It’s time for a new year again — the Chinese New Year! If you didn’t know, the Chinese zodiac is based on the cycle of the moon, which repeats every twelve years. Each year is linked to a different animal.
According to legend, the twelve animals ran a race thousands of years ago to determine their order. Each child born after that race takes on the traits of the animal assigned to the year they were born. The twelve animals that appear on the Chinese Zodiac calendar include a rat, buffalo (ox), tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Their appearance on the Chinese Zodiac is the topic of countless legends and is deeply embedded in Chinese mythology.
This year, 2019, is the Year of the Pig. Those born in the Year of the Pig are cheerful, kind, and positive. If you were born in 1995 or 2007, you are also a Pig! Predictions aside, the annual celebration of Chinese Lunar New Year is a chance for sampling food, games, music, martial arts, and colorful pageantry related to Chinese heritage. The official start of the year is February 5, but local and regional celebrations of the holiday start on February 1 and run through February 17.
Ready to get in the spirit? Look through Chinese Lunar New Year events to attend, find a Lunar New Year-themed book at a local library to read with your family, or create Chinese New Year delights!