Lunar New Year of The Sheep - GAT Special Section

Happy & Prosperous Lunar New Year of The Sheep

Special Section February 19, 2015

2015 Lunar New Year of The Sheep

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2015 Lunar New Year of The Sheep

with sensitive business matters.

These individuals do not usually plan about their future but they can intelligently cope up with the flow of their lives whether good or bad things happen. They are emotionally strong and are physically fit.

Most women Sheep are into outdoor activities while the male ones tend to focus their energy on their jobs or business.

The Sheep’s Weaknesses:

The Year of The Sheep Traits and Predictions for Year of the Sheep 2015 In accordance to the Chinese calendar and meaning, the Year of the Sheep 2015 dates starts from February 19 2015 up to February 7 2016. The 2015 Year of the Sheep falls under the element of Wood.

Under the influence of the element Wood, the sheep is a witty individual who is very thoughtful and is mindful to other’s wishing. He is generous, sentimental and has high moral in life. He completely trusts those people who inspire him.

Lucky numbers for someone who is born under The Year Of The Sheep are red, green and purple.

Their lucky flowers are carnation and primrose. The auspicious directions for those who are born under the Year of the Sheep are South, East and Southeast.

More about The Sheep’s Profile: As mentioned, the Year 2015 is the Year of the Sheep which be-

longs to the element of the Wood.

The Sheep is the eight sign in the Chinese calendar which make it seems to be a good aspect since the number “8” is a lucky number according to the Chinese beliefs. The number is also believed to attributes prosperity and peace.

People who are born under the Year of the Sheep commonly belong to a lower or middle-class family.

Although the Sheep may not be a member to an upper-class part of the society, he knows how to adjust when he is with the elites. He does not discriminate other’s weaknesses and he helps whenever he can.

As a matter of fact, it is the Sheep’s happiness to make other people happy.

A Sheep is a natural humanitarian yet he is not too attached to pets.

The Sheep’s Strengths: Sheep’s are intellectual individuals who always have clever ideas about certain things. They cautiously and circumspectly cope up

Sheep’s are over-anxious people.

They worry about almost everything. At some point of their lives, they become pessimistic. They’re oversensitive, moody and are puzzled about life. They are not usually open about their emotions. They usually out-of-the-earth theories which are usually overlooked by their colleague as obscenity.

Positive and Negative Traits about Sheep’s: Sheep’s are very artistic, whimsy and are loyal. With their very artistic minds, it is not surprising that sheep’s are into beauty, whether it is about things or places. For them, living in balance is being in a peaceful and harmonious environment.

They are great craftsmen. Sheep’s are not materialistic although they are big time spenders who usually spend their monies on foods and for things that comforts them.

When a sheep is upset, he would rather bottle up his emotions and not talk to the person that he is mad at. This kind of behavior has a large negative on his relationship’s futures. Time will come that he’ll vent out all his negative emotions and, chances are, he may throw those negativities to a person who is not related to the issues. The Sheep can also be needy and mutually clingy.

2015 Lunar New Year of The Sheep

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TRADITIONS FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR Fú 福 Usually written on a red piece of paper, this character is pasted everywhere. While some may paste the sign the right way up, it’s normally pasted upside down. The word 福 (Fú) means good fortune. When pasted upside down, it is inverted (倒 dao), which is also a homonym for the word 到 (dào), meaning, “to arrive.” So when this word is inverted, it becomes an auspicious symbol as it signals the arrival of good fortune.

There’s also a historical anecdote which explains the origins of this custom. In the Ming dynasty, the Emperor pasted this word on someone’s door when he wanted to kill that person. The Empress discovered his cruelty and found a clever way to outsmart her husband. She decreed that all doors should be pasted with this character, though an illiterate family pasted it upside down. The next day, the Emperor made his rounds and was furious as he could not find the house of his victim.

Seeing the inverted word made him even more incensed, and he ordered that family to be put to death. The Empress quickly intervened, telling him that it was a good omen as it signaled the arrival of good fortune.

