Sunday, January 22, begins the Year of the Rabbit. It is the beginning of the year 4720 (in some traditions, 4721) in the Asian lunar system, which is the Year of the Black Water Rabbit.
For more on the special impact, beliefs and predictions for the Zodiac animals since 2012, please seem my posts from each year at
- Year of the Black Water Tiger: 2022: Some Background
- Year of the White Metal Ox 2021: Some Background
- Year of the Metal Rat 2020 (no article that year)
- Year of the Brown Earth Pig 2019: Some Background
- Year of the Brown Earth Dog 2018: Some Background
- Year of the Red Fire Rooster 2017: Some Background
- Year of the Red Fire Monkey 2016: Some Background
- Year of the Green Wood Sheep/Ram/Goat 2015: Some Background
- Year of the Green Wood Horse 2014: Some Background
- Year of the Black Water Snake 2013: Some Background
- Year of the Black Water Dragon 2012: Some Background
- Year of the Black Water Tiger 2022 (no article that year)
- Year of the White Metal Ox 2021 (no article that year)
- Year of the Metal Rat 2020 (no article that year)
- Year of the Brown Earth Pig 2019: Business and Political Impact
- Year of the Brown Earth Dog 2018: Business and Political Impact
- Year of the Red Fire Rooster 2017: Business and Political Impact
- Year of the Red Fire Monkey 2016: Business and Political Impact
- Year of the Green Wood Sheep/Ram/Goat 2015: Business and Political Impact
- Year of the Green Wood Horse 2014: Business and Political Impact
- Year of the Black Water Snake 2013: Business and Political Impact
- Year of the Black Water Dragon 2012: Business Impact
3) Celebrations around the world. Likewise in years past I have listed roughly 250 celebrations, parades and festivals held around the world outside of countries where the majority of the population celebrates the Lunar New Year. Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 pandemic, these were mostly cancelled both in 2020 and 2021. Before the the pandemic, in the PRC alone, travelers for the Chunyun travel period made roughly 3 billion individual trips, with a dailky high in In 2020, that number had collapsed to roughly 1.5 billion trips -- to be sure still the largest movement of people for a single event that year, but a fraction of what it had been. The chart below from Hu Xuechen (Feb. 18 2021) on CGTN visually brings home the point.
To learn more of how this took shape in earlier years as well as a list of celebrations outside East Asia, here is the 2017 link as an example. for the 2017 list.
The Asian Zodiac Briefly Explained
The Asian Zodiac (or horoscope) associated with the Asian or Chinese Lunar New Year is taken very seriously by those who follow it in their tradition. The significance attributed to the combinations associated with the Asian horoscope affects business decisions, dates selected for important events such as weddings, and many other aspects of daily life. These views are widely shared, with a larger following than any single religion -- Western or Eastern. As a result, these beliefs should be treated with the respect accorded a religious belief (rather than with that of superstition as Western astrology is sometimes treated).
The Lunar Calendar
Because the Asian lunar calendar follows the moon, it seems to move within our solar-based Gregorian calendar. Moreover, the Gregorian calendar does not correspond fully with the Asian lunar calendar. Thus, January 22 marks the beginning of the Asian lunar calendar only this year. Last year in 2022, the Year of the Tiger began on February 1. For 2021, the Year of the Ox began on February 12. In 2020, the Year of the Rat began on January 25. Similarly, the Lunar New year began February 5 for the Year of the Pig in 2019; on February 16 for the Year of the Dog in 2018, January 28 for the Year of the Rooster in 2017; February 8, 2016 for the Year of the Monkey, and so forth.
The Twelve Animals of the Zodiac
The lunar calendar runs on a cycle of 12 years each represented by an animal. The animals all have a balance of compatibility or incompatibility as represented in their place in the circle of the 12-year cycle. This year is the Year of the Ox, the last and 2nd animal in the cycle.
