Eastern New Year Rat And Its Virtues
The rat holds a special place in Chinese tradition. Find out about the Chinese New Year of the rat and why it is considered to be so special.
People wouldn’t happily accept any associations made with the rat in particular because it is an animal that is associated with filth,shadiness and small structure. Westerners wouldn’t really go with getting linked to a rat. On the contrary, Chinese thinkers who are famous for their observational skills would completely prove you wrong and give a different character analysis of a rat.
Intelligence is an important the attributes of the rat. The Chinese philosophers have observed that the rat is not only hardworking but also extremely creative creatures who love absolutely like to control things. It has been realized that rat people go for perfection. These are but a few of their characteristic traits that have been observed.
As has been the Chinese tradition for centuries that each year has a special animal assigned to it. There is a whole system and a legend behind the assigning of the animals to the years. Basically there are 12 animals that function on a twelve year rotation according to the lunar calendar that the Chinese use.
In the Chinese cultural heritage, the rat holds a position of honor and reverence. According to the Chinese history, the twelve animals that rotate based on the lunar calendar were made to contest in a race. From the beginning of the race, the ox was leading but he was unaware of the fact that the rat was riding on his back all the while. When the ox was about to finish the race first, the rat hopped off his back and took the victory.
The year of the rat marks the beginning of the whole animal myth. Hence, when the year of the rat reappears, it is rare occasion because it means that an entire cycle is completed and a new one has started.
The rat is thus famous for his creative personality and stewardship. The cunning animal is admired for its ability to dig through all sorts of trouble and find a way to achieve its purpose. Sharpness of mind is a key feature of the rat’s personality.
Chinese thinkers have come up with a personality sketch of the rat symbol and thus people now are more in favor of accepting any comparison to the Chinese perception of the rat’s persona. However, it is definitely simple to picture why the idea is difficult for the westerners because, the west have their own perception of the tiny creature.
Yet another feature about the twelve animals of the lunar cycle that might be contradictory and interesting is the compatibility question. What led to these connections is still quite unfamiliar, but the Chinese thinkers do have reasons for their beliefs about which animal is compatible to which one or whether they will have fights
It’s amazing to know that the rat has great compatibility with the monkey. But where do the philosophers get this conviction is still unknown. However, these beliefs prevail in China. From the ancient era, the year of the rat is believed to be the sign of protection and wealth.
The original Chinese new year rat has important symbolic significance. To read further on Chinese new year crafts follow the hyperlinks.
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