Year of the Dog 2006

                    Happy Chinese New Year

2006-the Year of the Dog

Why is year 2006 the Year of Dog? Chinese calendar used the Stem-Branch system to count the days, months and years. There are 10 Stems and 12 Branches in this system. Stems are named by the Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth). The Stem sequence order is Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, Yang Earth, Yin Earth, Yang Metal, Yin Metal, Yang Water and Yin Water. Branches use the animal names. The Branch sequence order is Rat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Stem and Branch are used together to form a cycle of 60 counting systems which begin with Rat and end with Pig. Year 2006 is the 23rd of the Stem-Branch in the system, of which the Dog is the symbol. 

Many people think only the Chinese associate the year with 12 different animals. Actually it is not so. 
In those Asian countries greatly influenced by Chinese culture, such as Japan, DPRK, Mongolia and Viet Nam, local folks usually use the lunar calendar, designating years with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. For them, the coming new year is also regarded as the year of dog.

Chinese Zodiac-- animals imparting distinct characteristics to its year 

In China, instead of asking your age, people may ask you questions like "what do you belong to?" Don't ever think that you are expected to answer like "I belong to the US". You are supposed to belong to one of twelve animals! (Those are mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.) It is not that weird as you have to follow the order of a mouse or a tiger. That is Chinese Zodiac. The Chinese Zodiac is based on a twelve-year cycle --- each year being represented by an animal that imparts distinct characteristics to its year. Many Chinese believe that the year of a person's birth is the primary factor in determining that person's personality traits, physical and mental attributes and degree of success and happiness throughout his lifetime. 

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