By Lauren
Happy Chinese New Year 2014!
The whole of China is currently awash with vibrant decorations and lively celebrations to welcome in the country’s most important date, the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. This year, the new year falls on Friday, January 31. Whether you’re currently teaching abroad in China or not, public parades are held in cities around the world, so you can still get involved in festivities to see in the Year of the Horse.
The Chinese calendar passes in cycles of 12 years, with each year representing a different animal. The cycle starts with the rat, followed by ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, then finally, the pig, and then the cycle starts over. According to legend, people born under each year will possess particular personality traits and be lucky – or unlucky – in certain areas of their life. With each New Year, the new zodiac sign brings with it new strengths and challenges that will affect everyone’s lives.
The animal representing the coming year, the horse, is associated with traveling and is considered a symbol of success. A horse can transport a person to their desired destination, which translates to wishes being fulfilled in the career, love life or friendships this year. Those who were born in a previous Year of the Horse – 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942, 1930, 1918 – are forecast to experience significant development in their leadership skills and an increase in their level of authority, both at work and at home.
As a sociable creature and also a powerful fire sign in Chinese folklore, the horse is known best as the romantic sign. It is widely believed that many people will experience an enhanced love life in 2014, especially horse compatible signs, the tiger and the dog. The fact that the horse is a fire sign also connects it to the color red, which is considered lucky in China.
Find out more about your Chinese sign and what this year might have in store for you here.
May the Year of the Horse bring you luck and good fortune in 2014, wherever you are in the world!