2020 The Year of the Metal Rat
WITH the Lunar New Year celebrations fast coming up, it is the time to prepare to greet a brand new, auspicious year.
Millions of Chinese wherever they may be are getting ready to celebrate their Lunar or Chinese New Year (CNY) next week. Since its inception over 3,800 years ago, CNY has grown its irrefutable prominence not only in China but also across the globe.
CNY 2020 falls on January 25th (Saturday), and the festival will last to February 8th, about 15 days in total. 2020 is a Year of the Rat according to Chinese zodiac. It is also known as The Year of the Metal Rat or Golden Rat. It magnifies the significance of abundance in Year 2020.
Unlike the New Year observed by those that use the Gregorian calendar, which is based on a solar calendar, CNY is based on a traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar whose dates indicate both the phase of the moon as well as the time of the solar year. In addition, a lunar month is around two days shorter than a solar month. As such, in order to “catch up” with the solar calendar, an extra month is inserted every few years.
CNY normally falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice on either December 21 or 22. Interestingly the lunar calendar is associated with the movement of the moon, which usually determines traditional festivals such as the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and MidAutumn Day. Each time the CNY falls on different dates of the usual Gregorian calendar, between January 21 and February 2020.
The main CNY activities include putting up decorations, eating reunion dinner with family on New Year’s Eve, putting up firecrackers and fireworks, and giving red envelopes and other gifts.
One of the most important activities during the CNY is the family annual dinner. This is a gathering of all family members; no matter how far the distance to travel home. CNY dinners have many meaningful dishes. Generally, all the dishes are homemade, and maybe the most abundant of the year. In addition, fish must be on the table, because the pronunciation of fish, yu, means ‘surpluses and wealth that we aspire to have more.
It has long been a Chinese tradition to set off firecrackers from the first minute of their new year. Fireworks have increasingly been added to the cacophony. From public displays in major cities to millions of private celebrations in China’s rural areas, setting off firecrackers and fireworks is an indispensable festivity. It must be remembered that the setting up of firecrackers and fireworks are subjected the country rules and regulation.
In Chinese tradition, each year is named after one of twelve animals, which feature in the Chinese zodiac namely Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
All the animals have a year dedicated to them once every 12 years, in a cycle. For example, 2018 was the year of the dog while 2019 is meant for the pig to reign. This year the rat or micky mouse is waiting for their turn.
According to the 2020 Chinese horoscope, the Lunar New Year celebrations start on Saturday, January 25 and end on February 11, 2021. The Rat is the first sign from the 12 animals cycle of the Chinese Astrology, and for this reason, 2020 is considered a year of new beginnings and renewals.
The Metal Rat Year is going to be a strong, prosperous, and lucky year for almost all Chinese zodiac signs. I am praying that every one of us will be healthy and will show determination regarding our goals, aspirations, and our hobbies. This is a great year for founding and evolving.
Like Christmas in many countries, people exchange gifts during the Spring Festival. The most common New Year gifts are red envelopes which contain money, and are believed to bring good luck. They are given to children and retirees and the unmarried ones.
CNY has its beginnings in the ancestor worship of the ancient Shang dynasty people, today the holiday is about spending time with family and sharing blessings and abundance with loved ones. It is a very jubilant occasion mainly because it is the time when people take a break from work and school, light up the sky with legally allowable fireworks, exchange large sums of money, wear special or new clothes, hang red lanterns to mark the occasion and eat and drink until you drop.
To all our Chinese readers I wish you all Gong Xi Fa Cai Happy NewYear.