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The 12 animals in their order are
- Rat
- Ox
- Tiger
- Rabbit
- Dragon
- Snake
- Horse
- Ram/Sheep/Goat
- Monkey
- Rooster
- Dog
- Pig
Each animal corresponds to a month of the lunar year. The rabbit, this year's governing animal, corresponds to the 4th animal in the cycle.
The Five Elements of the Wu Xing Cycle
Additionally, each 12-year cycle of animals runs on an additional cycle corresponding to the Wu Xing cycle of the five traditional Chinese elements. These are
- metal
- fire
- wood
- water
- earth
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| Wu Xing Cycle |
The five elements are in balance with each other, the basis of much of feng shui. For this Lunar New Year, the governing element is Water.
Combined, each of the five elements combines with each of the 12 animals that forms a 60-year cycle. The current 12-year cycle combines the Rabbit with the element of Water.
Each combination in the 60-year cycle has its own attribute, combining the animal of the "earthly branch" with the element of the "heavenly stem." This year the Heavenly stem is "kuei" (or gui) and the Earthly branch is "mao"-- with the "kuei mao" (癸卯) year, known as the "Rabbit Running Through the Forest." Each 60-year combination is considered highly unique, since -- at 60 years apart, the combination of a person's birth year is at once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Thus the last time we had a "kuei mao" year was 1963.
Finally, each element is also associated with a color. In the case of water, that color is black.
Thus, this year is the Year of the Black Water Rabbit.
Thus, this year is the Year of the Black Water Rabbit.
Spiritual Importance of the Asian Horoscope
Many followers of the Asian zodiac have a formal religious belief in the importance of the animal element combinations associated with each year in the 60-year cycle. This is clearly the case for those practicing Taoism.
Taoist Tradition
For Taoists, the New Year is always of religious significance. This because in Taoism, the Lunar New Year's first day is a time when lesser deities or spirits are believed to ascend to the throne of the Jade Emperor (King of Heaven). In Taoist tradition, the 12 animals were in a contest to greet the Jade Emperor; a 13th animal – the cat – was tricked by the rat (about five variations of how exist), which explains why cats have hated rats ever since. A children's version of this story is told in an very pleasant rendition at the Topmarks education site. I encourage you to take a look at this version at  |
| The 12 Zodiac animals in their race |
Buddhist Tradition
The New Year is a religious event as well for a great number of the sects of Buddhism, and most famously for Tibetan and Burmese Buddhists. In Buddhist tradition, the 12 animals were in a race to do honor to Lord Buddha on the eve of his death.
East Asian Folk Beliefs
East Asian folk beliefs are a broad grouping of folk practices that range from deeply-held religious traditions )to popular practices rooted in the local cultures. These practices are widespread, and have a far greater reach than those who claim a specific faith (Taoism or Buddhism) to those who claim a different belief or no belief at all. In Chinese, these have perhaps a dozen names such as "Chinese ethnic religion" or mínjiān zōngjiào (族宗教) or Shenxianism or shénxiān jiào (神仙教). In Mongolian, these practices are known as Tengrism or reverence of Tengri (the Mongolian name for the Jade Emperor). In Korean, the Great Race is included in the Han'guk sinwha or Korean mythological narratives associated with Shindo (신도) ith, followed as folk practices not only by Buddhists and those claiming no religion but even among some Christian groups as a local custom.
The strength of these folk beliefs is often difficult for those in Europe and the Americas to understand. A counterpart to the range of adherence to these folk religions put in the context of Europe and the Americas would be the broad grouping of deeply-held religious beliefs as "Protestant" despite being separate faiths (e.g., Baptist, Unitarian, Methodist) to popular non-Christian but deeply-held semi-religious traditions (e.g., folk religion) practices rooted in the local culture such as Santa Claus, the Christmas Tree, the Easter Bunny, etc.
