Year of the Dog

A Chineseindonesian man prays on the eve of the Lunar, or Chinese New Year in Surabaya, East Java province. The new year is the most important holiday for a number of countries in east and south-east Asia and yesterday, the first day of the Year of the Dog, was marked with colourful celebrations and parades. The Chinese zodiac moves through a 12-year cycle with a corresponding animal sign for each year. There are five types of dog and this year’s has an earth element, meaning people born under the sign are good friends, communicative, serious and responsible.