Get ready to ring in the Year of the Rooster!
Chinese New Year's Day is the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar. But the date is different each year on the Gregorian (internationally-used) calendar, between January 21th and February 20th. In 2017 it is Saturday January 28, with many festivities beginning tonight.
The main traditional celebrations of the festival include eating reunion dinner with family, giving red envelopes, firecrackers, new clothes, and decorations. More modern celebrations include watching the CCTV Gala, instant message greetings, and cyber money gifts.
Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together. Wherever they are, people come home to celebrate the festival with their families.The New Year's Eve dinner is called "reunion dinner", and is believed to be the most important meal of the year. Big families of several generations sit around round tables and enjoy the food and time together.
2017 Is a Fire Rooster Year
What a Year of the Rooster Is
Every 12 years there is a Rooster year, beginning at Chinese New Year. A year of the Rooster always comes after a Monkey year and before a Dog year.
Years of the Rooster include 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, and 2029.
What ”Fire Rooster Year” Means
In Chinese astrology, each zodiac year is not just associated with an animal sign, but also one of five elements: Gold (Metal), Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth.
Both the zodiac sign and the element shape the astrology of the year. For example, 2017 is a Fire Rooster year. Element-sign combinations recur every 60 years.
The following famous fire Roosters will be 60 this zodiac year: Dawn French, Donny Osmond, Martin Luther King III, Stephen Fry, Hans Zimmer, Dolph Lundgren, and Jools Holland.
Both zodiac sign and element are believed to affect one’s personality and destiny. Below are the five types of Roosters:
Type of Rooster Year of Birth Characteristics
- Wood Rooster 1945, 2005 Energetic, overconfident, tender, and unstable
- Fire Rooster 1957, 2017 Trustworthy, with a strong sense of timekeeping and responsibility at work
- Earth Rooster 1909, 1969 Lovely, generous, trustworthy, and popular with their friends
- Gold Rooster 1921, 1981 Determined, brave, perseverant, and hardworking
- Water Rooster 1933, 1993 Smart, quick-witted, tenderhearted, and compassionate
To find out more about your Chinese Zodiac sign visit the China Highlights website.