Day 1: Year of the Rabbit

Image Courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk

Today is the Chinese New Year. The Chinese lunar calendar is divided into twelve animals, this year being the Year of the Rabbit.

According to the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, people that are born in the year of the rabbit are articulate, talented, and ambitious. They are trusted, and typically lucky. The other 11 zodiac animals are the rat, ox, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. It is believed that the Festival began during the Han Dynasty to thank the gods for a good harvest.

Chinese culture is superstitious, and during many holidays the Chinese rely on certain foods that are believed to be lucky. A Lettuce Wrap is supposed to be lucky, and clams and spring rolls are supposed to bring wealth. The most common food found on the New Years are tangerines and oranges, symbolizing luck and wealth. Other traditions besides food is the giving of lucky money in red envelopes to children.

The Chinese New Year is a 15 day celebration, ending on the 17th. The festivities end with the Festival of Lanterns. The celebration is a very family-focused event, where families travel around their cities to see their relatives and neighbors. They eat dinner and attend the festivities. People migrate home to see their families, and sometimes the New Years is the only time they can make it back to China.

Image Courtesy of oneinchpunch.net

If you're planning on traveling to China, I hope you didn't fly this past week, or will be flying around the 20th because flying will be a nightmare. In an article posted on MSNBC.com, it is estimated 230 million people will be heading to China over the week to be with family, or to just experience China over the New Years.

Maybe it's just coincidence, but as I sat down to write this blog something ran across the snow outside my window. I looked out and it was a brown rabbit. It was big and fluffy, pausing at the top of the hill looking back toward me. Maybe that means I am being blessed in this new year, and my trip to China will be a lucky experience. Keep a look-out for these lucky creatures outside your windows.