in the cycle. The really interesting thing is that each animal year has lots of personality traits associated with it, and people born in that year are seen to be imbued with those particular traits.

What's Your Zodiac Sign?

The year you were born determines your Chinese zodiac sign, but, because it is based on the lunar calendar and not the solar, or gregorian calendar. People born in January or February have to pay special attention to their birth date as well as the year to make sure they get their Chinese zodiac sign correct as the exact date of the transition between animals varies every year. Here are the animals in the Chinese zodiac in order, starting with the year of the rat.

RAT - OX - TIGER- RABBIT - DRAGON - SNAKE - HORSE - GOAT - MONKEY - ROOSTER - DOG - PIG

Rat

People born in the year of the rat are highly organized and love saving money and collecting beautiful things. They are very discerning with the people they spend their time with. Rats don't like to be the centre of attention but are highly observant and very sensitive.

Ox

People born in the year of the ox are strong, quiet and very hard working. They have a strong sense of responsibility, and will always get the job done. They keep their emotions (and most other things) to themselves. If they run into difficulties, they always persevere. They don't lose their temper often but when they do, it is explosive.

Tiger

People born in the year of the tiger are highly protective, independent and are natural-born leaders. Justice is important to them and they are not afraid to fight to get it. In Chinese culture, tigers are believed to be the guardians of children so children often wear clothing, hats and shoes with tiger designs for protection.

Rabbit

People born in the year of the rabbit are gentle and kind. They are responsible and have great attention to detail. They are intelligent and excellent with their hands, making them excellent artists, craftsmen, builders and chefs. In Chinese culture, the rabbit represents the moon.

Dragon

The dragon is the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac. People born in the year of the dragon are mysterious and majestic. They are full of personality and love lives full of adventure. They are natural leaders and very charismatic. They will never lead a boring life. They are extremely ambitious and achieve great things. Dragons are a very revered creature in Chinese culture and represent royalty. Emperors were often seen as the reincarnation of dragons.

Snake

People born in the year of the snake are determined and devoted. They are rational, calm and thoughtful. They love solving complex problems and have many talents allowing them to be able to choose many different professions. Snakes are graceful and are loyal to all the people in their lives.

Horse

People born in the year of the horse are strong, powerful and elegant. They have great strength and enthusiasm. They love their freedom and have a strong sense of adventure. Horses are intelligent and quick-witted making them suitable for fast-paced professions as they can think on their feet and adapt to change.

Goat

People born in the year of the goat are loving, kind and gentle. They are lovers of animals, children and nature. They love to care for others because they are thoughtful and good-natured. They have many friends as they are great listeners and always understanding and kind.

Monkey

People born in the year of the monkey are highly intelligent, clever and adventurous. They are creative thinkers, have many interests and excel in many areas. They tend to be tricksters, but are good-natured. they are very sociable and humourous and are well-liked by their many friends. They make excellent leaders.

Rooster

People born in the year of the rooster are magnetic, confident and high energy. They love being the centre of attention and are charismatic, very sociable and successful. Roosters are intelligent, and organized, resourceful and courageous, they will lead an exciting life.

Dog

People born in the year of the dog are loyal, honest and kind. Because of their intense loyalty, they love to serve others. Warm-hearted, sensitive and generous, they always have many people around them who love them. They are dependable, intelligent and resilient, making them great friends and allies.

Pig

People born in the year of the pig are intelligent, generous and helpful. Sincere, romantic and generous, they have a laid back attitude and don't let things get to them. They are able to see the big picture and not get caught up in the details. They are calm and collected and are great at settling disputes.

RAT - OX - TIGER- RABBIT - DRAGON - SNAKE - HORSE - GOAT - MONKEY - ROOSTER - DOG - PIG

This cute image from cafeastrology.com

Being In Your Animal Year or Ben Ming Nian

Being in your birth year, or Ben Ming Nian in the Chinese zodiac happens every twelve years. You would think that when your animal rolls around that it would be a good thing, because it is YOUR animal so it must signify all kinds of good things for you, right?

