Tomorrow, January 29th, is the start of the Lunar New Year in China. So, we’d like to wish all our clients, staff and friends, 恭喜發財 (Gong Xi Fa Chai) – which means, “Congratulations and make a fortune.” That’s something to look forward to as we move into 2025!
This is the year of the Snake, which symbolises wisdom, intuitive energy and transformation, with the latter being something we can all hope for too as it offers opportunities for personal growth and change.
Why the snake? Well, as you probably know, the Chinese Zodiac operates on a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by a different animal, as shown below.
In order, the animals are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. According to Chinese mythology, the order of the zodiac animals was decided by a Great Race hosted by the Jade Emperor. The Snake came sixth. There are various stories why this happened. In one, the Snake cunningly coiled itself around the Horse’s hoof and thus managed to finish ahead of the Horse. In another, the Dragon was fifth and the Jade Emperor said Dragon's son could be sixth. But his son wasn’t with Dragon and, just then, Snake came forward and said Dragon was his adoptive father, which led to Snake being ranked sixth.
As for the festival of the Chinese New Year, we associate it with firecrackers and dragons and the reason for this is also rooted in Chinese mythology. A long time ago, there was a monster, called Nian, a very scary beast with sharp teeth and horns, who lived in the sea. At New Year, Nian would come on land and wreak havoc amongst the people living by the sea. One year, the villagers discovered that Nian was terrified of the colour red and of loud noises, so they hung red banners out and lit firecrackers, which drove the monster back into the sea. Today, the red decorations and firecrackers symbolise victory over evil and a fresh start to the New Year. So, if you call our office today or tomorrow and hear some firecrackers going off, don’t worry, we’re just saying congratulations to all our clients and hoping for peace and prosperity for you all in 2025! As we Chinese say, 恭喜發財 “May you be happy and prosperous.”
Emma Zhao, M&S Accountancy and Taxation Ltd.
