Ha.....it's so chinese! We chinese do have our own Chinese Calendar, and our new year is not celebrate on the 1st January according to the Western Calendar, but falls on 18th February. (Confused yet?) In China, the traditional calendar is known as the "agricultural calendar" (農曆 nónglì, 农历), while the Gregorian calendar is known as the "common calendar" (公曆 gōnglì, 公历), or "Western calendar" (西曆 xīlì, 西历).
The Chinese calendar (農曆 nónglì) is a lunisolar calendar whose date indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year.
Every year, we chinese label the year according to the Chinese Zodiac which made up by the Twelve animals (十二生肖 shí'èr shēngxiào, or colloquially 十二屬相 shí'èr shǔxiàng) representing the twelve Earthly Branches are, in order, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig (or boar).
And I think this year is the "Piglet" year! (Tee hee hee.....it's true!) And I was born in the "sheep" year. (blahhhh blahhh.....black sheep) Don't we chinese just have our own "interesting" way!? Wish you all a Happy Chinese New Year!
4 comments:
Hi Felix - happy new year to you! A question - why is there the sheep or goat, but all the other animals are clearly defined? Sheep are very different animals to goats. I was born in a monkey year, but if I was born in a sheep/goat year I would definitely be a goat, not a sheep.
Regards
Lynsey
You got me there!....mmm.. no idea why? But we do have both animal (sheep & goat) listed in the zodiac. (I do get confused!)
You know the bible always use Sheep to symbolize His people, whereby the goat symbolize the "naughty" or "disobedient" one......
Did I make a "monkey" out of you!? tee hee hee...(Don't know why everytime someone mention "monkey", the picture of Bush always pop up in my mind!)
Good day,
Felix Chai
Ha! When I think of monkeys - being the fine creatures that they are - I have to say I don't think of Bush, but instead of Wu Cheng-en's Adventures of the Monkey God :) I love those stories.
I like goats - goats are leaders, sheep are followers.
Cheers
Lynsey
i love wu cheng-en story too! Fabulous!
Haha....I never know goat and sheep have so many differences.....would be nice to list down a versus between sheep and goat! (And make a change in chinese calendar!)
With love,
Felix
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