Year of the Monkey

When I went to Trader Joe's yesterday, they had these little potted chrysanthemums wrapped in fancy paper for Chinese New Year.  Of course they're right at the entrance, making it hard to resist grabbing one on the way in. Trader Joe's is all about impulse shopping.

Red, yellow and green are considered lucky colors in China.  Yellow is the most beautiful and prestigious color,  and red symbolizes good fortune and joy.  Green is associated with health, prosperity, and harmony.

Today is Chinese New Year, calculated each year by the lunar cycle.  The new year starts on the second full moon after the winter solstice. 2016 marks the 4713th Chinese year.

There are many traditions (some would say superstitions) around the Chinese New Year celebrations.  For example, the house must be cleaned in advance to prevent disease. Many Chinese avoid taking medicine on the New Year or it is thought you'll be sick for the rest of the year.  Washing your hair or cleaning the first three days of the year "washes away the good luck." And so on...

The Western zodiac system is divided into 12 months. The Chinese zodiac is divided into 12 years, each one associated with a different animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

In my favorite Buddha legend, he called all the animals of the world to him before he left the earth. I suppose that included the human animal. The only ones who listened were these twelve, so Buddha named a year after each of them in the order that they arrived.

Here's another story.  The Buddha once got frustrated and went into solitary retreat after trying to mediate a dispute between bickering monks at a monastery.  While in the wilderness, a monkey offered him a honeycomb. The Buddha was also offered fruit and attended to by an elephant who was tired of communal life and had left his herd.

Elephants have wonderful qualities, and who wouldn't want to be born in the Year of the Elephant? Unfortunately, there isn't one.  The poor guy must have showed up late to the Buddha's naming party.

Since monkeys are crafty pranksters, their year can bring random surprises. This is the year to take action outside your comfort zone. People born in the Year of the Monkey are lively, quick-witted, curious, innovative and mischievous.

• Strengths: sociable, innovative, enthusiastic, self-assured
• Weaknesses: suspicious, cunning, selfish, arrogant, jealous