Also known as the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year is a joyous occasion celebrated by the Chinese community all over the world. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit based on Chinese zodiac. It starts from January 22nd, 2023 and ends on February 9th, 2024. In Chinese culture, the Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity.
The Chinese Zodiac is a traditional classification based on the lunar calendar that assigns an animal to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. Each animal is widely associated with a culture of ascribing a person’s personality or events in their life to the supposed influence of the person’s particular relationship to the cycle. Unlike the Greco-Roman zodiac, the Chinese zodiac is based on the moon rather than constellations. It is made up of 12 animals, in sequence, which are:
Aside from serving as a time guide, the Chinese Zodiac is frequently used to calculate one’s age, predict one’s characteristics, love life, career, and future fortune. Those born in the year of the Rat, for example, are thought to be intelligent and adaptable. Those born in the year of the Ox are honest and hardworking.
On romantic aspects, for instance, many believe that people who are born in the Rat year are most compatible with those born in the Dragon, Rabbit, or Ox year.
In some countries, such as China, Taiwan, and Singapore, Chinese families choose a specific year and month to have their children because they believe the right combination of animals will bring the family prosperity. For example, many Chinese families believe that babies born in the year of the Dragon are destined for greatness.
An interesting fact about this practise is that, while it may appear be a superstitious practice that has no significant bearings, it has actually caused economic fluctuations in terms of consumer demand, due to a baby boom. As a result, manufacturers of baby products can expect to see growth in production and sales.
Apart from that, the well-known Chinese philosophy of the Five Elements (wǔxíng) is also correlated to the zodiac. The Five Elements Theory asserts that the world changes according to the five elements.
- Metal (jīn): Assigned to years that end with 0 or 1
- Water (shuǐ): Assigned to years that end with 2 or 3
- Wood (mù): Assigned to years that end with 4 or 5
- Fire (huǒ): Assigned to years that end with 6 or 7
- Earth (tǔ): Assigned to years that end with 8 or 9
Chinese Zodiac
Long ago, the Jade Emperor, ruler of heaven and earth, decided that a calendar would help his people measure time more easily. The Jade Emperor wanted to name the years after 12 animals when creating the calendar. He devised a method for determining the placement of the 12 animals by inviting all of them to race. Each Zodiac year will be named after the first 12 animals to arrive. With that, the ‘Great Race’ was created. To win the ‘Great Race,’ the animals would have to cross a fast flowing river and cross the finish line ahead of the others. According to the legend, each of the 12 animals had unique capabilities and racing experience. The rat, the first animal of the Chinese Zodiac, was in fact one of the weakest swimmers. But the clever rat found a way to win by riding on the Ox to cross the river. Ox is a powerful animal that could have won first place. However, as the Ox and rat approached the finish line, the rat jumped off and sprinted away, leaving the Ox in second place.
The tiger found it difficult to cross the river especially with the heavy currents pushing it downstream all the time. But with its powerful strength, the tiger made to shore and finished third. The rabbit got across the river by hopping from one stone to another. When there were no more stones left, the rabbit was worried that it would lose the race. When the rabbit was about to give up, a wooden log floated by and it decided to hop on the log to reach the shore. As a result, the rabbit finished fourth.
The fifth animal is the dragon, which surprised the Jade Emperor since dragons can fly. The dragon was swiftly making its way to the shore but stopped off to bring rain to a village where the farmers’ crops were suffering from drought. The dragon continued on its journey and stumbled across the rabbit struggling on a log. The dragon decided to blow the log gently, sending the rabbit safely to the shore.
Many were expecting the horse to arrive after the dragon but the snake arrived first. The snake had wrapped itself around the horse’s legs without its knowledge. The snake quickly uncoiled and slithered to the shore as they approached the finish line. The horse was taken aback, causing it to finish seventh.
The goat, monkey, and rooster decided to team up by using a raft. All three animals boarded the raft and made it to the finish line. The Jade Emperor was impressed, awarding eighth place to the goat, the monkey the ninth, and the rooster the tenth.
The second-last animal was the dog. The Jade Emperor was curious why the dog arrived much later. Apparently, the dog was distracted by the river’s clear water and decided to take a fun bath, playing and swimming. As a result, the dog only crossed the finish line in 11th place.
Finally, the 12th animal to arrive was the pig. The pig was late as it stopped several times throughout the race to have a meal and nap. As a result, the pig finished last.
Regardless of one’s beliefs, the Chinese Zodiac is an intriguing tale.
Join our Telegram channel to receive latest news alert