Articles

Bring in the Rat!

by Danielle Wood

Do you smell a rat? Chinese people around the world are preparing for a year with rodents. And they're not even calling in the exterminator.

Forget Pisces or Capricorn, Leo or Sagittarius, we're talking Eastern zodiac here. The Chinese calendar dates back to the time of Emperor Huang Ti, and each year is represented by one of twelve animals. While the western calendar marks January 1 as the day to bring in the New Year, in the Chinese calendar, which takes both lunar and solar into account, the holiday falls about a month or so later. This year, it's February 7.

So goodbye pig, hello rat! Every Chinese New Year is cause for celebration. But this year may have some surprises up its sleeve. According to an article by Kent Ewing, printed in the Asia Times, we may be in for a wild ride. "When predicting how the coming year will unfold, soothsayers consider not only the animal sign but also the five earthly elements that rotate through the Chinese astrological system: metal, wood, water, fire and earth. This year's Rat is represented by earth sitting on top of water. The earth represents stability, but since it is sitting on water that stability is weak and the two elements are in conflict. So watch out: the foundation of this next year is shaky, creating a degree of unpredictability. This could mean anything from a bold surprise in the US presidential election to a global economic meltdown."