2018 Year of the Earth Dog

​Happiness
Prosperity
Longevity
福禄寿

Dogs are the eleventh sign in the zodiac and are seen as independent, sincere, loyal and decisive, who aren't afraid of difficulties in life. Due to these characteristics they also enjoy harmonious relationships with those around them will sniff out corruption to expose truth.

The element of Earth adds a year of healing, stability, and a focus on nutrition. Pay special attention to what you "feed" yourself this year, i.e. food, news, ideas, thought. Fairness will be a key theme this Dog year and the Earth element is here to remind us that.

February 16th marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year 4716, the year of the dog. This is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese culture. The festivities start on the first day of the month of February and continue until the fifteenth day– the day of the Lantern Festival. On this evening, when the moon is shining the brightest, you can find beautiful displays of lanterns and children carrying them while marching in parades. 
It’s important in the Chinese culture to have a clean home before the beginning of the New Year, some people refer to the pre-celebration tradition as a way to “sweep away bad luck.” It’s believed that cleaning not only rids the home of bad luck that was accumulated over the past year but also creates a new environment for good luck to occur again. 

There are many different ways to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Each tradition offers a small glimpse into the deep history of the Chinese people and their customs.  So this month: celebrate, experience, and most importantly, “Gong Xi Fa Cai!”



*photo credit The Sun