Create and share a new lesson based on this one. Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen recount this classic myth.

And of the many myths explaining these animal signs and their arrangement, the most enduring one is that of The Great Race. It's not just the decorations that require thorough planning.Ī days-long feast is also carefully curated.įor several days - starting on their New Year's Eve - people indulge in food with symbolic meaning, either based on appearance or word association.ĭumplings and spring rolls, for instance, represent wealth because they are thought to resemble silver ingots and gold bars. But according to the Chinese zodiac (), it’s your shuxiang, meaning the animal assigned to your birth year. He decided to have a race for all the animals in the country. The Jade Emperor an important god in traditional Chinese religions wanted to find a way to measure time. There is a traditional story about how the animals were chosen. The rat and the cat, who were good friends. Suddenly, Rat pushed Cat off and down the river. They rode the back of Water Buffalo across the river and were nearly to the shore. Cat and Rat were such good friends they decided to go together. …1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021… Jade Emperor (in Vietnamese Ngc Hong) held a race to Heaven to choose the 12 Animals for the Zodiac.

The animals of the Chinese zodiac symbolise a deep connection with that nation’s ancient cultural heritage, each one holding a unique place in Chinese history, mythology and customs. Each lunar year has a corresponding animal from the Chinese zodiac - all based on Chinese mythology - and this year is the year of the tiger. Rat, ox/buffalo, tiger, rabbit/cat, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. There are 12 animals following a repeating, 12-year cycle and they go by the following order: While customs, rituals and the length of celebrations vary, one thing stays true: honouring a fresh start. Koreans and Vietnamese also revel in new year festivities as they celebrate Seollal and Tết, respectively. To Chinese, Koreans, Taiwanese and those living in Hong Kong, the year is the Year of the Rabbit. To the Vietnamese, for example, this Lunar New Year will welcome the Year of the Cat. Although some traditions are shared, others are unique to each country's cultural identity.

Lunar New Year is celebrated in many other Asian countries, including Vietnam, the Koreas, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Lunar new year animals race