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nationwide to set teh dates of holidays. In Taiwan and Vietnam, the Chinese calendar is only used to set the days of holidays. Japan does't use the Chinese lunar calendar. New Years Day is celebrated on January 1st. The years themselves are organized into 60-year calendar cycles: five times the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle. The current 60-year cycle extends from 1996 to 2055. The last one lasted from 1936 to 1995. The traditional Chinese calendar merges the 12-animal Chinese zodiac with the five basic elements (water, fire, metal, earth and wood) so that you can gave have a year of the metal rooster or fire pig that run on a 6 year cycle. The year 2004 was the year the of the wood money, the previous woodmonkey year was in 1944 the next one is in 2064. Good Websites and Sources: Chinese Calendar PaulNoll.com PaulNoll.com (http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Zodiac/index.html) ; Mathematics of Chinese Calendar math.nus.edu (http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/calendar/chinese.shtml) ; Wikipedia article on Chinese Calendar Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_calendar) ; Chinese Astrology 12 Zodiac 12zodiac.com (http://12zodiac.com/index.shtml) ; Chinatown Connection on Astrology Chinatown Connection (http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese-astrology.htm ) ; Chinatown Connection on the China Zodiac Chinatown Connection (http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese_zodiac.htm) ; Wikipedia article on Chinese Astrology Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrology) Links in this Website: FOLK RELIGION IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China (http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat3/sub8/item85.html) ; MYSTICISM AND SUPERSTITION IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China (http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat3/sub14/item100.html) ; SYMBOLS AND LUCKY NUMBERS IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China (http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat3/sub14/item99.html) ; FENG SHUI AND QI QONG Factsanddetails.com/China (http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat3/sub14/item97.html) ; RELIGION, FOLK BELIEFS AND DEATH ( Main Page, Click Religion) Factsanddetails.com/China (http://factsanddetails.com/china.php)
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The Chinese zodiac system with animals and basic elements evolved late as a way of making the system accessible to ordinary people. The use of animals and elements and days to tell fortunes, analyze personalities and access compatibility developed out of astrological folklore much like Western constellation-based astrology did.
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year-old man reportedly died of stroke because doctors were too preoccupied doing Caesarean operations. Couples also try to get married on auspicious days foretold by fortunetellers. Shengcheng bazi the year, month, day and time the bride and groom were born are important in determining whether couples are compatible. See Marriage. One fortune teller told the International Herald Tribune, T he majority of Chinese believe in horoscope readings and do not merely consult them for fun." See Chinese Zodiac Below
Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese zodiac is based on a centuries-old system based on natural elements, marked by fixed colors and assigned a dozen animals as they correspond to the hour, date, month and year of birth. To make leap year adjustments, the colors of white, black, green, red and brown also are assigned. The Chinese Zodiac is based on years rather months. Each year in a 12-year cycle is named after a different animal, with distinct characteristics associated with that animal. Many Chinese believe that the year of a person's birth is the primary factor in determining a person's personality traits, mental and physical attributes and success in love and life. Each of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals are combined with the five basic influences of fire, earth, metal, water and wood each with a yin (female) form and a yang (male) form to form a cycle of 60. The yin and yang years alternate with one another, and each of the five phases has both a yin and a yang form. Hare years are always yin, representing the female, soft and cool principles of the universe.
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A 10-year cycle that runs concurrently with 12-year cycle defines whether years in the 12-year cycle are auspicious or inauspicious ones. The year 1966 the Year of the Fiery Horse was regarded as a bad year for girls and was marked by a significant reduction in births. It was said girls born that year suffer from a dire fate and would be "un-marriageable man eaters." The year 2007 the Year of the Gold Pig was regarded as a good year to have children because there was a good chance they would be rich. The next Fiery Horse year is 2026. Birth rates in Asia go up in years of the dragon, considered an auspicious sign, and decline in years of the tiger, considered years that produce difficult children.
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Rabbits
Rabbits (1939, 1951, 63, 75, 87, 99) are the luckiest of all signs. Rabbits are regarded as talented, articulate, affectionate yet shy, and peace seekers. Sometimes others thinks of them as superficial, conservative and overly sentimental. They are most compatible with sheep and pigs and least compatible with roosters. Rabbits make good lawyers and diplomats. Famous rabbits include Confucius, Albert Einstein and Orson Welles. Rabbit are honest, sensitive, tactful, stylish, sophisticated, virtuous, private, quietly charismatic, thoughtful, calm and modest, but they also are viewed as snobbish, standoffish, introverted and withdrawn, self-righteous, oversensitive and a little unpredictable. In Vietnam, the rabbit is not a rabbit at all but a cat, which failed to make the top 12 in China, according to legend. Elizabeth VanderVen, an assistant history professor at Rutgers University and a specialist on Chinese and eastern Asian culture told AP: Rabbits are considered to be especially lucky financially, noting that some believe rabbits are the luckiest of all signs in the Chinese Zodiac. This is thought be especially true in 2011 because the 2011 rabbit year corresponds with the element of metal, symbolizing great wealth. [Source: AP, January 12, 2011] Famous rabbits include baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez, movie stars Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, Drew Barrymore; pop music singer-songwriter Enrique Iglesias; British author George Orwell; Frank Sinatra; Albert Einstein and Leon Trotsky. The rabbit comes fourth in the zodiac's 12-year cycle. Rabbit years include 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 and 1999 on the more international Gregorian calendar, as opposed to the luni-solar Chinese calendar that pegs 2011 as 4708. The rabbit year 2011 is white yin metal, likely making the precious metal of silver prominent, so watch for lots of silver souvenirs. T he 2011 rabbit will obtain wealth if she or he works hard and diligently, VanderVen predicts.
