This week’s editorial has nothing with politics, international relations, the economy or even the recent snowstorm. Sometimes something catches our eye that we want to write about that has no obvious editorial slant, and just occasionally our Publisher will let us run with it.
How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? Hitting the gym every day? Still not drinking coffee or eating chocolate? We are not trying to embarrass anyone or make them feel badly. (We broke our New Year’s resolutions in 22 hours.) Just the opposite. This week there is a reset button, a second chance at a New Year.
On Tuesday this week, the Lunar New Year was rung in with festivities celebrated by nearly two billion people worldwide. Also known as the Chinese New Year, it is a traditional time to honor ancestors with family reunions, parades, and fireworks to drive off evil spirits. It is celebrated in Asian communities worldwide. So here is your chance for a “redo” on your New Year’s resolutions and possibly even a parade!
Many Asian cultures historically follow a lunar, rather than solar calendar, so the Lunar New Year falls on a different day on the Gregorian calendar every year. While this may be confusing, it is more than just the beginning of a new calendar year. The Lunar New Year is seen as a time of reunion and rebirth, marking the end of winter and the start of spring.
According to one legend, a monster would emerge from under the Earth at the start of every year and eat villagers. There is no mention that children were the ones eaten, so we assume this “legend” was not started by tired parents. Regardless, since the monster, called Nian (Chinese for “year”), was afraid of bright lights, loud noises, and the color red, they were used to exile the beast, and have all become associated with the holiday.
So that’s what we should do to celebrate our second chance at New Years and our resolutions! We should have a parade with lots of fire trucks (because they are red, and their sirens are really loud). We should also include lots of fireworks -who doesn’t love fireworks? Besides, the fire department will already be there if things get out of hand. We would definitely invite the Greenwich High School marching band, which is now the Pep Band, because their uniforms have a lot of red in them. However, I would suggest they not march directly behind the fireworks.
The Chinese calendar is on a 12-year cycle, with each year linked to one of a dozen animals – the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Obviously, 2022 is not the year of the goat since Quarterback Tom Brady – known as “the goat” announced his retirement this week. This is actually the year of the tiger.
In Asian cultures, the tiger – not the lion – is the king of the jungle. People born during a Tiger Year are thought to be natural leaders who are both brave and thrill-seeking, often craving attention. Tigers, according to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, “are courageous and energetic, love a challenge or competition, and are prepared to take risks. They can also be rebellious, short-tempered, and outspoken, preferring to give orders rather than take them, which often leads to conflict.” We say bring it on! If we survived the pandemic, we can survive and possibly even thrive during the year of the tiger. Not sure about our resolutions, but we are going to have a great year!
As an aside, and I am sorry if you have not heard already, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Wednesday, which was ground hog day. According to Phil’s ex-wife he is a notorious liar and should not be believed. Of course, she said that while having a drink by her pool in sunny Florida.
