EDUCATION
CNY MYTHS AND LEGENDS
Illustration by Terry Chow, photos courtesy of www.wikimedia.org
Ever wondered why we celebrate Chinese New Year the way we do? Samantha Wong goes back in time to find out
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irst up, a few facts. Based on the lunar rather than the Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year (CNY) begins on the first day of the new moon, which appears any time between January 21 and February 20 each year. Also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, this celebration dates back thousands of years and it is steeped in myth, legend and folklore. Chinese communities all over the globe celebrate CNY and it’s a major holiday here in Hong Kong (February 12 to 15 this year). During the festivities, we get together and welcome the new year through ancient
customs that are believed to bring good fortune, prosperity and happiness.
The Jade Emperor’s race If you’re familiar with the Chinese zodiac calendar, you’ll know that it has a cycle of 12 years, and each year has an animal as its symbol – and you’ll know the folk tale that explains how these animals came to be. It goes like this… Once upon a time the Jade Emperor called a race, decreeing that the first 12 animals to swim across a fast-flowing river would each have a year named in their honour. Thirteen animals lined up on the riverbank – the Rat, Ox,
February 2021 www.arounddb.com
Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig and Cat. The Cat was pushed into the water by the Rat, and excluded from the race. The Rat reached the opposite bank first, by riding on the Ox’s back, which is why he is the first of the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac. The animals always come in the same order – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. So, 2021 is the Year of the Ox, 2020 was the Year of the Rat and 2022 will be the Year of the Tiger. The last Ox years were 2009 and 1997.
