The 12 zodiac animal signs (shenxiao), are in order, the rat, ox (or Cow), tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (ram or goat), monkey, rooster, dog and pig (or boar). There are many legends to explain the beginning of the zodiac.
One of the most popular reads, in summarised form, as follows:
The rat was given the task of inviting the animals to report to the JADE EMPEROR for a banquet to be selected for the zodiac signs. The cat was good friend of the rat, but the rat tricked him into believing that the banquent was the next day. The cat slept through the banquet, thinking that is was the next day.
When he found out, the cat vowed to be the rat's natural enemy for age to come.
A variation tells that the cat had asked the rat to wake him up the day of the Race. The rat agreed, but on the said day, he did not wake the cat in his greed to win. When the cat finally woke up and got to the racing ground, he found the race to be over. The cat than swore upon the rat.
Rats are ruthlessly, power-hungry, vindictive, and MACHIAVELLIAN.
The Tiger is the third in the Chinese zodiac, line-up and correlates to the sign of GEMINI, an air sign which corresponds to symbolism of diversity, constant activity and intellectual superiority.
In China, the tiger is considered the KING OF ALL BEASTS and represents powerful energy. Further, the tiger is associated with TSAI SHEN YEH, the Chinese God of Wealth, and this god is usually seen sitting on a tiger in Asian Art.
The Tiger is powerful because it strength comes from both lunar and solar sources (symbolically). It is at once mystical and magical in lunar light-as well as commanding and authoritative by solar shine.
The 15th day of the first lunar month is the traditional Lantern Festival (YUANXIAO IN CHINESE). The name comes from the fact that the first lunar month is also called YUANYUE and XIAO means night. The night of the 15th day of the first lunar month marks the appearance of the first full moon.
It's a tradition to admire lanterns at the festival. The custom started from the Han Dynasty, and has a history of more than 2,000 years. On the night, every place is decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers and there is a bustling atmosphere. As night falls, people go in crowds to admire the colorful lanterns: palace lanterns, wall lamps, figure lanterns, flower lanterns, revolving horse lanterns, animal lanterns, and toy lanterns, of all hues and colors, forming a sea of flickering light and color. Some lanterns have riddles on them, which encourage people to compete to find the answer.
It is also a traditional custom to eat rice dumplings at this time. As early as the Song Dynasty over 1,000 years ago, there was such kind of food. The rice dumpling is a round ball of glutinous rice flour filled with a stuffing made of sugar and different kernels. After it is boiled, it is very fragrant, sweet and tasty. Since it is eaten on the Lantern Festival, people call it "YUANXIAO". The Chinese people hope that everything is satisfactory ("YUANMAN" in Chinese), and to eat rice dumplings on the first night witha full moon in a year is to wish that family members will remain united, harmonious, happy and satisfied.
The first day of the first lunar month is the New Year in the Chinese lunar calendar. Among the traditional Chinese festivals, this is the most important and the most bustling. Since it occurs at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, people also call it the Spring Festival.
Chinese have many traditional customs relating to the Spring Festival. Since the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, people start to prepare for the event. It was the day to offer sacrifices to the kitchen god in olden times. Every family will undertake thorough cleaning, do their Spring Festival shopping, create paper-cuts for window decoration, put up New Year pictures, write Spring Festival couplets, make New Year cakes, and also prepare all kinds of food to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new. The New Year pictures are those put up in the room for a happy and festive atmosphere when Chinese people spend the Spring Festival. The New Year cake, made of glutinous rice flour, is a kind of food for the Spring Festival, meaning "higher year after year".
New Year's Eve is the time for a happy reunion of all family members, when they sit around the table to have a sumptuous New Year'sd Eve dinner, talking and laughing, until daybreak, which is called "staying up to see the year out". When the bell toils midnight on New Year's Eve, people eat dumplings. In ancient time, midnight was called ZISBI (a period of the day from 11p.m. to 1 a.m.). Dumplings (JIAOZI) are eaten because it sounds the same as "change of the year and the day" in Chinese.
From the first day of the lunar year, people pay New Year calls on relatives and friends, which is an important custom for the Spring Festival.
Setting off friecrakers is the favorite activity of children in the Spring Festival. According to legend, this could drive off evil spirits. The continuous sound of firecrackers can be heard everywhere, adding to the atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity.
Many places hold temple fairs. The wonderful dragon lantern dance and the lion dance performances, along with various handicraft articles and local snacks attract thousands of people
With the development of the times, some changes have taken place in the customs of spending the Spring Festival. For example, to prevent environmental pollution, many cities have banned firecrackers. But this does not have an impact on the happy atmosphere of the festival. On New Year's Eve, family members get together to have dinner while watching TV programs.
For Chinese at home and abroad, the Spring Festival is always the most importan festival.
