Today is Chinese New Year, with 2012 marking the Year of the Dragon.

 

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

 

 

Thailand of course has its own New Year on 13th April. If you just can't wait for another New Year's Day till then, hop over to Bali where they celebrate their New Year on 23rd March!

Of course, by contrast-- I'm still waiting of the "Year of the Worm." When that happens, I'll be ready.

 

In Chinese daily language, excellent and outstanding people are compared to the dragon while incapable people with no achievements are compared with other, disesteemed creatures, such as the worm.

 

http://en.wikipedia..../Chinese_dragon

I fear you may have to wait a very long time, as there is no such thing as a Year of the Worm. There is, however, a Year of the Snake which actually slithers in in 2013. Wonder how many posters are Snakes?

 

But surely being a Snake is preferable to being a Rat (1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020)

Well this will be my year then since I'm a dragon by Chinese astrology

Something I didn't realise until I read an article on Chinese New Year is that just quoting the year is misleading. I read that the year of the dragon starts today and lasts until the 9th February next year.

 

So when you give for example a list of years in which the rat gnaws merrily away each individual year is only an approximation.

But surely being a Snake is preferable to being a Rat

 

Damn, you ruined my day.....a rat I be!

 

But happy Chinese New Year to you too. I spent most of the morning in Chiangmai's little "Chinatown" watching the small parade, ceremonies, occasional dragon floating by, and, of course, eating. A whole lot of red silk was paraded around there (the street due west of Warrarot Market/Kad Luang) this morning.

when you give for example a list of years in which the rat gnaws merrily away each individual year is only an approximation.

 

Yes, indeed they are only approximations - and I expect Bob remains a Rat (although whether of the "dirty, rotten kind", is up to others to judge

). But it depends on the date for the start of Chinese New Year in the year you were born. Based on what you have told us in other posts. I suspect you may be in this Rat Year: 10 February 1948 – 28 January 1949 (or maybe it should be 28 January 1960 – 14 February 1961 ). So there may still be hope for you

 

In the Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year, a date that is usually between January 21 and February 20. So this year it falls very early. In the Chinese calendar, the winter solstice must occur in the 11th month, which means that Chinese New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice.

 

So anyone born this year up to January 22 is in fact a Rabbit. Only those born between January 23 and February 9 next year are Dragons.

 

But then it is even more complicated because the five basic elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water are also involved in birth years.

 

Alongside the 12-year cycle of the animal zodiac there is a 10-year cycle of heavenly stems. Each of the ten heavenly stems is associated with one of the five elements of Chinese astrology, namely: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The elements are rotated every two years while a yin and yang association alternates every year. The elements are thus distinguished: Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, etc. These produce a combined cycle that repeats every 60 years.

http://en.wikipedia....hinese_New_Year

 

The entire lunar New Year Festival period is packed with symbolism in almost every aspect of life – what you do each day, when you visit the temple, what you eat, wear, the flowers you select for the home, the red packets (containing money) you give to younger relatives, friends and workers . . .

 

Since it is incumbent on all Chinese to do their best to return to be with their extended families at this time, the lunar New Year represents the largest voluntary mass migration on the planet.

[/left] So there may still be hope for you

 

Alas, poor Yorick, none whatsoever (and, according to Khun Khortose and a raft of psychiatrists, whenever the word "hope" comes up it's usually preceded by the word "beyond").

 

It's the...ugh....1948 year when bad things happened. But I really don't look a day over 80 or 85....

But then it is even more complicated because the five basic elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water are also involved in birth years.

 

Yet 2012 is not simply the year of the dragon. It's actually the year of the water dragon. In Chinese astrology, each animal symbol is paired with one of five elements: fire, water, wood, earth or metal/gold, says Mi. (His daughter is a gold dragon and his son an earth dragon.

 

http://www.nj.com/en...html#incart_hbx

 

Here is a video of Fountainhall online-- showing the other board members here at gaythailand.com how to draw a dragon. He even sings for us. Pretty cool.

 

 

Alas, poor Yorick, none whatsoever (and, according to Khun Khortose and a raft of psychiatrists, whenever the word "hope" comes up it's usually preceded by the word "beyond").

 

It's the...ugh....1948 year when bad things happened. But I really don't look a day over 80 or 85....

 

I have never said you were beyond hope, nor have I thought it. However, you must keep in mind that I still believe in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus. I am a monkey and even older then Methuselah.