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Chinese NY

Year of the Pig - Did You Know?

At midnight on 17 February, the Year of the Dog will end and 2007’s Year of the Pig will begin. According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar (the oldest chronographic record in history) it will be the year 4705.

Chinatown getting ready

Chinese New Year is one of the most colourful and vibrant occasions to be seen across the world and the UK is no exception. Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival (Chun Jie) traditionally lasts for fifteen days and on 18 February the national festivities will kick off in London at Trafalgar Square.

Community Channel wishes you prosperity and wealth, good luck and happiness. ‘Kung Hei Fat Choy’ is Happy New Year in the Hong Kong Cantonese dialect.

The Lion Dance

Gerrard Street

The Lion Dance is probably the most spectacular and best-loved event of all the celebrations. Two trained dancers perform the dance, one at the lion’s head and one at its tail moving the eyelids, mouth and ears of the lion so that it appears like. Loud music is played on a large drum with a gong and cymbals accompanying the scene.

The climax of the Lion Dance is called Choi Cheng or ‘Pickling the Green’, the green here referring to cabbage leaves which are tied to a piece of string which also has a red packet attached containing money. The string is hung above the door of the house or business and the lion munches both the leaves and the red packet.

The musicians’ play a dramatic rolling crescendo until the lull is broken as the lion explodes back into activity spitting out the leaves to signify that the coming year will be prosperous.

Pig Characteristics

Good characteristics!

If you were born under the sign of the pig after early February in the years 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983 or 1995 then you are a pig and it is your year to celebrate.

People born in the Year of the Pig are honest, sincere and genuine. They have a heart of gold and everyone admires Pig people the most. They are called upon when sincere advice is needed and will always give a helping hand.

Pig people are the best friend anyone can have. They're fun loving and know how to throw a good party, but if rubbed up the wrong way they can be extremely vengeful.

They can also be naive which allows others to take advantage of them. Pigs have a great thirst for knowledge and although they do not always say much, when they do decide to speak nothing can stop them.

Pigs believe that the perfect relationship is based on great friendship, making them great friends and lovers.

Lanterns in Chinatown

Famous people born in the Year of the Pig include:

• Alfred Hitchcock, Hollywood film maker
• Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor and Governor of California
• Chiang Kai Shek, Taiwan’s first president
• David Letterman, Talk show host
• David Tennant, Actor
• Elton John, Singer
• Ewan McGregor, Actor
• Humphrey Bogart, Actor and star of Casablanca
• Jada Pinkett Smith, Actress
• Jenna Elfman, Actress
• Kevin Spacey, Actor
• Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first Prime Minister
• Lucille Ball, Actress and comedian
• Rachel Weisz, Actress
• Ronald Reagan, former President of the United States
• Sacha Baron Cohen, British comedian better known as Ali G or Borat
• Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramunujan, Mathematical prodigy
• Steven Spielberg, Film Director
• Winona Ryder, American actress
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Composer
• Woody Allen, Writer, director

Last Updated ( Monday, 23 April 2007 )