Unfortunately, the opposite is true. It is considered a year that you have to be especially careful and where you are most predisposed to attacks from evil spirits and general misfortune. Good news though, something you can do to ward off any bad luck or calamity during your year is to wear red underwear every day. Yup, every day...

So why is it that being in your animal year is considered to be such bad luck? According to Chinese astrology, people in their animal year are believed to offend the 'God of Age' Tai Sui. Tai Sui is called a star, but is not in fact a star but roughly corresponds to Jupiter. Jupiter takes 11.86 years to orbit the earth and is an imaginary star that changes its position exactly 30 degrees each year, which means it orbits the earth exactly every twelve years.

The 'star' Tai Sui is said to bring back luck and misfortune to people in the zodiac year of the animal in which they were born. For example, if you were born in the year of the rat and you are presently in a rat year, you may be in for a rough year. Tai Sui eventually evolved into the God of Age and has been worshipped by many generations of Chinese. People offer the God of Age sacrifices to keep themselves safe from bad luck and offer blessings in their zodiac year. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can fend off bad luck in your zodiac year.

Getting Good Luck in Your Animal Year

Wear Red

Red is one of the luckiest colours in Chinese culture and is seen to ward off evil spirits and drive away bad luck. Red symbolizes prosperity, success, loyalty and happiness. Wearing red items like clothing, shoes, belts or socks in your animal year will bring you good luck and give you a better chance of having a good year. Red clothing will bring luck, but red underwear seems to really amplify red's luck producing effects. There is an important rule though to make sure that wearing red will have the desired effects - the red items (and especially the underwear) must NOT be bought by you, it must be bought by someone close to you like your spouse, family member or friend.

Photo by Castorly Stock on Pexels

Wear Jade

Wearing jade accessories like jewellery during your animal year is also seen to ward off evil spirits and encourage good luck.

Facing Away From Tai Sui

Because Tai Sui is seen to change position by 30 degrees every year, Chinese astrologers say that if you simply face away from the direction Tai Sui is presently occupying you can not only ward off bad luck, but you can bring good luck by simply facing in the opposite direction. Some Chinese take this seriously changing the position of furniture in their homes and sometimes where they live and work so they can be facing away from the God of Age and preserve their good luck for the entire year.

Origins of the Chinese Zodiac

The Chinese Zodiac or Sheng Xiao (生肖) is thought to have its origins in animal worship and dates back to the Qing dynasty, more than 200 years ago.

Legend has it that the creation of the Chinese zodiac comes from the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor is one of the most important deities in Chinese mythology. He is the ruler of heaven and the first emperor of China. He was renowned for his fairness, benevolence and mercy. Even in the present day, the Jade Emperor plays a significant role in Chinese life, especially during the New Year when the Jade Emperor is said to judge the character of each individual over the past year and reward or punish them accordingly.

The legend has it that the Jade Emperor summoned all the animals to his palace for a great feast, and they order in which they arrived determined their place in the zodiac.

The Chinese zodiac is extremely popular in China and the rest of Asia to this day and is an integral part of everyday life. The zodiac is used to determine what will happen during the year ahead, relationship compatibility, career and financial advice, the best time to have a baby and many aspects of daily life.

*Featured image by Min An on Pexels

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by Emma

Welcome To The Year of the Ox!

By Emma Suttie, D.Ac, AP

The Chinese New Year arrives on February 12th this year. The celebration of the Chinese New Year is called the Spring Festival and is the longest and most anticipated Chinese holiday. It is also celebrated by an estimated one-sixth of the world's population or one billion people! The traditional holiday period for the Spring festival is 23 days and is broken up into 3 parts. The first 8 days, this year from February 4th to the 11th is called Little Year. This is when preparations for the New Year begin and go until New Year's eve. Chinese New Year officially begins on February 12th and ends on February 22nd. This is the Spring Festival. And the last four days, this year February 23 to the 26th are called the Lantern Festival. Preparations begin on the 23rd and the lantern festival is held on February 26th.

