Some of us hate to admit that we are superstitious, but do you wear some ‘lucky undies’ for big meetings?

Maybe not, but chances are there is something you do repeatedly that defies logic. Chinese New Year is like that, and is becoming a global event that spreads some of the curious quirks of Chinese culture into Western settings.

 

 

The Year of the Rooster

As has been reported, the 12-year cycle of the rooster lands in a fire element year which hasn’t happened since 1956 (there are five ‘elements’: water, fire, earth, metal and water).

Rooster is almost the epitome of fidelity and punctuality. For ancestors who had no alarm clocks, the crowing was significant, as it could awaken people to get up and start to work. In Chinese culture, another symbolic meaning of chicken carries is exorcising evil spirits.

People born in Rooster years are said to be good-looking and self-reliant, however this can lead to impatience and self-centredness. Sound familiar?

 

 

Is this the year to make money?

According to the rather excellent ChinaTravelGuide, those born in the year of the Rooster, 2017 “means bad fortune is going to knock their doors. It would be quite hard for them to make breakthroughs in work although many efforts are given. Accordingly, the income is also not favourable on account of being affected by career, but if they make a strict budget, they could make ends meet.”

2016 (the Year of the Monkey), was considered bad for business. Chinese investors will be loosening their purse-strings after this holiday, and we can expect a much more positive attitude and desire to push things forward over the next 12 months.

Interestingly, both Roger Federer and Serena Williams were born in 1982, which was a Rooster year. Will this mean success in the Australian Open finals over the weekend?

 

 

How to mark the occasion

Here are the quick and easy ways to join in the celebrations of Lunar New Year:

1.    Say “Gong xi fa cai!” or, if your Chinese friends are from south of China, Hong Kong or Macau (and use the Cantonese language), issue them a cheery “Kung hei fat choy!”

2.    Head to the nearest Chinese supermarket and buy a packet of red envelopes. Put cash in these (always new, uncreased notes) and give them to the children of your friends.

3.    Organise a feast that is held in a family home. Family is incredibly important to Chinese at this time of year – in a similar way that Westerners might look at Christmas lunch.

5.    Avoid the number ‘4’ at all costs. In Mandarin and Cantonese, the word for ‘four ‘ is similar to ‘death’.

 

Gong xi fa cai!