Posts Tagged ‘Dragon’

Year Of The Dragon

Year Of The Dragon

January 23 rings in the Chinese new year, the year of the dragon. The holiday is based on the lunisolar calendar that has an average of 29 and a 1/2 days per month. The celebration actually comes from ancient lore and the legend tells of a beast that descends on the first day of the new year to eat crops, people and livestock.

A long time ago, a village would be terrorized by a monster called Nian on the first day of the new year. Villagers would offer up food to get it to go away. A child wearing red scared the monster away, so the Chinese started hanging red lanterns and decorations outside their homes. They also started beating on pots and pans to scare the monster away with the noise they made.

The Dragon

They eventually made a costume resembling the dragon. The dragon was able to scare away their monster with the help of the ruckus they made beating the pots and pans. This is why the Chinese use the dragon and fireworks to bring in their new year, which is a 15 day celebration. Scaring away the Nian, which symblizes bad luck and or a demon, they scare away the bad luck and let the good luck come in the new year. The Chinese new year is just like Christmas in Western culture and is a 15 day celebration of gifts, food, dragons, fireworks, red decorations and family.

The Chinese Zodiac

The Chinese Zodiac uses animals and the year of your birth to associate certain attributes much like the Western astrology system uses what day of a  month you were born in to determine your sign and characteristics for each. Find your year of birth below and see what animal and attributes the Chinese Zodiac says about you.

Born In: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

Rat – 鼠 Forthright, tenacious, intense, meticulous, charismatic, sensitive, intellectual, industrious, charming, eloquent, sociable, artistic, and shrewd. Can be manipulative, vindictive, self-destructive, envious, mendacious, venal, obstinate, critical, over-ambitious, ruthless, intolerant, and scheming.

Born In: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009

Ox – 牛 Dependable, ambitious, calm, methodical, born leader, patient, hardworking, conventional, steady, modest, logical, resolute, tenacious. Can be stubborn, dogmatic, hot-tempered, narrow-minded, materialistic, rigid, demanding.

Born In: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010

Tiger – 虎Unpredictable, rebellious, colorful, powerful, passionate, daring, impulsive, vigorous, stimulating, sincere, affectionate, humanitarian, generous. Can be restless, reckless, impatient, quick-tempered, obstinate, selfish, aggressive, moody.

Born In: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011

Rabbit – 兔Gracious, good friend, kind, sensitive, soft-spoken, amiable, elegant, reserved, cautious, artistic, thorough, tender, self-assured, shy, astute, compassionate, lucky, flexible. Can be moody, detached, superficial, self-indulgent, opportunistic, stubborn.

Born In: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012

Dragon – 龍Magnanimous, stately, vigorous, strong, self-assured, proud, noble, direct, dignified, eccentric, intellectual, fiery, passionate, decisive, pioneering, artistic, generous, loyal. Can be tactless, arrogant, imperious, tyrannical, demanding, intolerant, dogmatic, violent, impetuous, brash.

Born In: 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 

Snake – 蛇Deep thinker, wise, mystic, graceful, soft-spoken, sensual, creative, prudent, shrewd, elegant, cautious, responsible, calm, strong, constant, purposeful. Can be loner, bad communicator, possessive, hedonistic, self-doubting, distrustful, mendacious, suffocating, cold.

Born In: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002

Horse – 馬Cheerful, popular, quick-witted, changeable, earthy, perceptive, talkative, agile, magnetic, intelligent, astute, flexible, open-minded. Can be fickle, arrogant, childish, anxious, rude, gullible, stubborn.

Born In: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003

Sheep – 羊Righteous, sincere, sympathetic, mild-mannered, observant, artistic, intellectual, ingenious, innovative, creative, mothering, peaceful, generous. Can be indecisive, over-passive, worrier, pessimistic, sensitive, shy, weak-willed.

Born In: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004

Monkey – 猴Inventor, motivator, improviser, quick-witted, inquisitive, flexible, innovative, problem solver, self-assured, sociable, artistic, polite, dignified, competitive, objective, factual. Can be egotistical, vain, arrogant, selfish, reckless, snobbish, deceptive, manipulative, cunning, jealous, suspicious, stubborn.

Born In: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005

Rooster – 雞Acute, neat, meticulous, organized, self-assured, decisive, conservative, critical, perfectionist, alert, zealous, practical, scientific, responsible. Can be over zealous and critical, puritanical, egotistical, abrasive, proud, opinionated, given to empty bravado.

Born In: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

Dog – 狗Honest, intelligent, straightforward, loyal, sense of justice and fair play, attractive, amicable, unpretentious, sociable, open-minded, idealistic, moralistic, practical, affectionate, sensitive, easy going. Can be cynical, lazy, cold, judgmental, pessimistic, worrier, stubborn, quarrelsome.

Born In: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

Pig – 豬Honest, gallant, sturdy, sociable, peace-loving, patient, loyal, hard-working, trusting, sincere, calm, understanding, thoughtful, scrupulous, passionate, intelligent. Can be naïve, over-reliant, self-indulgent, gullible, fatalistic, materialistic.

I surprisingly realized while writing this article that I am a dragon according to the Chinese Zodiac, now maybe that is why I love dragons and everything to do with them so much!

Have Fun,

Rhonda