Year of the Rat

Tomorrow is the lunar New Year, which Vietnam celebrates, and it will be the year of the rat. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and the beginning of the year falls somewhere between late January and early February. The Chinese have adopted the Western calendar since 1911, but the lunar calendar is still used for festive occasions such as the Chinese New Year.

The rat is the first zodiac sign so it will also mark the beginning of a new cycle. There are several stories on the origins of the zodiac sign. According to Vietnamese legend, when Buddha was preparing to leave the Earth, he summoned all of the animals to him to say goodbye. Only 12 animals (rat, ox, rooster, monkey, dog, dragon, snake, horse, pig, rabbit, sheep and tiger) showed up to see him off so Buddha appointed each of them a zodiac sign.

According to Chinese legend, the twelve animals quarreled one day as to who was to head the cycle of years. The gods were asked to decide and they held a contest: whoever was to reach the opposite bank of the river would be first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish. All the twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox's back, and won the race.