The Snake Year begins on February 10, 2013 and will end on January 30, 2014. As we transition from the fifth zodiac sign, the Dragon, to the Year of the Snake, there are a few things you should know about what lies ahead. The Snake is the sixth animal in the Chinese zodiac, which has twelve years (and twelve different animals) in total. Contrary to popular belief in the United States, snakes are considered lucky in Chinese tradition.
Finding a snake in your home was thought to be a good omen, indicating that your family would be well-fed and prosperous in ancient Chinese wisdom. People like to plaster the paper-cut ‘Fu’ character, which symbolizes happiness, on their doors during some Chinese spring festivals, along with a snake wrapping around a rabbit. This popular pattern foreshadows a year of abundance and wealth.
The Chinese zodiac is based on a twelve-year cycle and is known as Shen Xiao in Chinese. Each year in the zodiac cycle is represented by a different animal. The Chinese calendar, which combines a lunar and solar calendar and dates back at least to the Shang Dynasty in the late second millennium B.C., determines the Chinese zodiac. Etchings discovered on oracle bones from the Shang Dynasty are some of the first pieces of evidence of the Chinese calendar.
The selection of the twelve animals that correspond to the twelve-year cycle, on the other hand, is said to have begun during the Han Dynasty (206-220 BC). The rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig are among the Chinese zodiac’s twelve animals. Each animal is regarded to have a distinct personality and set of characteristics. The attributes of the animal have an impact on persons born during that year, as well as the events of that year. A person’s Benming Nian is the animal year in which he or she was born.
People born in the Year of the Snake, for example, are described as charming, passionate, mysterious, clever, hyper-aware of their surroundings, and prideful. Those born in the Year of the Snake have a firm head on their shoulders and are handsome. In a crisis, they maintain their composure and are not easily shaken. These individuals are graceful, polished, and frequently enthralling to be around. They do, however, have a dark side and can be shady. Furthermore, Snakes are prone to boredom and frequently change employment. Those born in the Year of the Snake appreciate the finer things in life; they are intellectuals who enjoy reading, music, and excellent food, as well as going to the theater. Snakes put in a lot of effort. They are conscientious, well-organized, and have excellent project management skills. Don’t take it personally if they want to work alone. They’re just laser-focused on what they’re doing.
Regardless of which animal the year falls on, the Chinese New Year is a major event in China that continues to this day. The festivities begin every year with a complete cleaning. To make room for the New Year, the Chinese believe that all negativity, bad luck, and experiences from the previous year should be swept out of the house. This should be completed before the holiday, so grab a broom and spend the last days of the Year of the Dragon cleaning! It’s time to decorate once everything is spotless.
Red is considered a lucky hue in Chinese culture. Doors and windows are frequently painted or coated in crimson during the New Year. Red paper decorations are hung up, and tiny gifts in red envelopes are frequently given to children. In Chinese culture, there are numerous deities, and it is necessary to worship them, as well as your ancestors, especially around the New Year. The Kitchen God is a god who is frequently worshipped at this time. In the kitchen of many Chinese homes, there is an image or emblem of the Kitchen God. Offer him a gesture of your thanks before the New Year begins so he may give a positive report on your family’s behavior in the previous year. Make a honey gift or a traditional Chinese sticky cake for him (Nian Gao).
A Tray of Togetherness is another traditional meal to serve at your celebration. Give this collection of symbolic meals thought to bring good fortune to your loved ones when they’re all in one place. A Tray of Togetherness is a circular teak or wood tray with eight different compartments for food such as lychee nuts, lotus seed, coconut, water chestnut, carrot, and tangerine (eight is a lucky number in Chinese tradition). Spend time with family and friends, whatever you do during Chinese New Year!
In This Article...
What are the Chinese zodiac qualities of a Snake?
Discreet, refined, and eloquent Snake personalities appear to be uninterested most of the time, but they are genuinely excited. They are passionate, decent, and sophisticated, as well as eloquent and amusing. When speaking with them, people will feel at ease and calm.
Is it true that 2013 is the Year of the Horse?
1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, and 2026 are all Horse years. After the Snake and before the Goat, the Horse is the seventh animal in the Chinese zodiac.
What are three of a Snake’s characteristics?
Scales, which can be smooth or ridged, cover their skin. To provide protection while moving, a snake’s belly scales (called scutes) are thicker than those on its sides and back. Snakes vary from other reptiles in several ways. They lack limbs, eyelids that move, and ear holes.
Are snakes considered lucky?
The Snake’s first culturally favorable symbolic connotation is luck and authority. House snakes and wild snakes are the two types of snakes, with house snakes being considered lucky.
Because the snake also represents governmental authority, ancient envoys carried a scepter with two snakes etched on its surface when sent on diplomatic missions to other countries by the king.
Snake gets along with a lot of people.
People born in the Year of the Snake are often very compatible with Dragon and Rooster signs, according to Chinese zodiac study, and couples with high compatibility can have a happy and long-lasting relationship, whether in love or marriage.
What kind of person should a horse marry?
Sheep, Tiger, and Rabbit are the key zodiac signs that are well-matched to Horse. When these indications come together, they will produce an enviable marriage life. Respect and care are carefully preserved, and mutual efforts will result in a prosperous and respected life.
What does it mean to be a Fire Horse Woman?
Is it possible that being born in an unfavorable year will become a self-fulfilling prophecy? That may have been the fate of Japanese females born in 1966, the year of the fire horse, or hinoeuma in Japanese.
Superstition claims that women born in such a year have troublesome marriages, abuse men, and cause their husbands and dads to die young. According to folklore, it was one of these women who nearly burned down the capital in 1682 after setting fire to a small temple for the love of a guy who worked there. (She was imprisoned and sentenced to be burned at the stake.)
Hiroyuki Yamada of Osaka University and Satoshi Shimizutani of Japan’s Gender Equality Bureau conducted a study in 2010 to see how women born in 1966, the most recent year of the fire horse, fared. The researchers discovered that the women were more likely to have been divorced than their peers their age (born just a few years before or after). They were also less likely to have completed higher education and had a lower average household income of roughly 500,000 yen (around $5,000).