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Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit

The document discusses the significance of the Chinese zodiac, which has been integral to Chinese culture for over 2,000 years, assigning an animal to each year in a 12-year cycle. It highlights the current Year of the Water Rabbit, emphasizing the rabbit's positive attributes such as kindness and agility. Additionally, it announces a multi-media exhibition celebrating the rabbit's virtues in honor of Chinese Language Day 2023.

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72 views2 pages

Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit

The document discusses the significance of the Chinese zodiac, which has been integral to Chinese culture for over 2,000 years, assigning an animal to each year in a 12-year cycle. It highlights the current Year of the Water Rabbit, emphasizing the rabbit's positive attributes such as kindness and agility. Additionally, it announces a multi-media exhibition celebrating the rabbit's virtues in honor of Chinese Language Day 2023.

Uploaded by

levisvis21
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

The Chinese Zodiac: In Praise of the Jade Rabbit

中国生肖：玉兔礼赞

For more than 2 000 years, the Chinese zodiac has played an essential role in Chinese culture. It is a
traditional classification scheme, based on the Chinese lunar calendar, which assigns an animal and its
reputed attributes to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle. Chinese astrology is complex and nuanced,
incorporating not just the 12 Chinese astrological signs but also the five elements of the Chinese zodiac:
earth, metal, water, wood and fire, as well as yin and yang energy. The 12 animal signs are believed not
only to represent different personality traits, but also to influence an individual’s personality, career,
compatibility, marriage, and fortune. Birth years determine people’s Chinese zodiac signs.

In order, the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, also known as Shengxiao (“生肖”), are: Rat, Ox, Tiger,
Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The order of the signs is related to the
commonly accepted legend of the Chinese zodiac: the Jade Emperor’s Race. As the story goes, the Chinese
emperor held a race to determine which lucky animals would have the honour of being added to the calendar.
The first-place winner, who ended up being the rat, would claim the first year of the 12-year cycle.
The date of the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year varies annually, but always falls in January or
February: this lunar year began on 22 January 2023 and will end on Lunar New Year’s Eve, on 9 February
2024. It is the Year of the Rabbit. Since this year is ruled by the element of water, this is the Year of the
Water Rabbit.

In the minds of Chinese people, the rabbit is a tender and lovely creature. The legendary moon goddess,
Chang'e (嫦娥), had a jade rabbit as her pet, affirming that only this pure creature was amiable enough to
match her noble beauty. However, peaceful as the rabbit is, it can also be agile in times of crisis. In Chinese
culture, apart from peace and agility, the rabbit is also associated with the virtues of kindness, compassion,
intelligence, and bravery. Overall, the rabbit is a positive symbol in Chinese culture, representing a variety
of positive attributes.

In celebration of Chinese Language Day 2023, this multi-media exhibition, entitled “The Chinese Zodiac:
In Praise of the Jade Rabbit”, co-sponsored by the Chinese Translation Service and the UNSRC Chinese
Book Club, showcases art works by colleagues from the Chinese Translation Service and by family
members of three colleagues as well as calligraphy by three abbots from famous Buddhist temples in China.
These art works and calligraphy are all in praise of the virtues of the rabbit, in the hope that the Year of the
Rabbit can bring peace and agility to all of us in times of unprecedented change.

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