Year of the Dog
Chinese New Year and Chinese Zodiac
February 16 marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year and the start of the Year of the Dog!
The Chinese Zodiac is split into twelves houses or blocks, but unlike the western Zodiac, each block represents a whole year, not just a month. Each house corresponds to an animal. The Telegraph newspaper of London recounts the legend behind the Chinese Zodiac:
The years allocated to each animal are in a very specific order. According to an ancient Chinese folk story, the Jade Emperor had called 13 animals to a meeting and announced that the years on the calendar would be named according to the order they arrived in. This led to ‘The Great Race.’ The rat travelled on the back of the ox, leaping from its back to nab first place. The pig stopped for a snack and a nap and arrived last; a cat was also in the race but drowned during the competition, leading to there only being 12 animals in the zodiac.
If you were born during the Year of the Dog, you are loyal, sociable, courageous, diligent, steady, lively, adaptable and smart. You can also have trouble communicating which leads people to believe that you are stubborn. To learn more about what Chinese Zodiacal sign you were born under, check out this article in the The Sun newspaper.
Dogs are considered lucky by the Chinese. If a stray dog approaches a house, it means good fortune is coming to the family. Ancient Chinese could predict good or bad luck depending on how many times a dog barked.
Even though dogs are considered lucky, anyone born during a previous Year of the Dog must be careful. Subsequent Years of the Dog are potentially unlucky.
Famous folk who should be wary in 2018 include Donald Trump, Alec Baldwin, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Madonna, Andie MacDowell, Judi Dench, Liza Minelli, Justin Bieber, Sharon Stone, Susan Sarandon, Prince William, and Kate Middleton.
Lucky numbers for people born in the Year of the Dog are three, four, and nine. Their lucky colors are green, red, and purple. Their lucky flowers are roses, oncidium orchids, and cymbidium orchids. Their lucky directions are east, southeast, and south.
