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Most of us are at least nominally familiar with Western astrology. It is represented by the twelve zodiac signs of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. The signs do not adhere to calendar months. Rather, each sign begins between the 20th and 23rd of a month and then lasts for approximately 30 days. Over the course of a year, we experience each sign one time. The dates of each sign remain consistent from year to year. Aries, generally accepted as the first of the twelve signs, always kicks off the Western zodiac year on March 21st. Your zodiac sign – also known as your sun sign - is determined by the month and day of your birth. Chinese astrology has similarities to its Western cousin, but it stands apart for many reasons. It similarly is represented by twelve signs, or stations. Here the signs are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Rather than lasting 30 days and occurring once every year, each Chinese zodiac sign lasts for 354 days, or almost one full year. The completion of an entire cycle - the time it takes for us to experience each sign one time - takes 12 years. In fact, the signs here are always referred to as “The Year of the …” Your Chinese zodiac sign is based on the year of your birth, but those born in January or February are impacted by the date of that year’s Lunar New Year. It gets a bit tricky. The Chinese zodiac may be broken down even further to include the Theory of the Five Elements, a philosophy used to describe the relationship and interdependence between all things. Each element is associated with two numbers, as follows: Years ending in 0 or 1 are Metal Years ending in 2 or 3 are Water Years ending in 4 or 5 are Wood Years ending in 6 or 7 are Fire Years ending in 8 or 9 are Earth
Not sure about your personal identification? Take a look at the charts below to determine your astrology sign as well as your element. The Lunar New Year is sometimes called the Chinese New Year. This isn’t completely accurate because the holiday is celebrated by many Asian and other cultures. The new year always occurs sometime between January 21 and February 21. Why does it change, when the traditional new year is always January 1st? As the name implies, the Lunar New Year is based on the lunar calendar. It begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Those who follow moon cycles, as many of us do, know that the date of the new moon fluctuates from month to month. Therefore, the date of the Lunar New Year will fluctuate as well. The most recent winter solstice occurred on December 21, 2020. We then experienced the new moon in Capricorn in January and will have a new moon in Aquarius in February. The 2021 Lunar New Year kicks off on February 12, and it will be the Year of the Metal Ox. Ox Years: 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 Metal Years: 1930, 1931, 1940, 1941, 1950, 1951, 1960, 1961, 1970, 1971, 1980, 1981, 1990, 1991, 2000, 2001, 2010, 2011, 2020, 2021
As you can see, 1961 and 2021 are both Ox and Metal years. Anyone born [during the appropriate months] in those years have the sign of Metal Ox. When the sign/element combination under which you were born occurs again, it is said to bring good luck. Therefore, 2021 should be a particularly auspicious year for the Metal Ox. This auspiciousness will be true next year for anyone who is a Water Tiger, the following year for the Water Rabbit, the year after that for the Wood Dragon, and so on. Celebrational traditions include parades featuring dragon dances and lion dances as well as firecrackers and fireworks. Red is the traditional color associated with Lunar New Year, so people hang red lanterns and other decorations, and give gifts (usually money) in red envelopes. It is also customary to eat foods that have lucky meanings including fish, dumplings and spring rolls to increase prosperity, sweet rice balls for family cohesiveness, and long noodles for happiness and longevity. Parades, festivals and other events are not occurring this year, but you can celebrate the holiday in small ways. Eat one of the dishes mentioned above. Craft a decoration from red construction or wrapping paper. Choreograph and move to your own version of a dragon or lion dance. Go do something. Have fun with it. Happy Lunar New Year!
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