The family was pardoned, and subsequent generations still carry out this tradition.

Spring Couplets (Chun Lián/Duì Lián / 春联)

Like the word Fu, spring couplets are also pasted at the entrance of homes and businesses during the Lunar New Year. The origins of Chinese couplets are murky and date back to folklore. Two of the most fearsome warriors of the heavens were sent by the Jade Emperor to vanquish demons which were harassing the people.

Soon after, many artistic representations of these warriors ap

peared on doors as the Chinese believed that their spirits would protect the residents of the house. In time, they came to be known as door gods.

When illustrating these door gods proved to be tedious, many chose to write their names on peach boards instead. This practice evolved over time and people began to write their wishes for the New Year on pieces of red paper, which gave rise to this tradition.

Spring couplets are read from right to left. Both lines must have the same amount of characters, so writing them requires a bit of poetic prowess. It’s helpful to think of the couplets as mirrors of each other, as each word in the second line must be the opposite of each word in the first line. Many people write their own couplets to express auspicious sentiments.

Lion Dance/Dragon Dance (wu lóng/wu shī 舞龙)

Lion and Dragon dances are performed to usher in the New Year. The lion dance’s origins go back to the Northern and Southern Song Dynasty when Emperor Wen tried to find a way to fight against General Fan Yan, who headed an army of elephants. Emperor Wen’s governor, Tan He came up with a plan to dress his soldiers like lions to scare the elephant away. They succeeded and soon, the lion dance became part of Chinese culture.

Sometimes, a fellow dancer wearing a mask leads the lion to “eat” oranges, or peel a pomelo, with the latter signifying prosperity. Sometimes, the lion is made to pick vegetables.

The lion “eats” the vegetables and spits them out, and this signifies abundance throughout the year. The dance ends in the lion leaping for the red packet (angpow) though the red packet is sometime given after the performance.

The dragon dance, however, is performed to give thanks to a mythological dragon who gave rain to the people, despite opposition from the Jade Emperor in heaven. The dragon is also a symbol of a bountiful harvest as the Chinese people believed that these mystical creatures bestowed rain upon the people.

During dragon dances, the dragon chases after a pearl, which symbolizes the search for wisdom. The dragon is often green, which signifies a good harvest, though red and gold are more common now. Like the lion dance, the dragon comes to life with graceful movements, making it enjoyable to watch.

Georgia Asian Times 2015 Lunar New Year of The Sheep

Lunar New Year Food Tradition Lunar New Year is almost upon us and Chinese families everywhere are scrambling to prepare for the celebrations by cooking up a storm for reunion dinner. Auspicious ingredients must be sourced well ahead of time before the stores run out of them (or the best available quality anyway).

How does an ingredient qualify as auspicious? For the Chinese, symbolism is of paramount importance. Homonyms — words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings — are the reason why certain dishes or ingredients are popular during the Lunar New Year. It has less to do with the tastes of the ingredient (though that’s important too) and more to do with their symbolic meaning

bolizes good luck. Fish is a must as its name in Chinese, yu, means “having a surplus” – something most prosperity-conscious folks are keen on.

This is why so many dishes during reunion dinner of the Lunar New Year Eve feature black moss or fatt choy, as its name sounds like “gaining wealth”, and eating dried oysters (ho xi) sym-

It’s no easy task though, especially when you are preparing a feast for a big family. As our parents age, even the simplest dish takes more care and effort to assemble. Filial children (and grandchildren) often ask their elders to take a rest and opt for dining out at restaurants instead. It just makes more sense though one misses the special-ness and specificity that comes from a menu of home-cooked dishes

that belongs to one’s family alone.

There’s no reason to avoid the kitchen even if one is dining out. One simply needs to think in more basic terms.

Rather than a dish that requires over a dozen ingredients and an hour or two to cook, how about one that only needs three ingredients, 15 minutes, and taste delightful to boot?

