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The Chinese Lunar New Year is the longest
chronological record in history, dating from 2600BC, when the
Emperor Huang Ti introduced the first cycle of the zodiac. Like the
Western calendar, The Chinese Lunar Calendar is a yearly one, with
the start of the lunar year being based on the cycles of the moon.
Therefore, because of this cyclical dating, the beginning of the
year can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of
February. This year it falls on February 12. A complete cycle takes
60 years and is made up of five cycles of 12 years each.
The
Chinese Lunar Calendar names each of the twelve years after an
animal. Legend has it that the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals
to come to him before he departed from earth. Only twelve came to
bid him farewell and as a reward he named a year after each one in
the order they arrived. The Chinese believe the animal ruling the
year in which a person is born has a profound influence on
personality, saying: "This is the animal that hides in your
heart." |