February 3, 2011

Year of the Rabbit or Year of the Cat?

Rhonda Rabbit and Lorenzo Lapin are quite excited to note that today marks the beginning of the Chinese Lunar Year of the Rabbit.

According to the Chinese Culture Center in San Francisco:
" People born in the Year of the Rabbit are articulate, talented,and ambitious. They are virtuous, reserved, and have excellent taste. Rabbit people are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky. They are fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind. Rabbit people seldom lose their temper. They are clever at business and being conscientious, never back out of a contract. "

"The Chinese animal signs are a 12-year cycle used for dating the years. They represent a cyclical concept of time,rather than the Western linear concept of time. 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. "

Lilly Cat thinks that is all well and good, but wants you to know that in the Vietnamese culture, their lunar New Year known as Tết Nguyên Đán also starts today. And you might be surprised to learn that they will be observing the Year of the Cat this year! Cat People born in this cycle are are "smooth talkers, talented and ambitious and will succeed in studies. They are in conflict with the rat. A cat person has a supple mind and patient personality and knows how to wait for favorable conditions before taking action. Cat hours are between 5am and 7am, when cats begin their prowling."

Whichever you choose to celebrate, may you have a blessed Lunar New Year!!

RABBIT RESCUE: Each year, particularly after Easter, shelters and rescues are inundated with bunnies that were given as gifts to people who didn't really want them and don't know how to take care of them. Please don't give a live animal as a gift - give a stuffed plush toy instead, or consider making a donation to a rescue or shelter in someone's name as a gift. If you are willing to make a commitment and would like to adopt an abandoned bunny as a pet, check out this link:
Guide to Rabbit Rescue Organizations

4 comments:

mimi said...

I'm glad you mentioned this, I'd heard of the year of the cat but was unable to find any information about it. I will ask one of my Vietnamese associates.

mimi said...

I was just told that for those of us born during the year of the cat that we should be CAREFUL this year.. awwww

Unknown said...

Oh that sounds like good advice any year...You know, don't run with scissors, look both ways when crossing the street, don't rub your cat the wrong way...

Laura (TLN) said...

I snooped around (ahh google...my frend) and apparently it has is origins way back stemming from the similarity of the words for rabbit and cat in the two languages. I think you should give the bunnies a feline friend. :)