2015 Lunar New Year of The Sheep

Georgia Asian Times

I’m talking about nian gao (sticky rice cake made from glutinous rice floor and brown sugar), a popular Lunar New Year dish. Its name in Chinese sounds like a combination of “year” (nian) and “higher” (gao), giving it the auspicious connotation of a more prosperous year should you take a bite of it.

It’s a sweet ending to any reunion dinner and promises of sweeter things to come in the year ahead. Gong Xi Fa Cai and Happy Year of the Sheep!

Everyone has seen the ready-made nian gao at the supermarkets and wet markets. These are steamed in banana leaves which add a lovely fragrance.

Typically, Cantonese-style nian gao is cut and served in thick slices. These cut slices may also be pan fried so that it’s crispy on the outside but still gooey inside. Another popular way of serving it is to sandwich slices of nian gao in

between pieces of sweet potato or taro and dipping in batter before deep-frying them.

When the nian gao is done, all that remains is to dig in with a spoon and

to scoop up the über-gooey concoction into one’s mouth. Trust me, it’s good to the last sticky drop and there’s no mess to clean up as you can just dispose of the banana leaf “container” when you’re done.

Georgia Asian Times

Lunar New Year Customs & Rituals The Lunar New Year holiday is celebrated by many Asian cultures. Most typically it is celebrated over a minimum three-day period to about fifteen days surrounding the first full moon of the year. Rituals begin the day before the full moon, the day of the full moon, and the day following the full moon.

1. Pay off all debts by the end of the year.

Starting weeks and perhaps months ahead of time, save money in order to begin the New Year without debt and with something in the bank to pay for the celebration to come.

2. Clean your house from top to bottom before the New Year arrives.

As a reward for your hard work, house cleaning is not allowed during the New Year holiday, to assure that you do not sweep away any good luck.

3. Decorate your home with special paper greetings, flowers, and fruits.

Tie greeting cards and good luck symbols on a blooming tree you can purchase or make one yourself. By having or placing an abundance of fragrant flowers and fruits on the tree, the luckier the family will be in the New Year.

4. Wear new clothes on the first day of the New Year.

Wearing new cloths help signify the beginning of a New Year clean and fresh.

5. Invite the entire family over on New Year’s Eve. Use this special time to renew your love for one another and share the transition between the old year and New Year.

6. Give money - red envelope.

Everyone becomes a year older with

the New Year, no matter when your birthday actually occurs. Give children red “Lai See” envelopes with “good luck” money inside. This tradition is also used for many other festive occasions, in lieu of modern gift-giving practices.

7. Honor and remember ancestors.

Display photos of deceased family members and loved ones. Over the New Year, create an altar with food and fruits and burning incense to fill your home with well-being.

8. Cook up a storm, enough for the three-day celebration.

Include in your preparations all your favorite dishes, plus a few traditional New Year standards. Plan ahead because you should not “dig for” or run water during the first day in the New Year. This gives the earth and water a day of rest, too. Have fun dining at a Chinese restaurant. But be aware, your favorite places may be closed on New Years Day, as well as other establishments owned by celebrating Asians.

9.

Visit family and friends.

As the first day in the New Year is spent with your immediate family, the second day in the New Year is often spent inviting good friends and special guests over. The third day in the modern tradition is to celebrate with teachers and business associates.

10. Pay significant attention to your actions.

Acknowledge the first time you perform everyday tasks in the New Year.

Do not show anger at anyone during the first three days in the New Year. It is especially improper to tell a lie, raise your voice, use indecent language, or break anything on the first day of the New Year.

2015 Lunar New Year of The Sheep

2015 Lunar New Year of The Sheep

Year of Sheep or Goat?

It doesn’t matter, says expert

Sheep or goat?

China’s coming lunar new year has stirred a debate over which zodiac creature is the correct one — but Chinese folklorists dismiss the fixation on animals as missing the point.

Traditional astrology in China attaches different animal signs to each lunar year in a cycle of 12 years.

