The Chinese culture has a special space for the rat symbol. Let us explore about the Chinese New Year rat symbol and it's special characteristics.
Not many people would like to link themselves with the picture of the rat outside of the Chinese culture. For the majority of westerners the rat is a tiny, dirty, shady character that dwells in the dirtiest of places. On the contrary the Chinese thinkers known for their observation skills draw a completely different character sketch of the rat.
Intelligence is an important the attributes of the rat. The Chinese philosophers have observed that the rat is not only hardworking but also extremely innovative creatures who love absolutely like to control things. It has been realized that rat people go for perfection. These are but a few of their characteristic traits that have been observed.
As has been the Chinese tradition for centuries that each year has a special animal assigned to it. There is a whole process and a legend behind the assigning of the animals to the years. Basically there are 12 animals that function on a twelve year rotation according to the lunar calendar that the Chinese use.
In the Chinese cultural heritage, the rat holds a position of honor and reverence. According to the Chinese history, the twelve animals that rotate based on the lunar calendar were made to contest in a race. From the beginning of the race, the ox was leading but he was unaware of the fact that the rat was riding on his back all the while. When the ox was about to complete the race first, the rat hopped off his back and took the victory.
Thus, it seems that the whole animal history begins with the symbol of the rat. Hence, after the completion of every twelfth year, a cycle gets over and a whole new cycle begins with the year of the rat.
The rat is thus famous for his creative persona and stewardship. The cunning animal is admired for its ability to dig through all sorts of trouble and find a way to achieve its purpose. Sharpness of mind is a key feature of the rat's personality.
On reading the character sketch drawn up by Chinese philosophers one would actually not feel that bad if one's personality was to be compared with the Chinese perception of the rat's personality traits. Nonetheless the idea is difficult to imbibe for the west because of their own traditional perception of the animal.
Another interesting aspect about the animals of the 12 year cycle is the compatibility problems. How the Chinese philosophers came up with these connections is unclear but they have drawn conclusions as to which animal sign is compatible with another and which is likely to have confrontations.
Amazingly the rat has great compatibility with the monkey. Where do they derive this from? Who knows? But nonetheless this is what the prevailing beliefs are in China. From ancient times the year of the rat has been welcomed by the Chinese as a sign of protection and prosperity.
Not many people would like to link themselves with the picture of the rat outside of the Chinese culture. For the majority of westerners the rat is a tiny, dirty, shady character that dwells in the dirtiest of places. On the contrary the Chinese thinkers known for their observation skills draw a completely different character sketch of the rat.
Intelligence is an important the attributes of the rat. The Chinese philosophers have observed that the rat is not only hardworking but also extremely innovative creatures who love absolutely like to control things. It has been realized that rat people go for perfection. These are but a few of their characteristic traits that have been observed.
As has been the Chinese tradition for centuries that each year has a special animal assigned to it. There is a whole process and a legend behind the assigning of the animals to the years. Basically there are 12 animals that function on a twelve year rotation according to the lunar calendar that the Chinese use.
In the Chinese cultural heritage, the rat holds a position of honor and reverence. According to the Chinese history, the twelve animals that rotate based on the lunar calendar were made to contest in a race. From the beginning of the race, the ox was leading but he was unaware of the fact that the rat was riding on his back all the while. When the ox was about to complete the race first, the rat hopped off his back and took the victory.
Thus, it seems that the whole animal history begins with the symbol of the rat. Hence, after the completion of every twelfth year, a cycle gets over and a whole new cycle begins with the year of the rat.
The rat is thus famous for his creative persona and stewardship. The cunning animal is admired for its ability to dig through all sorts of trouble and find a way to achieve its purpose. Sharpness of mind is a key feature of the rat's personality.
On reading the character sketch drawn up by Chinese philosophers one would actually not feel that bad if one's personality was to be compared with the Chinese perception of the rat's personality traits. Nonetheless the idea is difficult to imbibe for the west because of their own traditional perception of the animal.
Another interesting aspect about the animals of the 12 year cycle is the compatibility problems. How the Chinese philosophers came up with these connections is unclear but they have drawn conclusions as to which animal sign is compatible with another and which is likely to have confrontations.
Amazingly the rat has great compatibility with the monkey. Where do they derive this from? Who knows? But nonetheless this is what the prevailing beliefs are in China. From ancient times the year of the rat has been welcomed by the Chinese as a sign of protection and prosperity.
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The Chinese new year rat has deep symbolic significance. To learn more about Chinese new year crafts follow the hyperlinks.
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