We’re almost at the beginning of a new Chinese year! Lucky us. We get to celebrate New Year’s twice: once on January 1st and a second time on the first day of the first lunar month—which this year is January 28th.
As many of you already know, every year in the Chinese Zodiac is represented by an animal — each with special, auspicious qualities. This year, 2017, is the Year of the Rooster.
Why the rooster? What does it symbolize?
The rooster is a strong yang symbol, going back many hundreds and hundreds of years.
- The crown on its head (the rooster’s comb) show that it supports and encourages civil society.
- When a rooster finds food, it is said to let others know about it. Therefore, roosters are considered benevolent.
- Because it crows in the morning, marking the break from darkness to a growing sun light, it is important as a symbol for chasing away negative forces and what is evil.
- And, finally, because a rooster has razor sharp claws to fight against its enemies, it is considered courageous.
All of these positive symbols represent one side of a coin—the other side is the personal side. For those people born in the year of the rooster, this will not be such a good year. That’s because the year of one’s birth is usually considered an unlucky year for the person.
Whatever the year brings, New Years is a time of celebration. In times past, and perhaps today if jobs permit, people celebrate for at least a week with special dinners and visiting family and friends.