Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
Chinese New Year of the Water Tiger ! Huh?
Actually, year of the Tiger and of the Water element. Each Chinese New Year is assigned one of the 12 revolving animals of the Chinese Zodiac (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig), and one of five elements: Water, Earth, Fire, Wood or Metal.
The myth on the origins of the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac is interesting as it is said that the Jade Emperor of China (玉皇) invited 12 animals to participate in a race for a place in the 12-year moon cycle. Hence, each 12 years forms a cycle, that begins anew with the rat, who won the race. Most importantly as noted by Catia Li (2022), a substantial fortune-telling industry is based on the Chinese Zodiac, and all of its permutations with the elements.
Celebrated by more than 2 billion people worldwide, the Chinese New Year is a Lunar New Year, corresponding to the second new moon after the Winter Solstice. Thus, the Chinese New Year is the first moon appearing between January 21st and February 21st. In China, the Chinese New Year is called the Spring Festival. A festival that begins one week before the new moon, and that lasts for 6 days following the new moon. Six days that change each year, although they form an official Chinese public holiday. Beyond China, the Chinese New Year is celebrated by Asian communities worldwide, including in Korea, Singapore, Mongolia, Tibet and Vietnam.
In 2022, the Winter Olympics XXIV will start during the Spring Festival, in Beijing, China, on February 4th. In 2022 also, several initiatives for the protection of endangered species—tigers in particular, are dovetailing with the Chinese Year of the Tiger. For example, the Prada Tiger Protection Initiative, is partnering with art classes in schools across China, for children's drawings on the significance of the tiger. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) TX2 – Double Tigers Initiative is also resetting its agenda, considering that in 2010, the WWF TX2 initiative set the goal of doubling the tiger population, estimated at 3200 tigers world wide, by 2022, the next Chinese Year of the Tiger. The effort to date is partially successful, since there are now approximately 3900 tigers worldwide, a figure that indicates a reversal of the extinction.
To celebrate the New Year in Chinese, just say: 新年快樂 (Gong hei fat choy )
References
Avery, D. (Feb. 1, 2022) Lunar New Year: The Year of the Tiger 2022 explained.
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/lunar-new-year-the-year-of-the-tiger-2022-explained/
Li, C. Jan (27, 2022) Chinese New Year 2022: From tiger to rat, what do the zodiac animals mean?
https://www.newsweek.com/year-tiger-what-tiger-represents-chinese-new-year-1674648
Prada Celebrates the Lunar New Year With Tiger Protection Initiative.
https://hypebeast.com/2022/1/prada-lunar-new-year-tiger-protection-initiative
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) TX2 – Double Tiger.
https://www.worldwildlife.org/initiatives/double-tigers
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – About TX2.
https://tigers.panda.org/our_work/about_tx2/
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