Chinese Lantern Festival takes place on February 26th in 2021.
Photo by Leon Contreras on Unsplash

Lunar Calendar

The date for the Chinese new year varies each year because it is based on a lunar calendar and not the gregorian calendar that we use in the West. Using the lunar calendar, the first day of the month begins on the new moon. This is why Chinese new year falls on a different day each year.

Chinese New Year - February 12, 2021

The Twelve Animals of the Chinese Zodiac

Each Chinese New Year is associated with an animal. There are twelve animals in total and they go in a specific order and repeat every twelve years in a continuous cycle. 2021 is the year of the ox, which is the second animal in the zodiac. Each of the years also has an element associated with it. There are five elements and they are fire, earth, metal, water and wood. 2021 is the year of the metal ox.

Ox Years: 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021

Here are the animals in the Chinese zodiac listed in order with their corresponding year.

This image from cafeastrology.com

The Ox Personality

People born in the Year of the Ox are hard-working, loyal, trustworthy and conscientious. They are also reliable, methodical, fair and inspire confidence in others. As a result of these traits, they make friends easily and keep them for the long term. They are usually quiet and say little, but have strong opinions. They believe strongly in themselves but are also stubborn and hate to fail or be challenged. They usually have a great deal of common sense and intelligence. They are hard workers but never want praise or to be in the spotlight. In Chinese culture, the ox is a highly valued animal because of its work in agriculture. The twelve animals were chosen because of their importance to the people and the way they benefited their lives. Below are some of the personality traits of people born in the year of the ox.

strong
reliable
fair
conscientious
calm
patient
methodical
trustworthy
intelligent
loyal
quiet
serious
positive
grounded
workaholics
inspire confidence in others
opinionated
stubborn
hate to fail
don't like being challenged

According to astrologers, the year of the ox denotes hard work, positivity and honesty and these are the qualities that will manifest in all of us over the next twelve months.

Compatability

Most Compatible with Ox

Most compatible with Ox are Rat, Snake and Rooster.

Least Compatible with Ox

Goat, Horse and Dog.

Lucky Things for Oxen

Colours: Blue | Green | Yellow
Numbers: 1 & 4
Flowers: Lucky Bamboo | Lily of the Valley

Unlucky Things

Colours: Brown | Red
Numbers 3 & 6

What Animal Are You?

Check the chart below and find out your Chinese animal...

This image from changechecker.org

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Download This Sheet - Chinese Year Of The Ox

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by Emma

Happy New Year!! Welcome to the Year of the Horse!

Horse Years

1906 • 1918 • 1930 • 1942 • 1954 • 1966 • 1978 • 1990 • 2002 • 2014

Chinese New Year

January 31st, 2014 is the first day of the Chinese New Year celebration - and we enter the year of the Wood-Horse. The Chinese celebrate the new year according to the lunar calendar as opposed to the solar calendar like we do in the West. This is why the dates vary each year, as they depend on when there is a new moon. The Chinese New Year begins the longest and most important holiday in China. It begins on the first day of the lunar new year and runs for 15 days, where it ends with the Lantern Festival. The celebration, in its entirety, is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival. There are many celebrations, parties, feasts and fireworks, and during the celebration, it is traditional to wear red clothing to ward off evil spirits.

The Horse and Man

The relationship between horses and man goes back thousands of years. Some of the earliest evidence of the domestication of horses goes back to between 4000-3500 BCE. Since then, man has benefitted from the horses strength and endurance, as well as his loyalty and friendship. Joined with the horse and its power, man has been able to overcome great distances, farm lands and had a powerful ally in great battles and adventures. The truth is, man has never truly conquered the horse, and even though they have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship, the horse differs from other domesticated animals. The dog, known for its loyalty and faithful nature is without surprises, and the cat, is consistently independent and mysterious. The horse, who throughout history has shared many violent adventures with man - often risking his life - never gives of himself completely, as though some deep part of himself remains inaccessible from man who tries to dominate and enslave him. The powerful horse is willful and passionate, which is why man has always been so drawn to him.

