Chinese New Year celebrations have started in Melbourne, Australia, and 2019 is the Year of the Pig! A 15-day festival with performances will be held in the Melbourne business center. The Chinese New Year falls on February 5 this year, but the festivities start on the 2nd and continue to the 15th.
For a list of activities and performances in Melbourne, check out: What’s On.
How did the idea of the 12 animals and the zodiac come about? The 12 animal cycles are aligned with the 12-year orbital period of Jupiter and it dates back as far as A.D. 100. The 12 animals are part of the Chinese zodiac, which uses the universe’s movement patterns to make predictions on Earth. There are also many ancient stories of how the 12 animals were chosen for the zodiac.
One tale tells the story of the time when the Great Jade Emperor invited all the animals to gather for a race. Out of all the animals, only 12 arrived. The race was long and the animals needed to cross a river to win. The 12 animals had their own tactics on how they were going to win the race.
The carving of the Chinese Zodiac on the ceiling of the gate to Kushida Shrine in Fukuoka, Japan. (Image: Jakub Hałun via flickr CC BY-SA 4.0)
The rat was to wake the cat, but the rat was so excited that he left without his friend the cat. The rat made friends with the ox and rode on his back. Just before the finish line, the rat slid off the ox and won the race. Next came the ox, then the tiger, and then the rabbit came thumping over the finishing line. The dragon swooped in next, with the snake sliding off the horse, coming in at 6th place. The horse got a fright seeing the snake and he came 7th. The sheep arrived at the 8th place, with the monkey and the rooster following behind. Of course, the dog was having so much fun splashing about in the river that he nearly forgot about the race. He found his land legs and joyfully ran to the finishing line in 11th place.
“Oink oink oink… I’m coming, Mr. Jade Emperor,” pig skidded in the mud sliding across the finishing line. Covered in mud, pig approached the Jade Emperor and said: “Oink, oink, oink…I’m sorry for being so late. I slept in!” The Jade Emperor smiled and said: “Dear pig, you have finished the race in 12th place, congratulations!”
The Great Jade Emperor announced that these were the animals of the zodiac in the order they finished the race. The cat was so upset about missing out on the race that he hated the rat, and that is why the cat always chases the rat.
The characteristics of the pig with its big floppy ears, chubby face, and big round body show the pig to have plenty of good fortune. (Image: Pixabay / CC0 1.0)
The years of the pig includes: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 and 2043. We all need to have a good look at these years because in China, the pig is known as a symbol of wealth.
This year, with the element being Earth and the animal being the pig, it encourages happiness and prosperity. After the busy and hectic year of the Dog, now the Earth Pig can encourage some rest and rewards, after a year of hard work. If your elements align with the Earth Pig, you will enjoy more of the Earth Pig’s good fortune. Although a mixture of elements from earth, wood, and water could create a different flow with global finances and stock markets. Nature could bring water to the earth and cause floods. However, the year of the pig’s good qualities of communication could outweigh any disaster and bring peace to many parts of the world. Let’s hope after a 12-year cycle, the Year of the Pig helps us all to reap rewards from the previous years efforts.
The characteristics of the pig, with its big floppy ears, chubby face, and big round body, show the pig to have plenty of good fortune. The personalities of the people born in the year of the pig are known to be realistic, beautiful, kind, and likable — attracting good fortune and blessings. They don’t waste time and complete their tasks. They might choose a leadership role so their opinion is heard. They have a friendly character, but are aware of troublesome people and will choose loyally and trustworthy friends. Also, they are enthusiastic people who always find the time to splurge on themselves and maybe those around them with entertainment and treats.
Have a happy and prosperous Year of the Pig!
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