The Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Ox 4707 (or 2009) is the year of the ox Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4707 begins on Jan. 26, 2009. Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year. An Obstinate Year.  Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in ox years tend to be painters, engineers, and architects. They are stable, fearless, obstinate, hard-working and friendly. Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, Walt Disney, and Anthony Hopkins were all born in the year of the ox. Fireworks and Family Feasts.  At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits. The Lantern Festival.  In China, the New Year is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other's homes for visits and shared meals, most significantly a feast on New Year's Eve. In the United States, however, many early Chinese immigrants arrived without their families, and found a sense of community through neighborhood associations instead. Today, many Chinese-American neighborhood associations host banquets and other New Year events. The lantern festival is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon. In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance. The dragon -- which might stretch a hundred feet long -- is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. Traditionally the dragon is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colorful beast through the streets. In the United States, where the New Year is celebrated with a shortened schedule, the dragon dance always takes place on a weekend. In addition, many Chinese-American communities have added American parade elements such as marching bands and floats. Ox personality traits Still waters run deep, as anyone who has observed an Ox will tell you.  People born in the Year of the Ox are the supremely self-assured, and as a result are noted for inspiring confidence in others. Generally patient and thoughtful, they measure their words, and will speak clearly and concisely often when it matters most. Born to lead, Ox people can be quite stubborn -- but also stubbornly loyal to those they love. However, when opposed, their fierce tempers are legendary. So always follow this very wise advice: Never cross an Ox! Generally placid and easy-going on the outside, the Ox can be very dogmatic. There are no gray areas evident within their narrow scope of vision, and they often only see things as good or bad. Therefore, they are never easily persuaded by a clever argument. Possessing an excellent memory, the Ox can often recall verbatim a conversation weeks or months after it has occurred. Their physical stamina combined with their mental alertness is a distinct advantage when it comes to completing any task at hand. In fact, Oxen can often be seen patiently working away ... long after everyone else has dropped from sheer exhaustion! Ox people are also generally good with their hands, and together with sterling leadership abilities are often successful as doctors or surgeons, construction managers, army generals or business leaders. Oxen are most compatible with: Rat, Snake, Rooster Famous people born in the Year of the Ox : Johann Sebastian Bach, Napoleon Bonaparte, Charlie Chaplin, George Clooney, Walt Disney, Anton Dvorak, Clark Gable, George Frideric Handel, Oscar De La Hoya, Richard Nixon, President Barack Obama, Aishwarya Rai, Wayne Rooney, Vincent Van Gogh Chinese New Year Days 2009 Jan 26 2010 Feb 14 2011 Feb 3 2012 Jan 23 Chinese New Year Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is often called the Lunar New Year, especially by people in mainland China and Taiwan. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month (Chinese: ����; pinyin: zh�lng yu�o) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Ch�yx�p. It literally means "Year-pass Eve". Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Koreans, Mongolians, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before 1873. In Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and other countries or regions with significant Han Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, and has, to varying degrees, become part of the traditional culture of these countries. In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Canada Post issues New Year's themed stamps in domestic and international rates. Although the Chinese calendar traditionally does not use continuously numbered years, its years are often numbered from the reign of Huangdi outside China. But at least three different years numbered 1 are now used by various scholars, making the year 2009 Chinese. Flowers and Plants: The following are popular floral decorations for the New Year and are available at new year markets. Peach Blossom symbolizes luck Kumquat symbolizes prosperity Narcissus symbolizes prosperity Chrysanthemum symbolizes longevity Bamboo a plant used for any time of year Sunflower means to have a good year Sources: Chiff.com ChinaPage.com Holly Hartman, InfoPlease.com Wikipedia: The Free Online Encyclopedia See Also:   The Celtic Bull Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Dog Page updated 22 Feb 2009 Celtic Animals Background by Míchealín Daugherty Copyright © 2009 Ireland's OWN All Rights Reserved.