The Chinese New Year is almost upon us, and this year, according to the calendar, is the year of the pig. In Ukraine, we’ve already celebrated both the New Year and the old New Year (according to the old calendar) and the pigs are on full display. For some reason, the animals of the Chinese zodiac are big here. Whole stalls at the market were dedicated to pig trinkets of all varieties, and pigs were also frequently spotted on New Years cards. Stuffed pigs dangle from rearview mirrors of taxis and buses. I realized how big the animal thing was when a student told me that she was born in the year of the pig, so this was going to be a good year for her. And then she asked me what animal represented the year I was born in. I had to admit I had no idea, and explained to the class that in the States the only time most people think about the Chinese zodiac is when they’re reading their placemat while waiting for their food at a Chinese restaurant. That explanation got me blank looks all around, and I decided that later I would look up my animal. It’s a monkey.
I hadn’t realized it before, but the animal of the year even determines what kind of gifts you give and receive for New Years. This became apparent as I un-decorated our Christmas tree this year – ornaments given to us over the past three New Years have been in the form of roosters, dogs and pigs, the featured animals of the last three consecutive years. A line of pig trinkets, given to me by students this year, now stand on a shelf in our livingroom. Last year it was a collection of dogs, although they have all found new homes by now, to make room for the pigs. Next year we can look forward to the year of the rat. Glad we’re going to miss those ornaments.Laura
