The Year of the Rooster is almost here!! Chinese New Year is quickly approaching! This year it falls on Saturday, January 28th. The festivities surrounding the Lunar New Year typically last for about 2 weeks.

What will the Year of the Rooster bring? More on the significance of the Rooster later in this post!

Lunar New Year — which is sometimes called Chinese New Year even though it is celebrated across East Asia — falls on the first new moon between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 each year. Google explains, “It’s a time for families to clean their houses, gather together and enjoy festive meals. And just like Christmas, it’s also, notoriously, a time when older relatives bug singletons about why they don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend, young couples about when they’re going to get married, and newly weds about why they don’t hurry up and have a baby already.”

Here in the United States there are sure to be many New Year celebrations throughout our communities. Many individuals and communities, particularly Chinese communities, in the United States take part in the Chinese New Year celebrations, which can last for days. Chinese New Year celebrations in the United States may likely include activities and events such as:

• Parades including colorful floats, costumes, and firecrackers
• Dances, including lion and dragon dances
• Chinatown fun runs and walks
• Street fairs
• Fireworks

If you live here in the Houston area and wan to take the kids out for some cultural fun there are some great Lunar New Year events going on around town! There’s the Lunar New Year Houston event and there’s the Chinese Community Center’s big event, among others. Check out their websites for a list of all the activities and schedules. I’m sure many of our local Chinese restaurants will also be offering special activities. 

Then there’s the food! One of my favorite parts! Here are 8 foods that are considered LUCKY foods to eat during The Chinese New Year:

• Fish – for prosperity
• Dumplings – for wealth and treasures
• Sweet rice balls – family togetherness
• Spring Rolls – for wealth
• Long noodles – happiness and longevity
• Good fortune fruits like, pomelo, oranges and tangerines – wealth and fullness
• Glutinous rice cake – a higher position
• Spring rolls – to welcome a new start

I’d like to move on to the fact that it’s the Year of the Rooster! What exactly is the Year of the Rooster supposed to signify? I’m glad you asked 😉

The Rooster, the tenth Chinese zodiac sign, gives the year that just begins some of the characteristics of the bird it has as a symbol: ambition, pride, the desire to be admired, punctuality, courage, passion and a well-developed disposition for love and seduction. At the same time, during the year an increase in enthusiasm, perseverance and auto-control will be felt. The relationships between people will be under the sign of great honesty. We will all prove to have more passion in life, especially regarding work, where we will not hesitate to roll up our sleeves in order to reach our objectives. “Always higher, always going on” is the motto of the Rooster and it will inspire all of us. Braver than usually, we will not be defeated by difficulties and adversities. However, we will have to maintain our spirit’s flexibility, because under the influence of this king of the yard, which, according to Chinese people, is very conservative, we risk being inflexible and refuse changing ideas or life strategies, even though they might be inadequate for the future. Regarding love, times will be intense and full of passion. We will feel the desire to overwhelm our loved ones and to be overwhelmed by them. Those with a free heart will search for happiness with more partners, but those that are already in love will choose loyalty, proving great tenderness.

Here are some famous Roosters that we’ve all heard of. Some of them really remind me of Roosters strutting around, desiring to be admired!

1945 – Bob Marley, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Steve Martin, Bette Midler

1957 – Steve Harvey, Fran Drescher, Melanie Griffith, Steve Buscemi

1969 – Jennifer Anniston, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lopez, Cate Blanchett

1981 – Justin Timberlake, Brittany Spears, Jesscia Alba, Serena Williams

And if you need to purchase a New Year gift, even some top designers have “Rooster offerings”.

 

So, Happy Chinese New Year! Make sure and join in some festivities around town, or at least indulge in some great Chinese food over the next week! I hope that the Year of the Rooster treats you well!