Dragons
Dragons (1940, 1952, 64, 76, 88, 2000) are considered eccentric, extroverted, complex, intelligent, passionate and healthy and have been described as adventurous dreamers with strong leadership qualities. Sometimes they are seen as foolish, indiscreet and demanding. They are most compatible with rats and monkeys, and least compatible with dogs. Dragons make good artists and politicians. Famous dragons include Joan of Arc and Freud. The dragon outranks the other 11 animal signs in the Chinese zodiac in China as it is the ultimate emblem of the Chinese nation and race. Paradoxically, it represents power and unmitigating authority on the one hand but benevolence and blessings on the other. Dragon years should be filled with happiness, security, abundance and prosperity. Kent Ewing wrote in the Asia Times: The dragon is the most revered and auspicious animal
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in the Chinese zodiac. It has long been the preeminent symbol of imperial power in China; indeed, the first set of stamps issued in the country - during the Qing Dynasty, in 1878 - bore the image of a giant dragon. [Source: Kent Ewing, Asia Times, January 24, 2012] The thrashing, fire-breathing ferocity of Western dragons may inspire fear and loathing, but in Chinese lore dragons are fierce and frightful because - like the emperors they have represented - they offer protection and security while also possessing mythical powers to ward off evil spirits and disasters. The birthrate in dragon years often leaps because it is the most auspicious in the Chinese almanac. In 2000, the previous Year of the Dragon, birth rates in Hong Kong shot up 5.6 percent, to 54,134, according to official data, and an even bigger spike, spurred by mainland mothers-to-be dodging China's one-child policy, is anticipated in 2012. Leo Lewis wrote in The Times: Of all stops along the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle, the Year of the Dragon has the clearest economic effects. The Chinese marry more and bear more children in a "lucky" dragon year: in a frenetically gift-giving culture growing wealthier all the time, 20 million births and 12 million marriages will translate directly into big sales of gold. [Source: Leo Lewis, The Times, January 23, 2012]
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The total absence of the fire element this year spells bad news for stock markets and the world of finance. The mediating influence of earth should prevent disaster, but count on a wet year for the world economy. Be careful and conservative in investments - or get soaked. In preparation for the onslaught of Dragon year babies, the Hong Kong government has raised obstetric fees at public hospitals for women from the mainland and also capped the number of deliveries by mothers who are not residents of Hong Kong at 3,400 in public hospitals and 31,000 in private hospitals. These caps, however, have prompted some desperate mainland moms to turn up at the emergency wards of the city's hospitals to have their babies. This, in turn, has led immigration officials to begin implementing checks on mainland women at the border and to turn back any visibly pregnant women who cannot prove that they have a booking at a Hong Kong hospital - an awkward and imprecise art at best. The irony in all this is that Hong Kong's fertility rate is among the lowest in the world and its rapidly aging population poses a threat to the city's future development. In other words, Hong Kong needs more babies, lots of them.
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rats, and least compatible with tigers. Monkeys are usually successful at any endeavor they undertake. Famous monkeys include Julius Caesar, Leonardo da Vinci and Elizabeth Taylor. Roosters (1945, 1957, 69, 81, 93, 2005) are devoted to their work, creative, shrewd, selfish, eccentric and seekers of knowledge. Sometimes regarded as dreamers, they can be boastful, extravagant and are known for speaking their mind. They are most compatible with snakes and oxen, and least compatible with rabbits. They make good soldiers, travelers and restaurant owners. Famous roosters include Rudyard Kipling, Caruso and Groucho Marx Dogs (1946, 1958, 70, 82, 94, 2006) are regarded as loyal. honest, stubborn, idealistic, supportive and sometimes selfish. They have a tendency to find fault with others and worry a lot and tend to be good listeners, insecure pessimists and find others take advantage of their loyalty. They are most compatible with horses and tigers, and least compatible with dragons. Dogs make good businessmen, teachers and spies. Famous dogs include Socrates, Benjamin Franklin and George Gershwin. Pigs (1947, 1959, 71, 83, 95, 2007) are considered one of the unluckiest signs. They are regarded as spirited, noble, chivalrous, fun to be with, likes challenges, intellectual. sincere, tolerant, spontaneous, living for the moment and not likely to "look to far beyond tomorrow." They establish long term friendships but are sometimes naive and often have marriage problems . They are most compatible with rabbits and sheep, and least compatible with other pigs. Pigs make good lawyers and entertainers. Famous pigs include Albert Schweitzer and Ernest Hemingway. Pigs are associated with abundance and years of the pig are regarded as years of plenty, The Year of the Gold Pig on the 60-year cycle (next in 2031) is especially good. Lots of children are born on that year and sales of gold pig charms are brisk. Image Sources: 1) Ancient Chinese zodiac, Art Museum of Chicago; 2) Chinese zodiac, All China net Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, Lonely Planet Guides, Compton's Encyclopedia and various books and other publications. 2008 Jeffrey Hays Last updated December 2012 Page Top
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