The Tiger Yields
To the Rabbit
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This year's Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 16. It represents the year 4697 according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
The New Year is a time when Chinese people around the world celebrate wholeheartedly with cheerful faces and colorful new clothes and shoes. They gather with a few good friends or pass along the streets to display their happiness. Though firecrackers may thunder on every side of them as they pass, everyone keeps walking, walking without hesitation to meet the festive new year. New Year's is the most joyous celebration of the year, and is traditionally a gift-giving time, just as Christmas is for Westerners. In many areas of inland China, the celebration lasts almost the entire month.
Through decades of cultural change, the Chinese New Year has been gradually shortened by the tempo of modern life and the urgent demands of the work world. In cities abroad, today's celebration runs from five to 10 days, though in rural areas it often spans three to four weeks. In the United States, the holiday is observed by Chinese communities for only one to three days.
This year is the Year of the Rabbit(or Hare). The Rabbit, which is born of "yin" essence, has a life span of 1,000 years. When it turns 500 years old, its hair turns white and it acquires the magical power to transform itself into any object.
Consider for a moment the ancient story of a man named Mr. Sui of Teng-Chow. His family was exceedingly wealthy. When he died, diviners suggested that he be buried in a specific mound. When a hole was drilled in the mound, a white rabbit suddenly sprang out of the ground. The hare lay on the rock awhile, then transformed itself into a dragon, which plunged into the sea, leaving the mark of its scales on the rock.
The white rabbit is a good omen and brings luck for 1,000 years. Similarly, the red rabbit is the king of auspicious animals and manifests itself when virtue prevails in the world. The ordinary rabbit symbolizes crafty foresight. In an anecdote from the Warring States period (481-221 BC), Fung-Huan says to Prince Mon (Hsong-Zhen): "A wily rabbit has three exits to its burrow, which enables it to avert any tragedy. Now you've only one exit and are unable to sleep with peace of mind. Shouldn't you provide yourself with two more exits?
If you were born in the Year of the Rabbit (1903, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 and 1999), you've likely been blessed with a good life and financial success. This luck of yours not only extends to your business interests but also to games of chance. Rabbit people are smooth talkers with talent and ambition. They display refined tastes and are admired, trusted, tactful and placidly tempered. Rabbits also tend to be cautious, and as a consequence, excel in business and make clear-headed gamblers.
Rabbits are kind, affectionate, obliging and always pleasant, though they have a tendency to get too sentimental and sometimes seem superficial. Being cautious and conservative by nature, Rabbits are the luckiest of all signs. And while they have a tendency to be shy, they are also articulate and lovers of tranquillity throughout their lives.
Rabbits do have one outstanding problem, though: they love to chatter and frequently get into trouble with their tongues.
According to Chinese tradition, the Rabbit gets along best with people born in the Year of the Sheep or Boar. They should avoid people born in the Year of the Rooster. Rabbits have the potential to make good lawyers, diplomats or actors. People born in the Year of the Rabbit include the greatest Chinese philosopher Confucius, Rudolph Nureyev, and Einstein.
In this Year of the Rabbit 1999 (the year before the coming of the Millennium and the invasion of the Y2K bug!), I offer everyone a sincere wish to have the most healthy, happy, prosperous, peaceful and successful Chinese New Year.