Chinese Hope Year Of The Ox Ushers In Better 2009
Posted January 26, 2009 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ever hear the expression clumsy as an ox?
You won’t in China.
They kicked off the Year of the Ox on Monday, as part of Chinese New Year celebrations.
It began with a huge weekend show at the Rogers Centre, a dazzling gala that featured dancing dragons, fireworks and performances by some of China’s biggest musical stars.
Few in Beijing will be sorry to see 2008’s Year of the Rat disappear.
It was the year the Chinese experienced criticism about censorship at its otherwise successful Olympics; an ice storm created havoc in the country; a tainted milk scandal sickened hundreds of babies; an earthquake saw 80,000 people die; and the country’s booming economy slowed to a trickle due to the worldwide meltdown.
Fireworks, designed to scare away evil spirits, exploded in the land where they were first invented some 2,000 years ago. And most are hoping what lies ahead is a lot more bullish than ox-like.
What does it mean if you were born in the year of the ox? You’re said to be tolerant, boast a strong character and exhibit fearless tendencies that make you stand out in a crisis.
Ox-people don’t complain much and believe their hard work will eventually pay off.
And as the old expression goes, they tend to be as stubborn as the animal the year is named for.
Among the famous who have been born in an Ox year? New U.S. president Barack Obama.
Obama also is the 44th president, a number the Chinese deem extremely unlucky because “four” is pronounced the same as “death” in Chinese.
“The new U.S. president is not having good luck this year. His honeymoon will only be short-lived,” said fortune teller Alion Yeo, predicting Obama may even face impeachment in his first year in office. “The Year of the Ox looks slightly better and less dire than last year, but it will still be bumpy.”
Also born in the Year of the Ox: former U.S. president Richard Nixon (1913), former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925), Princess Diana (1961), and Hollywood actors George Clooney (1961) and Richard Gere (1949).
There are 12 symbols in the Chinese zodiac. Find your birthday year here and see if you fit into the pattern.
Photo credit: Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images
With files from The Associated Press