The symbol for the new year starting on February 19 is the “yang,” which can refer to any member of the caprinae subfamily — or even beyond — depending on what additional Chinese character it is paired up with.

For example, a goat is a “mountain yang,” a sheep is a “soft yang” and a Mongolian gazelle is a “yellow yang.”

Both goats and sheep appear in Chinese new year paintings, paper-cuts and other festival decorations.

Folklorists say it does not matter which one is used since the zodiac sign was chosen for the Chinese character’s auspicious connotation rather than the specific animal — at least in the beginning.

“This ‘yang’ is fictional. It does not refer to any specific kind (of sheep or goat),” said Zhao Shu, a researcher with the Beijing Research Institute of Culture and History.

Much ado about mutton “Yang” is a component of the written Chinese character “xiang,” which means auspiciousness, and the two were interchangeable in ancient Chinese, experts say.

It is also a part of the character “shan,” which counts kindness and benevolence as among its meanings.

“Therefore ‘yang’ is a symbol of... blessing and fortune and represents good things,” said Yin Hubin, an ethnology researcher with the China Academy of Social Sciences, a government thinktank.

“It is connected to the original implication of the Chinese character as an ideogram and reflects the world view of the Chinese people in primitive times,” he said.

That said, the zodiac sign is being shunned by some Chinese parents-to-be, with expectant mothers scheduling Caesarean sections to give birth before the current year of the horse ends, according to media reports.

The rush apparently stems from a Chinese superstition held by some that nine out of 10 sheep will be unhappy in life — a belief Yin dismissed as “ridiculous.”

More often, the animal plays a positive role in Chinese folklore, experts say.

A fable that can be traced back to more than 1,500 years ago depicts five goats carrying crops in their mouth to save people suffering from years of drought in Guangzhou.

The southern boom town, today the capital of Guangdong province and dubbed the City of Goats, has enjoyed timely wind and rain ever since, according to the story.

Bleat generation While the loose concept of “yang” comes naturally to Chinese people, in the West the term can often be a source of frustration for those seeking an equivalent in their own language.

A Google search suggests that in English, “year of the sheep” is the most common phrasing.

In French, however, the reverse is true, with convention and an overwhelming Google ratio in favour of “chevre,” or goat.

Zhao thinks the translation is “open to interpretation.”

“Sheep, goat, Mongolian gazelle — whatever is fine. This is the fun of Chinese characters,” he said.

Georgia Asian Times

Lunar New Year of The Sheep - Calendar of Events in metro Atlanta 22nd Chinese New Year Gala Show Organized by Chinese Business Association of Atlanta Date: Feb 15, 2015 Time: 3:30 pm Venue: Rialto Performing Art Ctr For more info: Charley Jin 678.612.3405 2015 Atlanta Chinese Lunar New Year Festival Date: Sat- Sun, Feb 21-22, 2015 Time: 10 am – 4 pm Venue: Culture Center of Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Atlanta 5377 New Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA 30341 Ticket: $5 per person. Free admission for children under 3 1/2 ft.

For more info: www.facebook.com/ AtlantaChineseLunarNewYearFestival Chinese New Year Banquet Organized by National Association of Chinese Americans (NACA) Date: Saturday, Feb 21, 2015 Time: 6:00 pm Venue: Canton House, Buford Hwy Admission: Members $38; Non-members $80; Corporate table $1800 For more info: www.naca-atlanta. org Vietnamese Community of Georgia - Lunar New Year of Sheep Celebration Date: Sunday, Feb 22, 2015 Time: 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

