The Lunar New Year represents the start of the traditional Chinese calendar year where each month is a moon cycle. The start of the Lunar Year is calculated at the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice, this year the festival begins on February 1st and the celebrations will continue through until the close on February 15th with the Festival of Lanterns, the children’s favorite parade where they carry little lanterns through the streets.

The Lunar New Year is a family holiday with an emphasis on food and family gatherings. The Lunar New Year menu is full of auspicious and delicious dishes: special long noodles for long life, rice balls to bring prosperity, special lucky fish dishes, wontons and dumplings. Usually, the festivities at Lunar New Year account for the largest human seasonal migrations in the world as families get together, but pandemic restrictions have vastly reduced current travel and made visiting family that much more difficult.

Following the Chinese tradition, each year is dedicated to one of the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac, and also to one of the five elements; water, earth, fire, wood and metal. Both the zodiac and the elements cycle through a repeating pattern: the zodiac on a twelve step cycle and the elements on a five year rotation.

2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger, the first time in 60 years that this combination has manifested. The Tiger symbolizes nobility, boldness and creativity, innovation and energy while Water years are free-flowing and spontaneous which will be a welcome change after the last two Metal years (2020-2021)

Each year all the signs of the Chinese zodiac come under the influence of the zodiacal year, this year is governed by the Water Tiger, and we are all encouraged to take our cues from the self assured big cat. Some signs are more favored in a Tiger Year, some are almost ignored, but the real message for all signs of the zodiac is to take note of the qualities of Water and the TIger and see how we can all tap into that energetic vibration.

Tigers are highly instinctual animals and the experts are urging us all to tune into our intuitions and instincts this year and be ready to embrace the changes that a free flowing Water year will bring. Individuals born in 1938, ‘50, ‘62, ‘74, ‘86, ‘98, 2010 and 2022 were born in the Tiger year. They are considered loyal, vivacious, impulsive and optimistic- geared for action!