The Year of the Rat is upon us, and we want to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a joyous, prosperous, healthful and happy Lunar New Year! Here’s hoping you and your family and your friends have an abundance of fortune and happiness in the year ahead.
Significance of the Year of the Rat?
The arrival of the 2020 Chinese New Year marks the beginning of the Year of the Rat. The rat is the first of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.
According to the myth, the Jade Emperor organised a race for a group of animals on his birthday, the results of which determined the order of the Chinese zodiac.
Legend goes that the rat was able to hitch a ride on the back of the ox, jumping off at the finish line in order to win first place and be named the first animal in the cycle.
People whose birth dates occurred in the Year of the Rat include those born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996 and 2008.