Venue: Grand Ballroom, 6100 Live Oak Parkway, Norcross, GA 30093 For more info: Baoky Vu 770.656.5595 baokyvu@yahoo.com 2015 Spring in Atlanta Chinese New Year Gala Show Date: Friday, February 26, 2015 Time: 7:00 pm Venue: Gwinnett Performing Arts Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway For more info: www.acp-atlanta. org/buy-online.html 2015 Lunar New Year of The Sheep Banquet Organized by OCA-Georgia Date: Saturday, Feb 28, 2015 Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Venue: Oriental Pearl Restaurant, Chamblee For more info: Lydia Chen, 678.488.0622 35th Annual Lunar New Year Banquet Organized by Chinese Community Center (CCC) Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2015 Time: 7:00 pm Venue: Oriental Pearl Seafood Restaurant For more info: Danny Pian 770.609.0784 Hong Kong Spring-Lunar New Year Celebration Organized by Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office New York Date: March 11, 2015 Time: 6:00 pm Venue: Carter Center Strictly by invitation only

But some scholars argue goat is a better option for the traditional Han Chinese holiday, as it is a more commonly kept farm animal for the dominant ethnic group in China, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Eschewing the lexical debate, some users have simply opted for the animal that they see as possessing their own favored qualities.

Many Chinese people appear to be unfazed by the debate.

“In the year of the yang, I want to be a strong-willed and energetic goat, not a weak sheep,” another Sina Weibo user wrote.

“The year of the yang, 2015, is neither a sheep nor a goat. It is a beautiful and elegant milk yang! Abundant milk, clothes and food. It will be a halcyon year,” wrote one user on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

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2015 Lunar New Year of The Sheep

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2015 Lunar New Year of The Sheep

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Horoscope Predictions for the Year of Sheep Sheep (1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003) Put personal interest aside and perhaps give priority to those dearest to you for a change.

Such change in priority would help to improve the bonding relationship with those that have been ignored for quite some time. It is never too late to salvage or repair certain damages, do not expect miracles to happen within a short spell of time. Allow more time and with patience, hope the relationship will gradually heal gracefully. Parties involved will need to stand down and do not let personal ego and pride be the stumbling block. Otherwise one may not find peace and harmony that could easily lead to a strenuous and unhappy state of mind. If left unchecked, it could even destroy your health and well-being. When one is able to achieve happiness, it should change your life style for the better.

ness with close friends or colleagues, merely to avoid losing the close friendship.

Ox (1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009) No doubt you could remember and treasure those that have been helping out during the moments of need. Such friendship is difficult to come by nowadays and certainly should be appreciated. During the course of the year, you should be able to return some of the help extended and without any intent in return. Consider such capability as fortunate for you are in a better situation to assist. Unfortunately you may not enjoy the same fate with family members, for they are not necessarily capable of coming to your aid when you need it most; either living far away or not committed to your cause. Under such circumstances, do not develop a high expectation from them to avoid disappointment.

Monkey (1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004) You may have acquired talents at observing certain behavior patterns changes involving human’s needs, business transactions, political movements and or the environmental impact. It would be a waste of your talents for not volunteering to participate or joining global or political organizations that are at the heart of such campaigns. You can champion a good cause and perhaps help to influence the appropriate authorities to reshape society for the future generations’ benefit. At the moment, what you are lacking is certain self-confidence and seems hesitant to take the leap forward. Your future could change when you put some positive thought about your talents and start to move or work toward such goals, hopefully with time, appropriate guidance and support from relevant parties and individuals, your life style will improve and career take off.

Rooster (1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005) Family values and harmonious life style are one of your priorities in life and you wish for everyone involved to be safe, healthy and cheerful. Wishful thoughts and in reality some of them could probably happen. It is not a total loss either for those trying hard to make loved ones come together as a family. No doubt you may have to work harder and not give up easily no matter the challenge ahead may be filled with treacherous situations. More importantly you have faith and are prepared to give others opportunities and time to awake. On the other hand, you should not neglect personal well-being either for if you do not look after number one properly, then you may probably not be able to witness your dreams fulfilled.

Do not be distressed when certain things are not happening as you intended to be. Perhaps there are reasons that they are not prepared to share with you at the moment.

