The Meaning of the Rat Year in China
While the rest of the world counted down the seconds to a new year on January 1st, China was counting days. Much like Easter, the Chinese New Year never takes place on one fixed date, and the Chinese lunar calendar determines which day the year begins.
This time, the Chinese New Year began on January 25th, 2020, marking the Year of the Rat. The animal denotation originates from a Chinese tradition related to the zodiac horoscope.
You might be wondering what that means exactly. According to Chinese culture, the rat is a sign of wealth and surplus. Also, since rats have a high reproduction rate, they represent a sign of fertility. As a result, married couples often pray for children in the Year of the Rat.
Each animal determines the characteristics of people born in that year. So people born in the Year of the Rat are often said to be intelligent, resourceful, creative, and sociable. Since the animals are on a cycle, everyone meets their birth year once every 12 years.
Why Animals for Years?
You've likely come across weekly horoscopes such as the Keen Horoscope and turned to them for advice on your career or love life. The Chinese zodiac serves the same purpose, even though it uses animals instead of the relationship between planets and zodiac constellations used in the Vedic horoscope.
The 12 animals which make up the system are:
- Rat
- Tiger
- Rabbit
- Dragon
- Ox
- Snake
- Horse
- Rooster
- Goat
- Monkey
- Dog
- Pig
Each animal represents a lunisolar year and helps determine certain aspects of life. As it is an essential part of their culture, the Chinese rely on it for knowing their compatibility with others and a lot more.
So, why the animals? There are beliefs that the Chinese zodiac originated from the worship of animals. Some stories say the Jade Emperor held a competition to decide the zodiac animals.
Of course, there are other more straightforward explanations, not based on folklore. For example, some believe the animals provided a system that's easy to understand and interpret. Whatever the origin, the system has become an integral part of Chinese culture over the last 2,000 years.
Importance of This Rat Year
The coronavirus outbreak put a damper on this year's celebrations because of travel restrictions and the increasing mortality rate. Due to this health epidemic, China may face economic challenges in a year meant to bring wealth. As China is the 2nd largest economy in the world, any financial troubles may have a global impact.
For China, the outbreak is an extra blow on an economy that had already begun to slow down in 2019. The trade war with the US contributed to that economic decline, but a trade deal is underway to resolve that. Now, China holds on to the hope that this year will bring relief to the economy and the health crisis too.
