KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!
According to this website:
A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find. People born in an Earth Rat are said to be logical realists, shrewd, charming, ambitious, and inventive. Of course, the entire horoscope must be considered when making any personality assessment.
And according to this other website:
The Rat year is a year of plenty, bringing opportunity and good prospects. It will be marked by speculation and fluctuations in the prices of commodities and the stock market; the world economy in general will boom. Business will be on the upswing, fortunes can be made and it will be an easy time to accumulate wealth. However, this is also the time to make long-term investment plans as the bonanza the year of the Rat brings will serve to see us through the bleak years that may follow. All ventures begun at this time will be successful if one prepares well. But do not take chances or unnecessary risks: the year of the Rat is still ruled by the cold of winter and the darkness of night. Those who speculate indiscriminately and overextend themselves will come to a sad reckoning.
On the whole, this will be a happier year than most: free from explosive events and wars and with far less catastrophes than, say, the years of the Tiger or the Dragon.
Nonetheless, it will be spicy. It promises a lot of bickering, bargaining and petty arguments that will do little harm. A congenial time that will find most of us socializing and enjoying ourselves.
-o0o0o-
Not many people know this but I LOVE Chinese celebrations and traditions. Anything positive that will bring me good luck, i love it!--and yes, I follow some of it =)
Believe it or not, Chris and I celebrate the Chinese New Year and Mooncake Festival...but no, we don't celebrate by going to Chinese festivities (at least we haven't hehehe)...we do it our own way: by going to Starbucks and just greeting each other "Kung Hei Fat Choi" (during Chinese New Year) and by sharing mooncakes over a cup of coffee (during Moon Cake Festival). And one of our traditions before was to give mooncakes to our parents as well. We have no deep reason for celebrating such festivities but I guess one reason is that we both have this kind of respect for other culture per se and we see nothing wrong celebrating their festivities even if we are Pinoys. We find it fun and we learn something from other people's traditions.
Even our wedding date was somehow influenced by Chinese feng shui. We consciously wanted an auspicious Saturday to get married and one of the reasons why we wanted a January 2007 wedding was because it was still considered Year of the Dog which is a good year to get married (that year having two springs in one year).
And I guess, when we thought about our honeymoon destination, our first response was Hongkong (there was nothing else on our mind but that country), as in both of us wanted to go to Hongkong and we were lucky we went there a week before the Kung Hei Fat Choi 2007 celebrations where we feasted our eyes with their new year decors (see current headshot).
For this Chinese New Year, let me celebrate with you by sharing eight (8) tips in order to have a prosperous and lucky Year of the Rat:
- Get rid of clutter in the home. De-clutter and give away stuff you don't need to the less fortunate or in need. This will have a good karmic effect on your life.
- Clean up, dust the cobwebs away. This is a way to energize your surrounding by getting rid of "negative" dirt.
- Confucius says "When things go wrong, don't go with them".
- Make peace with yourself and with everyone.
- Repeat this mantra: "I am open to positive change in any form it takes."
- The Year of the Rat is a good year for marriage, so what are you guys waiting for? *wink* (magpro-propose na kayo!)
- Expect a congenial year, so spend time with loved ones: socialize, socialize!
- Make a change. New year signifies new beginnings. With the change comes new energy.
May all of us have prosperous, peaceful and happy Year of the Rat!
