“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” - John Steinbeck
The New Year is celebrated differently in different cultures. According to the Lunar calendar, the first day of the new year begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice. In 2023, this new moon lands on January 22nd. Countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, celebrate the New Year based on this calendar.
This New Year’s festival traditionally honors deities and ancestors. While there are different customs, a common theme is for Chinese families to gather for dinner. Families also traditionally use this time for house cleaning to sweep away misfortune and make way for good luck.
The Chinese zodiac also designates an animal and one of the five elements yearly on a rotating cycle. In addition, each element has its own color designation. For 2023, the element is water, making the color black and the animal (except for Vietnamese and Malay zodiac) is the rabbit.
Hence, 2023 is the year of the Black Rabbit.
The rabbit isn’t as lucky as some animals in the Chinese zodiac. However, years with the rabbit can represent prosperity (think about how fast rabbits multiply) and hope.
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