Horse Characteristics

Below are some characteristics that are seen to embody people born in the year of the horse. They also represent qualities present in this, the year of the horse.

Positive Qualities: The horse is loyal, enthusiastic and inspiring.

Negative Qualities: The horse can be unstable, his temper flares up easily, is impatient and talkative.

Work: The horse is very ambitious and hates to lose.

Money: Careless and spends freely, yet is generous and unselfish.

Needs: Horses need to be supported, encouraged, complimented.

Loves: Voyages and great journeys, change and diversity.

Hates: Silence and lack of communication.

Favourite Activities: The horse is fearless and full of energy, he loves the sporting life and the competition - but understands the meaning of fair play, and if he loses, will do so with grace.

Favourite Places: Everywhere, other than where he is. Likes being in the homes of others. Hates being tied to one place or feeling like he is locked in.

Best Professions: Technician, cowboy, athlete, chauffeur, truck driver, union leader. Painter, poet, explorer and all professions where clear communication with others is important such as politician, professor, CEO.

The Horse Personality

People born in the year of the horse are noble, faithful, loyal and intelligent. The horse has a good reputation and is proud in appearance. Horses love the social life and crave acceptance. They make good companions, are eloquent with their words, know how to please and enjoy pleasing. Horses are popular and always manage to attract attention.

The greatest quality of the horse is its loyalty. They are frank and direct and excellent communicators. Horses are noble and sincere. People born in the year of the horse are practical and realistic, which, when combined with their enthusiasm and energy allow them to be extremely effective at whatever they set their minds to.

The horse personality tends to be quick tempered and impulsive which causes them to behave in unexpected and unreasonable ways, especially in conflicts with others. Horses long for the support and encouragement of others, and through this, can blossom and thrive. They get much of their equilibrium and strength from the people in their lives. Because of their need for others, horses do not enjoy solitude, but instead get their energy and strength from their connections, and the support of the people around them.

The Wood Horse

Every year in the Chinese zodiac represents one of the five elements of fire, earth, metal water and wood. 2014 is the year of the horse, and the element is wood. Wood is the element associated with spring, the liver and the colour green. The wood horse loves harmony, beauty and nature. The wood element is about growth and expansion allowing horse to overcome his fears of failure and succeed. When encountering obstacles, horse would rather use his creativity and imagination than reason or discipline. Forgetting his fears and insecurities, he will tackle problems and with his enthusiasm and great energy will overcome any issues he encounters with characteristic elegance and grace. Elegant horse hates routine and is much happier living in the moment and embarking on new adventures. Springtime is a creative time for horse and will bring him great power and the equilibrium he needs. Nature seduces horse attracting him with the possibility of new spaces to conquer and lands to discover which both satisfy his passionate and impatient nature. Conversely, like horse, wood is also passionate and excessive and the wood horse when out of balance, can become vulnerable, jealous and possessive.

Predictions for 2014

The year of the horse is supposed to be a year of growth and prosperity. This will be a creative year, full of new energy, strength and ideas. It will be a year where conflicts and problems can be resolved. Many predict dramatic changes in the economic, political and environmental landscapes this year, but, if we are strong and resilient like wood, these ups and downs can be overcome. The horse is incredibly powerful and tenacious, so even if we face difficulty and adversity this year, those intrinsic horse qualities will allow us to conquer any difficulties we may face.

Regardless of what the coming year may bring, we wish all beings and our beautiful planet peace, love and happiness, prosperity, health and success for the coming year, and all the years to come. Kung Hei Fat Choy!!