Dog (1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006) You have ample time to reflect on several past mistakes and now looking forward to the future ahead to become a better person. No doubt you have the moral support of certain family members and loved ones, do not be disturbed by those that still attached with certain negativities since you cannot force them to change their views overnight. You continue to do your best and hopefully the actions and outcome will prove them wrong. You could experience undue stress in trying to prove them wrong, it is vital to avoid overdoing it at the expense of your health. There are certain things in life that only with time, it will be able to heal emotional wounds. Lives continue to move forward and so should you. Sometimes you should let destiny take its natural course.

Pig (1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007) Continuous and industrious effort should ensure extra financial income for those that do not involve gambling and taking short-cut in life. One is likely and prepared to work hard to earn every cent or penny. Success in life is not measured by how much one is earning, living in expensive mansions, driving expensive cars or owning luxurious yachts but being content with attaining harmonious family life style. In general, the person born in the year of the Pig is usually a homely type character that treasures family and friendship values above materialism society.

Obviously there are always certain exceptions in life. Once attaining contentment life style, you will be able to concentrate on your career or business and the rest will take care of itself financially.

Rat (1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008) Increasing or improving opportunities in earning extra income from career or business ventures during the year. With improved financial situation, you should be able to fulfill your dreams and desires. The ability to settle any personal financial debts should help to lighten the burden and stress; more importantly to avoid temptation to spend senselessly. Any surplus should be invested wisely into secure investments or charitable causes. Not recommended to go into partnership busi-

Tiger (1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010) The year starts with a bang where things are happening fast and furious around your personal life style and perhaps some long-term commitments. You have new ventures to consider and things to look forward ahead. With family support and encouragement, you seem to be living in a fantasy world. Hopefully you are sensible enough and doing things that are within personal capability and still be mindful of personal health. No one is invincible from disease or illness and hence it is vital to maintain a steady health condition as much as possible. For those that have been seeking medical treatments, things can only get better through rigorous medical testing. Hence do not give up easily before the completion of testing regimes.

Rabbit (1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011) As long as one is still in work or running personal business, one should be doing fine and continue to make further progress throughout the year. However one is warned not to neglect family members or loved ones due to work commitments. Maintaining a balance between work and family lives are also vital to those involved indirectly. One thing to avoid or watch out is not to get involved with venturing into new things or situations that you are not familiar with. No doubt you could research into the background of new things but it will not necessarily mean the odds of success or failure will be in your favor. It is advisable to involve in things over which you have certain control and know what the final outcome could be.

Dragon (1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012) There will be more high moments than low throughout the year. Exciting and challenging circumstances are likely to dominate most of your precious time and you certainly dislike wasting valuable time. While facing the challenges ahead, be mindful of certain groups’ ulterior motives, trying to take advantage of your generous nature or using your reputation to gain an advantage. If you plan ahead adequately, you are likely to achieve your dreams in stages. The low moments to watch out for relate to family members issues - involving matrimonial disputes, inheritance, and or business ventures. For those involved in the political arena, please be vigilant of entrapment scenarios, which could be a downfall to the political career.

Snake (1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013)

The year is going to be filled with joy, excitement, surprises as well as sadness. Such mixture of events is quite profound for those that have so much to look forward to ahead but have not been preparing for the aftershock situations. Life is funny at times depending on personal views, encounters and situations. No matter the outcome, you should continue to look ahead but not forgetting mistakes made previously and try to avoid repeating similar mistakes. Furthermore one can also change the negative consequences to a positive type through experience and awareness. One should not forget to pay more attention to personal health, for without a healthy state of mind and body, one will not be able to achieve one’s dreams or ambitions. No doubt it will be a challenging year for the Snake Type throughout the year; one can make a huge difference through determination and staying on the right track.

Horse (1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014) Mixture of fortunes. The good fortune is greater than the lesser fortune during the year, ranging from career development, home improvement, marriage, vacations, education, and business developments. Things are going to be great when appropriate planning and timing come together. However do not take certain things for granted when circumstances seem simple or serene superficially. Beware of certain hidden dangers that could easily undermine your efforts or plans.