The Year of the Snake

2013 is the year of the Snake,
the sixth sign of the Chinese
zodiac. It is said that people
who were born in the year of
the snake are reputed to be
thoughtful and wise and to
approach problems rationally
and logically.

So what is the overall trend of
2013 and why do people born in
the year of snake think about
their common characteristics?
Tianyi tells us more.

Among all the 12 signs in
Chinese zodiac, the snake is not
a welcome one due to its
aggressive and poisonous
reputation. And the year of the
snake is always said to be
mysterious.

Chu Zhaowen, an expert at
Chinese culture and custom in
Xi'an says actually, in ancient
China, snake were treated as a
totem to worship and ancient
Chinese wisdom says a snake in
the house is a good omen
because it means that your
family will not starve.

"In ancient China, a snake was a
kind of threatened deity that
needed to be revered. And it
was considered to have close
relationship with human beings.
For example, Nv Wa, a goddess
in Chinese mythology, who is in
charge of human creation, has
human face but a snake-like
body."

In China, the snake is regarded
as little dragon without feet.
The dragon's appearance
actually originates from the
snake and as symbols of royalty
and power in China. So the year
0of the snake has positive
meanings as well as negative
ones.

It is believed that people born in
the year of snake are very
determined and resolute to
achieve success. Dong Yilin is a
wellknown fortune teller.

"People who are born in the
year of snake are very good at
putting aside worries and
moving on with life. For
example, if we encounter some
bad things like breaking up with
friends, having problems at
work or suffering a big loss in
personal wealth, it might take a
year for other people to recover,
but it could take just one month
for those who are born in the
year of snake to get over it and
soon find a way to go for the
next period."

Compared with a dragon year,
baby girls are more welcomed
than boys when it is the year of
the snake. Li Yuanxi, a typical
snake girl, explains.

"Dragons always give people the
impression of being strong
which is what men should have.
So many Chinese hope to have a
baby boy in a dragon year.
Snakes are much different. They
symbolize character traits such
as intelligence and gracefulness
which are more feminine."

People need to be very cautious
when they are in their Chinese
zodiac year, as some bad luck
may come. Chinese think buying
something red is a good way to
drive away bad luck.

For those who are hoping to
make their business more
prosperous, 2013 should be a
good time to get that goal
accomplished.

Chu Zhaowen, Chinese zodiac
expert, adds all the symbolic
meanings for each of Chinese
zodiac animals represent
people's hopes and wishes for
the coming new year. Most of
the prospects are based on the
past years' experiences. As the
year of the snake wriggles in,
brace yourself and enjoy it!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Source:
http://english.cri.cn/6909/2013/02/11/2821s747968.htm