Happy Chinese New Year!

[Amiel]

The Chinese are wacky; collectively non-conformist they subscribe to the lunar calendar, which means that 2011 (for them at least and those influenced by their culture) officially starts today (Feb 3rd; apologies if this thread is made in the future, that's how Australians roll).

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!
Xin nian kuai le! Gong xi fa cai!
San nin faai lok! Gung hei faat coi!
Sin ni khoai lok! Keong hee huat chye!
Sin ngen kai lok!
Slin nen fai lok!

Apparently being born in the year of the Rabbit means that one is "articulate, talented and ambitious. One is virtuous, reserved and has excellent taste"
Hopefully the latter is not an example of double-speak.

Enjoy the slightly disturbing image;
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/004/4/6/year_of_the_rabbit_by_flakycake-d36fas9.jpg


Wait, sorry, wrong image;
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Bugs_Bunny_Pose.PNG

[rayne_dragon]

Enjoy the slightly disturbing image;


That is somewhat disturbing, crazy future person! Although I think we should try to bring paper fans back into fashion because they are cool.

Also Happy Chinese New Year!

[Teutonic Knight]

It's also Happy Vietnamese New Year, cause we got influenced by the Chinese so much.

Chúc mừng năm mới! :smallbiggrin:

[Joran]

It's also Happy Vietnamese New Year, cause we got influenced by the Chinese so much.

Chúc mừng năm mới! :smallbiggrin:

And Korean New Year. And Japanese New Year. I believe the Mongolians and the Tibetans celebrate it as well.

It ends at Vietnam because Laos and Cambodia apparently adhere to the Thai New Year, which is sometime in April.

My daughter, who is 5/8 Chinese and 1/8 Thai gets to celebrate three New Years.

[The_Admiral]

I am not wacky I just look for any excuse for a holiday
Gong Xi Fat Chai
Xin Nian Qui Le
Wan Se Ru Ie

[Manga Shoggoth]

For once my birthday falls on the new year, so we have cakes, cookles and sausage rolls in celebration of one or t'other.

For reference, I am a wet bunny.

I spent a long time thinking I was a damp dragon, but it appears that the new year in 1964 was on the 12th, which puts me back a year. However the concept of being a bunny rather than a dragon has worried me less since I discovered Momiji (although Hatori is pretty cool too).

[rakkoon]

yeah, me too. I'm a snake. It's better than a Rat but less cool than a Dragon. Can't win them all I guess. Happy New Year everyone!

[ZombyWoof]

I'm going to such a party this weekend because everyone had work this week.

[AtomicKitKat]

I'm a bionic Monkey.:smallbiggrin:

Also, Happy New Year!

[Brother Oni]

Amusing point that most people unfamiliar with the Chinese Zodiac don't always realise: telling people what animal year you're born in lets them pinpoint your age to within 12 years.

Not so useful over the internet where you can't physically see the person, thus the error increases in 12 year jumps, but you can usually make a reasonable guess.

Telling people what element your year was as well, lets them do the same to a 60 year margin (sorry Manga Shoggoth!).


Interestingly enough, my Zodiac year also equates to my western astrological sign as well.

[The_Admiral]

Lucky you I'm a Wooden Pig or a Cooked Rat

[Brother Oni]

Lucky you I'm a Wooden Pig or a Cooked Rat

Yes, your unedited cooked pig post had me scratching my head there. :smalltongue:

[The_Admiral]

When I was born I was a Wooden Pig this year I am a Cooked Rat its a bit confusing

[ForzaFiori]

Interestingly enough, my Zodiac year also equates to my western astrological sign as well.

Me too (well, kinda). I'm a goat according to the Chinese, and a sea-goat according to western astrology.

(and yes, I know that now you can figure out what month/year I was born in. Congratulations, it's in the Birthday thread anyway.)

[Manga Shoggoth]

Telling people what element your year was as well, lets them do the same to a 60 year margin (sorry Manga Shoggoth!).

Oh, I know.

My (12-year-old) daughter didn't, though. She was very impressed when I said that I told one of my (chinese) workmates that I was a wet bunny and he gave me my age almost immediately.

He was actually a year out as I was born just at the end of the year and he didn't account for that, but I wasn't going to tell her that... After all, an off-by-one error can happen to anybody...

[Lillith]

IT'S BUNNY YEAR! :smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin: Everybody! DO THE BUNNY HOP! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtlIdPx12ss)


yeah, me too. I'm a snake. It's better than a Rat but less cool than a Dragon. Can't win them all I guess. Happy New Year everyone! 2012 is Dragon territory though! I'm a... metal dragon myself I think. Or was it Earth?

Anyways, I heard it was also the year of the cat. Which countries are that? Vietnam? One of the Korea's?

[Galileo]

Gotta love New Year. My grandmother makes fantastic char siu pork for our family dinner. Char siu sauce is like barbecue sauce, only better in every possible way.

My family has three wood monkeys.

