Celebrated around the world, the Lunar New Year is a time for family reunions, food buffets, and millenia-old traditions. This year, January 25, marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year and the “Year of the Rat.”
The Chinese calendar follows a 12-year cycle with each year representing one of twelve animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor declared that the order the animals arrived in to his party, determined their order in the 12-year cycle. The rat tricked the ox into giving him a ride to the party and at the last minute hopped off and landed ahead of the ox, becoming the first attendee. For this reason, the rat is the first animal that appears in the zodiac calendar.
Happy Lunar New Year to all our readers. We hope the year brings good luck and peace!