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"Oshogatsu"
New Year in Japan
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The Year
2005, known as the Year of the Wooden Green Rooster (Chicken), is the
year 4,702 in the Chinese calendar.
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The foundation of Chinese Astrology comes from Ying-Yang and The Five Elements - Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth. According to legend, the Buddha concluded that the Chinese nation needed reorganization and, at New Year, invited all the animals in the kingdom to attend a meeting.
Only twelve animals showed up so to honor them, the Buddha bestowed each one with a year of its own. Each animal has its own personality and characteristics and many believe these characteristics apply to people based upon the year of their birth.
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The twelve animals
of the Asian Zodiac are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. |
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The
Cycles of the Chinese (Asian) Zodiac
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There are two cycles – the twelve-year cycle and the great cycle that lasts for 60 years. The great cycle is the combination of the twelve animals and the Five Elements, based on the five complete journeys of Jupiter. There are five variations of each of the animals. For example, a person could be born in the year of the Metal Monkey, Water Monkey, Wood Monkey, Fire Monkey or Earth
Monkey.
One
example of the importance of the 60 year cycle is Kanreki ("Kan" means cycle +
"Reki" means calendar in Japanese). It is a
time for Japanese (and other Asian cultures) to celebrate their lives as
they have completed the cycle - 12 years and 5 animals. The concept of
"longevity" is very important in Asian cultures.
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Preparations
for the Chinese New Year
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Chinese
New Year, 2005, is February 9th (8th in the US), based on the Lunar Calendar with the New Moon, and lasts 15 days, ending with the Full Moon. The last day of the New Year is called "The Lantern Festival" and people celebrate by organizing a parade with children carrying lanterns.
Preparations begin well in advance. The old year is ending so one must bring things to a close in order to welcome a new year and begin fresh. This includes paying off debts & settling accounts; evaluation of the past year and the failures & fortunes; spiritual and physical cleansing--getting rid of negative attitudes, cleaning one's home and office.
During the celebration of New Years, people renew friendships, exchange gifts, dine on special foods meant to bring prosperity, good fortune, longevity, and happiness.
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