[Trog]

:smallbiggrin: Wooo! Year of the rabbit! *runs around holding RHL over his head* Woooo!

Also I was born on the year of the Golden Pig, supposedly the luckiest year to be born on which only comes around like once every 60 years. :smallsmile:

...

still waiting for that luck to kick in. Or it has already and I should, by rights, be like dead or something otherwise by now. Hard to say.

[CrimsonAngel]

I'm a rat, and I didn't even know when it was my year. :smallfrown:

Yay, Chinese New Year... *opens Guild Wars*

[VioletRice]

Unfortunately my Mandarin teacher is away right now, but usually we make a lovely dinner together with a few other of her students on the Chinese new year.

Anyway... Xin nian kuai le! :smallsmile:

[unosarta]

Unfortunately my Mandarin teacher is away right now, but usually we make a lovely dinner together with a few other of her students on the Chinese new year.

Anyway... Xin nian kuai le! :smallsmile:

Normally the whole Chinese department at my school goes to an amazing siquan restaurant, but for some reason my Chinese teacher decided to postpone it this year. But we still got to watch part of the official government programming the day/night of Newyears eve that was streaming live from China which was essentially people making fun of the Northern accent. :smallconfused:

[dracoslaad]

Happy mecha-bunny year everybody!

[Blue Ghost]

新年快乐 (xin nian kuai le), everyone!

There are so many traditions around Chinese New Year, but my family's dropped most of them, unfortunately. The only one we keep is that pointless and annoying one about not cutting our hair during the first month of the lunar calendar.

[Amiel]

That is somewhat disturbing, crazy future person!

I have seen the future, no one was spared, not even the children :smallbiggrin:


Although I think we should try to bring paper fans back into fashion because they are cool.

Definitely agree!


There are so many traditions around Chinese New Year, but my family's dropped most of them, unfortunately. The only one we keep is that pointless and annoying one about not cutting our hair during the first month of the lunar calendar.

Our family's kept a few traditions, more of the celebratory type rather than the observances; we don't pray to ancestors nor do we light incense. Because we're Northerners, we have to have dumplings on Chinese New Year's Eve and on the day itself, even in spectacularly hot weather.
There must also be a platter of fish to symbolise good fortune and success; supposedly the consumption of it bestows fortune and success upon the person wielding the chopsticks (or other eating utensils).

Alas, no red envelopes this year.


I'm apparently a Wood Rat('s Tail).

[Xuc Xac]

It's also Happy Vietnamese New Year, cause we got influenced by the Chinese so much.

Chúc mừng năm mới! :smallbiggrin:

But in Vietnam it's the year of the Cat.

Chúc mừng năm mới vui vẻ an khang thịnh vượng! Chúc bạn vạn sự như ý!

[Dr.Epic]

Enjoy the slightly disturbing image;
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/004/4/6/year_of_the_rabbit_by_flakycake-d36fas9.jpg

OHMYGOD!!! What is WRONG with your FACE?!?!?

Kidding aside, nice drawing.

YAY! Bunnies! I love bunnies! Seriously, if we could grow giant, battle bunnies I'd ride on like how Final Fantasy characters ride giant chickens.

[Eldan]

I'm a Fire rabbit, I think. (Feb 1 1987) I'm pretty close to being a Tiger, though, which is also nice.


Reading about the zodiac online, though, seems to say that Fire Rabbits should be extroverts. That's blatantly false for me, though.

I am also very much not calm and collected.

[Galileo]

YAY! Bunnies! I love bunnies! Seriously, if we could grow giant, battle bunnies I'd ride on like how Final Fantasy characters ride giant chickens.

Everyone has a secret dream to train a small nonthreatening animal as a loyal war mount. It's how we separate ourselves from the small nonthreatening animals!

For me, it's moles. Get a good terrodynamic cover for the saddle and you could ride it underground! No buried treasure would be safe!

[Dr.Epic]

Everyone has a secret dream to train a small nonthreatening animal as a loyal war mount. It's how we separate ourselves from the small nonthreatening animals!

You mean like in How to Train Your Dragon were Gerald Butler tries to train his son in a strong, manly viking?

[Eldan]

Rats, for me. Though I guess they wouldn't be so non-threatening anymore if they were giant.

They are so cute and cuddly and smart and...

[Dr.Epic]

They are so cute and cuddly and smart and...

You don't have to tell me they're smart. Ever see Secret of Nimh? One thing I'm never going to do with my PhD in Epicness is mess with rats.

[Eldan]

Really? I'm doing my Master's in Biology right now and messing with rats is fun.

[Dr.Epic]

Really? I'm doing my Master's in Biology right now and messing with rats is fun.

It's always fun messing with animals with science until you create a 100 ft radioactive version of the creature.

[Eldan]

They don't let me use radioactive stuff much, sadly.

[Brother Oni]

They don't let me use radioactive stuff much, sadly.

No need to. Genesplicing is the new hip trend among all popular mad scientists these days. :smallbiggrin:

[dish]

...

