In the lesson video, listen to Wang Qiang invite Mary to a birthday celebration.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is China’s most popular traditional holiday. This 15-day celebration is officially called the Spring Festival. It is a time for feasting, family reunions, and fun. Chinese New Year is the first day of the first month on the lunar calendar. However, it falls on a different date on Western calendar each year.
There are 12 animal signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Each animal represents a different year in the 12-year cycle. Why these animals? There are varying interpretations for why these animals are the celebrated animals of the Chinese Zodiac. One story, and perhaps the most popular, is the tale of the fight among the animals that decided to settle their arguments with a race across a large river. The ox, who led the entire way came in second to the rat who rode on his back until the end, when he jumped off and declared victory.
Another story, coming from a Buddhist tale, accounts the story of the Buddha inviting all of the animals to a gathering before he departed the earth. The twelve animals of the Zodiac are the ones that answered his request and the order of their arrival represents their location within the Zodiac.
Each animal has attributes of personality and temper. When someone is born, it is said that they will possess similar traits as the sign in which they were born. Can you find your sign? Do you possess similar traits?