2011: The Year of the Rabbit

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It's the Year of the Rabbit: (the New Year begins on February 3rd in 2011). In Chinese Astrology 2011 marks the Year of the Metal Rabbit as an excellent opportunity to dedicate yourself to your personal ideals and desires. Now's the time to go after what you really want and need out of life, love, and your career.

Metal Rabbit: 2011

In Chinese Taoist thought, Metal attributes are considered to be firmness, rigidity, persistence, strength and determination. The metal person is controlling, ambitious, forceful and set in their ways as metal is very strong; and they are self-reliant and prefer to handle their problems alone. The metal person is also materialistic, business oriented and good at organization and stability. However the metal person can also appreciate luxury and enjoy the good things in life. Just as metal can conduct electricity, the Metal person has strong impulses and generative powers and can bring about changes and transformations for those who come into contact with them.

People born in the Year of the Rabbit are articulate, talented, and ambitious. They are virtuous, reserved, and have excellent taste. Rabbit people are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky. They are fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind. Rabbit people seldom lose their temper. They are clever at business and being conscientious, never back out of a contract. They would make good gamblers for they have the uncanny gift of choosing the right thing. However, they seldom gamble, as they are conservative and wise. The rabbit is believed to be one of the happiest signs, with people born in that year renowned for their kindness, reliability and loyalty, though with an air of mystery and propensity to cry.

Here are some of the ways you can celebrate Chinese New Year

• Clean House - Before the New Year arrives, the Chinese consider it very important to give the house a thorough cleaning, and sweep away any bad luck that may have accumulated over the past year.

• Decorate! - Doors and window panes are also often painted red, considered to be a lucky color. In addition, people like to hang cut paper on doors and windows. (Paper cutting is an ancient Chinese art form dating back to the Han dynasty).

• Don't clean for the first few days of the New Year - if you do any sweeping during this time, you risk sweeping away your good luck.

• Offer a Sacrifice to the Kitchen God - Many families have a poster of the Kitchen God in their kitchen. The custom is to offer a ceremonial sacrifice to the Kitchen God, to make sure that he gives a good report on the family's behavior when he returns to heaven. Sticky Cake (Nian Gao) is popular, or children may rub honey on him.

• An important tradition on New Year's Eve is for families to gather together and spend the evening preparing Chinese dumplings (Jiaozi). It is common to hide a coin in one of the dumplings. Whoever gets the dumpling with the coin will supposedly have good luck in the coming year.

• Give out money packets - On New Years day, children receive leisee - red packets decorated with gold symbols and filled with "lucky money".

• Serve festive foods - Throughout the New Years season, certain foods are served because they symbolize abundance and good fortune. In addition to preparing special dishes, tangerines and oranges are often passed out to children and guests, as they symbolize wealth and good luck.

• Prepare a Tray of Togetherness - This is a circular or octagon-shaped tray with eight compartments, each containing symbolic foods such as lotus seeds and lychee nuts are said to provide a sweet beginning to the New Year.

According to legend, the Buddha invited all the animals of the kingdom to come before him. Only 12 showed up. The Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. In gratitude, the Buddha decided to name a year after each of these animals and these twelve animals make up the traditional Chinese zodiac. Those born during that year would inherit some of the personality of that animal and with each year having its own peculiar and unique beliefs some such as it being an auspicious time to give birth or open a new business.

Discovering your sign under the system of Chinese Astrology can open up a wealth of information about the hidden depths of your character. See what this year holds in store for you!

Some famous persons born in the year of the Rabbit include Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Germaine Greer, Neil Sedaka, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Jordan and Drew Barrymore. Harry Belafonte, Ingrid Bergman, Lewis Carroll, John Cleese, Peter Falk, Peter Fonda, James Fox, David Frost, Cary Grant, Oliver Hardy, Bob Hope, Whitney Houston, John Hurt, Michael Keaton, John Keats, Julian Lennon, Arthur Miller, Roger Moore, Tatum O'Neal, George Orwell, Neil Simon, Jane Seymour, Dusty Springfield, Sting, Orson Welles, Norman Wisdom.