Happy Lunar New Year!

Today is Lunar New Years Eve, with tomorrow being the first day of the "Chinese" New Year which is, by the way, The Year of the Rat.

I find the Chinese New Year and by extent, the Chinese horoscope, to be incredibly complicated so I limit myself to knowing that I was born in the Year of the Sheep and that, in this year of the rat, love is going to be the theme.

However, I find these two bits of information to be really interesting:

According to legend, in ancient China, the Nián was a man-eating beast from the mountains (in other versions from under the sea), which came out every 12 months somewhere close to winter to prey on humans. The people later believed that the Nian was sensitive to loud noises and the colour red, so they scared it away with explosions, fireworks and the liberal use of the colour red. These customs led to the first N(ew Year celebrations. Guò nián, which means to celebrate the new year, literally means the passover of the Nian.

And this:

The first day is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth. Many people, especially Buddhists, abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed that this will ensure longevity for them. Some consider lighting fires and using knives to be bad luck on New Year's Day, so all food to be consumed is cooked the day before.

Most importantly, the first day of Chinese New Year is a time when families visit the oldest and most senior members of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.

You can find more information about the Chinese New Year here, and here.