Also I was born on the year of the Golden Pig, supposedly the luckiest year to be born on which only comes around like once every 60 years. :smallsmile:

...

still waiting for that luck to kick in. Or it has already and I should, by rights, be like dead or something otherwise by now. Hard to say.

Another golden (metal) pig here. There were quite a few playgrounders born that year. The luck we were promised was supposed to be financial. Must say I'm still waiting for it. (Unless, as you say, it has kicked in and already kept me out of the bancrupcy courts.)

[Xuc Xac]

Also I was born on the year of the Golden Pig, supposedly the luckiest year to be born on which only comes around like once every 60 years. :smallsmile:


They all come around once every 60 years. It's a 60 year cycle. That's how it works.

[Skeppio]

Apparently, I'm a Yin Earth Snake.

....anyone know what that means? :smallconfused:

[Eldan]

Do what I did: google Chinese Zodiac. On the first page, there's half a dozen pages with explanations of each element-animal combination.

Fire actually seems to disagree with rabbit quite a bit if just looking at the basics of each.

Edit: also, hwere are you getting the Yin/Yang part from?

[Dr.Epic]

They don't let me use radioactive stuff much, sadly.

Really?:smallconfused: What kind of school do you do to?

[Eldan]

Technological university. We get some radioactive markers, but rarely much else. Of course, I'm in ecology, not in the fields that actually need radioactive stuff often, so that probably explains it.

[Xuc Xac]

Edit: also, hwere are you getting the Yin/Yang part from?

Check the article on the Sexagenary Cycle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexagenary_cycle) on Wikipedia. Also, you can see it under Celestial Stems. There are 10 Celestial Stems (5 elements with a Yin and Yang form of each) and 12 Earthly Branches (symbolized by the animals). They repeat in a 60 year cycle. It's 60 instead of 120 because the two even numbers don't overlap and half the combinations don't happen.

[Eldan]

Ah, got it. I'm a Yin Fire Rabbit, then. Interesting.

[grimbold]

in my chinese class today we watched jet lee's first movie to celebrate
he ate a dog

[Trog]

Another golden (metal) pig here. There were quite a few playgrounders born that year. The luck we were promised was supposed to be financial. Must say I'm still waiting for it. (Unless, as you say, it has kicked in and already kept me out of the bancrupcy courts.)
Financial luck? ... Yeah, no, not really, no.

They all come around once every 60 years. It's a 60 year cycle. That's how it works.
I'm aware. :smalltongue:

[Brother Oni]

Ah, got it. I'm a Yin Fire Rabbit, then. Interesting.

It is, since Yin indicates calm, introverted and dark, which you've noted is the inverse of the typical outgoing (yang) rabbit.

Checking the rest of my astrology (Yang Earth), it's surprisingly accurate when tied into my animal year.

[Joran]

新年快乐 (xin nian kuai le), everyone!

There are so many traditions around Chinese New Year, but my family's dropped most of them, unfortunately. The only one we keep is that pointless and annoying one about not cutting our hair during the first month of the lunar calendar.

It used to be for your entire life, so one month shouldn't be a huge deal.

My new daughter got her red envelopes, we had fish, that was the extent of our celebration.

[Admiral Squish]

Oh yeah, stone dragon, baby! I'm like twelve kinds of awesome.

Also, I'm apparently yang. Not sure what that implies.

[Eldan]

Yang: the male principle. Aggressive, hot, hard, fast and so on.

Basically, further characterizes the zodiac.

[Admiral Squish]

Yang: the male principle. Aggressive, hot, hard, fast and so on.

Basically, further characterizes the zodiac.

Okay, yeah, so I'm Awesome^3.

[Kuma Da]

AHAHAHA!

Rabbit year has come again! :smallbiggrin:

(and it turns out I'm a yin fire-rabbit. This thread has been quite the education.)

[Dr.Epic]

Yang: the male principle. Aggressive, hot, hard, fast and so on.

Basically, further characterizes the zodiac.

I always remember yang as male because of a card in Munchkin Fu:

the Yang Fang (usable my males only)

Yeah, it's kind of a stupid mnemonic device, but it works.

[Pokonic]

My chinese new year was great! Great fun, large party, and got a large haul of money! For the curious I am a yin wood pig!:smallbiggrin:

[Runestar]

Another golden (metal) pig here. There were quite a few playgrounders born that year. The luck we were promised was supposed to be financial. Must say I'm still waiting for it. (Unless, as you say, it has kicked in and already kept me out of the bancrupcy courts.)

Really? The horroscope they pinned up at my nearby supermarket says it will be quite a bad year for me, in terms of work relationships and financial stability. :smalltongue:

[RabbitHoleLost]

Apparently, I'm a Yin Earth Snake.

....anyone know what that means? :smallconfused:

Earth snakes, heck yeah!

...I used to know. Infact, I had several books on the Eastern Zodiac's astrology, but it was yeaars ago.
Sorry :smalltongue: