Xin Nian Kuai Le - - - Gong Xi Fa Cai
Flea, lol, they don't just pick animals at random, they have 12 animals plus five Earthly elements.
Quote:
Rat - Ox - Tiger - Hare - Dragon - Snake - Horse - Sheep - Monkey - Rooster - Dog - Pig
-Plus-
Wood - Fire - Water - Earth - Metal
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Each animal and element is combined in cyclical fashion to represent each year in a 60 year cycle, or a
sexagenarian cycle. Legend has it that the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to come to him before he departed from earth. Only twelve came to bid him farewell and as a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived.
This year the combination is water and horse but because the element water is represented by the color black, it said to be the Year of the Black Horse.
Certain aspects of the animals are believed to be present in those born during that time...to put it over-simplistically. Similar to our Astrology signs that you're probably more familiar with.
Chinese New Year is the second New Moon after the winter solstice, February 12, 2002. It is Year 4699 by Chinese calendar. Year 2002 will be the 19th year of the 78th Sexagenary Cycle of the Chinese calendar.
http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2002.htm http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/.../chinese.shtml http://sunflower.singnet.com.sg/~cecil/calendar.htm http://www.new-year.co.uk/chinese/calendar.htm 
Linear Mode
