Thursday, December 28, 2006

Chinese New year

Chinese calendar has been in continuous use for centuries, which predates the International Calendar (based on the Gregorian Calendar) we use at the present day which goes back only some 425 years. The calendar measures time, from short durations of minutes and hours to intervals of time measured in months, years and centuries, entirely based on the astronomical observations of the movement of the Sun, Moon and stars.

February 18, 2007, is the first day of the Chinese New Year.

January 29, 2006, is the first day of the Chinese New Year.

There are three ways to name a Chinese year:

  1. By an animal (like a mascot).

This year is known as the Year of the Dog.
There are 12 animal names; so, by this system, year names are re-cycled every 12 years.

  1. By its Formal Name (Stem-Branch).
    The new year is the year of bingxu.

In the 'Stem-Branch' system, the years are named in 60-year cycles, and the Name of the Year is repeated every 60 years.
2006 is the 7th year in the current 60-year cycle.

  1. It is Year 4703 by the Chinese calendar.

Special about the Chinese New Year in 2006

It was a Leap Year! Unlike the western calendar, where one extra day is added in February, one whole leap month is added in a Chinese Leap Year.

Just think. If you get paid by the month, instead of working an extra day for nothing, you will get an extra month's pay!!!

This time around, the Leap Month comes after the regular 7-th Month. The "Leap Second Month" begins on August 24,2006.


12 Animals

Each year is also designated by one of the 12 Animals For instance,2003 is Year of Ram and 2004 is Year of Monkey. 2005 is Year of Rooster.2006 is Year of Dog, and 2007 will be Year of Pig.


  • Rat
  • Ox
  • Tiger
  • Hare
  • Dragon
  • Snake
  • Horse
  • Sheep
  • Monkey
  • Rooster
  • Dog
  • Pig

This system is extremely practical. A child does not have to learn a new answer to the question, "How old are you?" in each new year. Old people often lose track of their age, because they are rarely asked about their current age. Everyone just have to remember that he or she was born in the "Year of Dog" or whatever.

Since this is the Year of Dog, anyone who was born in the Year of Dog is now either 0 or 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 or 96 years old.

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