Entering the Year of the Pig
2019 Year of the Pig - traits of this Chinese zodiac sign
There’s no greater happiness for Chinese than celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year, which this year falls on February 5. Also known as the Spring Festival, the annual holiday is a profusion of red poetic couplets decorating doorways, mouthwatering meals, explosive sounds of fireworks and warm gathering of families.
Not only is every mode of transportation fully booked as Chinese people travel to their hometowns for family reunions, but most shops, grocery stores and tourist attractions are closed for a few days to allow everyone to take time off to rejoice.
And with each lunar new year comes the important entry of one of the animals in the Chinese zodiac, which has an important influence on the year ahead. 2019 is Year of the Pig.
The Chinese zodiac, shuxiang in pinyin, is a cyclical system. Each year is associated with one of the 12 zodiac animals that take turns over a period of 12 years in the following order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. It was the traditional way in ancient China to count the years and record a person’s age.
The pig occupies the 12th of all zodiac animals. If you happen to be born in any of the following years: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019…then your shuxiang is pig, and this year, the Year of the Pig (February 5, 2019-January 24, 2020) is your benmingnian, which is considered a milestone in your life.
In Chinese culture, the pig symbolizes having sufficient food, fertility, home safety, material joy, prosperity and wealth, which are all essential for the upkeep of the family. Pigs are also thought to be efficient