New Year the Chinese Way

It’s the Chinese New Year but unlike Western New Year the Chinese New Year lasts much longer.  Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar.  Boston’s Chinatown is holding it’s festivities on Sunday Feb 9, that is if it doesn’t get snowed out.

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It seems every time I go to write about something we get another storm. We just finished our 2nd snow storm of the week and if we get the storm on Sunday it will be a trifecta. I know, I live in New England and it snows in New England. Suck it up cupcake! But seriously, I’m getting worn out from this winter that has hit us with one storm after another. Granted they haven’t been blockbusters, but at the rate things are going the next big storm could be right around the corner.

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Back to The Chinese New Year. This year is the Year of the Horse. I thought that was really cool. I like horses but the Year of the Horse doesn’t really have much to do with  horses at all.

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The Horse is one of 12 symbols in the Chinese Zodiac. The Year of the Horse starts from Jan. 31, 2014 (the Lunar New Year / Spring Festival of China ) and lasts to Feb. 18, 2015

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So what can you expect from the Year of the Horse? This is the description provided on the astrology page about the Year of the Horse: The spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people’s ethos – making unremitting efforts to improve themselves. It is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able. Ancient people liked to designate an able person as ‘Qianli Ma’, a horse that covers a thousand li a day (one li equals 500 meters).

Strengths
People born in the year of the horse have ingenious communicating techniques and in their community they always want to be in the limelight. They are clever, kind to others, and like to join in a venture career. Although they sometimes talk too much, they are cheerful, perceptive, talented, earthy but stubborn. They like entertainment and large crowds. They are popular among friends, active at work and refuse to be reconciled to failure, although their endeavor cannot last indefinitely. 


Weaknesses
They cannot bear too much constraint. However their interest may be only superficial and lacking real substance. They are usually impatient and hot blooded about everything other than their daily work. They are independent and rarely listen to advice. Failure may result in pessimism. They usually have strong endurance but with bad temper. Flamboyant by nature, they are wasteful since they are not good with matters of finance due to a lack of budgetary efficiency. Some of those who are born in the horse like to move in glamorous circles while pursuing high profile careers.  They tend to interfere in many things and frequently fail to finish projects of their own. 

Interesting. But I’m only a Rabbit

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lost in the Year of the Horse. 🙂