Each year I celebrate the Lunar New Year by inviting friends over to play games, enjoy Chinese take out, folding origami, and reading horoscopes. This year Eric and I will be by ourselves at home with Tsuki. It’s the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac, the third sign of twelve.

The Lunar New Year is the start of a calendar year that follows the moon cycles, based on the lunisolar calendar. It’s observed all over East and Southeast Asia and even in the Middle East and cultures vary in their zodiac and traditions. Most commonly known as the Chinese New Year, it is also the Spring Festival, chunjie (春节). The first full moon of the lunar year marks the end of the new year celebrations and is known as the Yuanxiao Festival (元宵节) or Lantern Festival (灯节). Traditions of the New Year often include eating dumplings, receiving money, setting off fireworks, and decorating or wearing the color red. Red is for protection and fortune!

Unlike the solar calendar which always begins the calendar year on January 1st, the Lunar New Year’s beginning can vary across the months of January and February. This year in 2022, it begins on February 1st. If you were born in the years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, or 2022 then you are a Tiger sign (depending on when the new year actually started).

Similar to the 12 Western zodiac signs, the Chinese zodiac, or shengxiao, is represented by 12 zodiac animal signs. The legend of the zodiac is that the Jade Emperor summoned the 12 animals to race to his palace for a banquet. The order of the zodiac is the order that they arrived at the palace: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Although, the rat was said to have cheated by riding on the back of the Ox before leaping in front across the finish line! Also, sometimes I have seen the Rabbit sign substituted as the Cat sign.

Tiger people are strong, brave and benevolent, making them good leaders but they can be hotheaded and impetuous as well. As I said, we are entering the year of the Tiger, hǔ (虎), specifically the Water Tiger. On top of the zodiac animals, the new year is tied to one of the five elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, or Wood based off of the Wu Xing philosophy. All the elements are interconnected and there is no hierarchy. The goal is simply balance and harmony. These elements bring out certain traits within the zodiac signs and some elements are more compatible with signs than others.

The element of Water represents the direction North, the planet Mercury, and can represent wealth and money. According to my favorite horoscope app is Daily Horoscope (also in the App Store), this could be an excellent year to better your life and improve your fortunes. I find this app in particular to be eerily accurate for my own readings. It provides both western and eastern zodiac readings, plus Druid. Check it out, it’s a lot of fun!

Finally, a couple of books to enjoy that reference the Chinese zodiac are The New Astrology by Suzanne White and the Fruits Basket manga series.

Thank you for reading! Happy new year to all! May you be blessed with good fortune!