OpinionsEcon 101Year of the Metal Rat

Year of the Metal Rat

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2020 is the Year of the Rat according to Chinese zodiac, starting from the Chinese New Year on Jan. 25 and lasting through Lunar New Year’s Eve on Feb. 11, 2021.

The rat is the first in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac. It has the characteristics of an animal with spirit, wit, alertness, delicacy, flexibility and vitality.

The Years of the Rat include 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032.

It is said that people born under the sign of the rat are also known to be very sociable, charming, and fun-loving, curious, and always seek to learn more every day.

Why is the Chinese New Year different? Research shows that the Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar whose long history dates back to the Xia (21st century BC-16th century BC) and Shang Dynasty (16th century BC – 11th century BC).

Roughly speaking, it has existed for more than 4,000 years. It is based on a unique combination of astronomy and geography through observation and exploration.

Following its creation in the Xia Dynasty, succeeding reigns continued to use the calendar but modified it from time to time.

The Han Dynasty (202 BC- 220 AD) rulers instituted the Taichu calendar, while during Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the Huangji calendar was introduced and it was adopted by Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

The Chinese calendar is lunisolar calendar which is calculated according to the movement of the moon and the sun.

While the Western Gregorian calendar is calculated by the movement of sun; that is, when the earth goes around the sun for one orbit, it makes up for one year.

Generally speaking, lunar calendar is 20—50 days later than Gregorian calendar — which is what is used worldwide by governments and businesses.

Since it is based mainly on the movement of the moon, the Chinese New Year is generally/globally referred to as Lunar New Year.

This Lunar New Year is celebrated as the Spring Festival in mainland China, and other parts of Asia.

The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.

For this year 2020, the first day of the Chinese New Year was on Saturday, 25 January, which began the Year of the Rat.

Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the New Year vary widely, and the evening preceding Chinese New Year’s Day is frequently regarded as an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner.

It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly clean their house, to sweep away any ill-fortunes, and to make way for incoming good luck.

Another custom is the decoration of windows and doors with red paper cuts-outs and couplets. Popular themes among these paper-cuts include that of good fortune or happiness, wealth, and longevity.

Other activities include the lion-dragon dance, the lighting of firecrackers, and giving money in red paper envelopes.

The Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings Gong Xi Fa Chai, literally translated to mean “Wishing you enlarged wealth.” Gong Xi means wishing/blessing; Fa means enlarge(ment); Chai means wealth.

So a literal translation is that you are wishing someone to become very rich; the phrase is generally used as Happy New Year.

Gong Xi Fa Chai everyone!

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Author’s email: [email protected]

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