Spring into the Lunar New Year — 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit!
In 2022, the Year of the Tiger, the strength and bravery of the tiger encouraged us as our communities worked to recover from the pandemic. Now in 2023, the Year of the Rabbit, we can anticipate a year of hope as the rabbit symbolizes longevity, peace, and prosperity.
People who are born in the years of the rabbit are known to be witty, smart, and confident. These individuals are steadfast in pursuing their goals and possess good reasoning and attention to detail. They also tend to be careful in their actions, but avoid a plain and routine lifestyle.
Alongside each new year’s zodiac sign, Chinese astrology assigns one of the five elements to each year. This year, 2023, is a year of the Water Rabbit. Water Rabbits are those born in 1963 or 2023. These people are typically gentle, amicable, and adaptable, but can be easily persuaded.
The 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese Zodiac consists of 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each Lunar New Year welcomes the next animal down the list. The order of animals is based on the ancient Chinese legend called the Heavenly Gate Race. According to this legend, the Jade Emperor was in search of 12 animals to serve as his guards, so the emperor declared a race starting in the mortal world and ending at the Heavenly Gate. The legend describes the Rabbit as proud of its speed, and he even made fun of his neighbor, the Ox, for being slow. So when the race began, the Rabbit quickly got far ahead of the other animals. Assuming that he would be first, the Rabbit went off to the side of the road and took a nap. However, when he woke up, the Rat, Ox, and Tiger had arrived and beat him to the gate. Thus, the Rabbit came in fourth in the race.
Click here to learn more about the Heavenly Gate Race!
The 5 Elements of the Chinese Zodiac
Five Elements Theory is a Chinese philosophy used to describe the interactions and relationships among all things. The five elements consist of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. They are believed to be the fundamental elements of everything in the universe. According to China Highlights, “Everybody belongs to one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs and a 12-year cycle according to the year in which they were born. One of the five elements is associated with each of the Chinese zodiac signs and 12-year cycles.”
This means that for every year, there is a specific zodiac animal and element combination. In traditional Chinese culture, a person’s personality and luck are often determined by their zodiac sign 12-year cycle element. Their life force, or qi, is based on a person’s time and date of birth. Your sign and element combination only occur once every 60 years!
Click here to see what your sign and element mean!
For the Rabbits:
Years of the Rabbit: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
Most compatible with Rabbit: Goat, Dog, Pig
Least compatible with Rabbit: Rat, Rooster
Lucky Colors: red, pink, purple, blue
Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 6
Lucky Flowers: plantain lily, jasmine
Lucky Directions: East, South, Northwest
Here are some local events you can attend to celebrate:
January 22, 2023: Dragon Dance – Seafood House Quan Oc
January 23, 2023: Lunar New Year Lion Dance – Rooftop Macarons
January 28, 2023: Lunar New Year Celebration – The Creative Space
January 28 & 29, 2023: Lunar New Year Tet Festival
January 29: Vietnamese Lunar New Year Celebration at Hard Rock Live
February 4: Iu Mien New Year – Senior New Year Celebration
Interested in learning more? Click the links below for more information:
Chinese Zodiac — Year of the Rabbit
Year of the Rabbit: Horoscope Predictions 2023 and Personality
California Celebrates Lunar New Year with New State Holiday