Additionally, though Confucianism is not technically a religion (but rather a philosophical system), its followers also traditional observe the Lunar New Year to show reverence to their ancestors. Because of this, even Christians and practitioners of other faiths in such countries as as Korea, Bhutan, Mongolia or Vietnam generally celebrate the holiday. The same holds true for those people in cultures with strong Confucian customs who have no religion at all or for those with mixed traditions.
The Role of the Rabbit in the Great Race
In all of the traditions, the arrival of the animals was the same in order. In other words, in all traditions, the ox arrived second even though seeming at first to have won the race. Unable to swim across the great river at the end of the race, the rat had promised to guide the near-sighted ox in return for clinging to the ox's back across the torrent. Once safely across, though, the rat never dismounted and instead scampered onto the ox's nose to claim first place. The place order of each zodiac animal in the Great Race is significant. All 13 animals (including the cat who arrived after the race ended) had to pass over land and water to reach the Jade Emperor/Lord Buddha.
The rabbit took fourth place in the Great Race. The rabbit's role in the Great Race exemplifies both its overconfidence and its ability to take advantage of good luck when it presents itself. The rabbit boasted that it was the fastest of the animals. The slow ox, with the rabbit's help, trained to increase its speed. The rabbit and the ox then made a pact that during the Great Race, the two animals would run together. On the day of the race, however, the rabbit broke its promise and raced far ahead of the ox. Looking back and, seeing that it was far ahead of the other animals, the rabbit decided to take a quick nap. When the rabbit awoke, it saw that it had fallen well behind many of the other animals. The rabbit then used its great speed to catch up. However, when the rabbit came to the bank of the great river, it realized that it could not swim across. Undeterred, the rabbit scanned the river and found the tips of stones sticking just about the water. The rabbit then nimbly leapt from stone to stone until it reached the middle of the river here the stones stopped. Here is when the rabbit's luck came into play, as just as the rabbit thought it would be stranded mid-river, a water-soaked log floated by. The rabbit jumped on the log which then washed ashore, with the rabbit on it. The rabbit's good luck notwithstanding, its ordeal of being stranded mid-stream affected its outlook thereafter. The result is that the rabbit from then on is conservative in action, preferring safety over a risky opportunity.
When the rabbit sprinted to the finish line, it found that it had fallen into fourth place. Even the ox whom it had abandoned, had beaten him. The rabbit felt shame when the ox stared disdainfully down on the partner that betrayed it. The rabbit was so shamed that to this day it hides beneath the ground to avoid the condemning gaze.
Chinese Astrology Not A Particular Accurate Term
The system discussed here is often called Chinese astrology. This is a misnomer for two reasons. First, the holiday is far more widely observed than in just China, especially in Korea, Singapore, Bhutan, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam as well as those from these backgrounds living in other countries.
That said, for all the culturally diverse places in which the Asian New Year is celebrated, the calendar on which it is based does have its origins in China. The first written records of the calendar and the celebration of the New Year date to China’s Shang Dynasty (1766-1050 BC), although traditionally it is believed to date back to the rule of the semi-mythical Yellow Emperor Huang Di around 2600 BC.
A second reason the phrase Chinese astrology is a misnomer is that the system really has nothing to do with constellations as astrology does in the West. It is less a reading of the stars than an interpretation of the importance of the time, date and year in which one is born. To the extent that when one is born matters to Western-style astrology, there is a correspondence. Moreover, there is another similarity as the five elements in the system, in fact, do correspond with the five planets known in ancient China.
Because of these corresponding commonalities with Western astrology, many people call the Asian system’s combinations of animals and elements the lunar or Chinese “horoscope”. This is a bit of a misnomer, however, not only for the reasons just described but because the way in which people view the two “horoscopes” is very different.
The difference here is that many people (although with many exceptions) in Europe, Australia and the Americas consider the Western zodiac horoscope of star signs (Scorpio, Sagittarius, etc.) to be a form of superstition, a game or something believed only partially.
Many people attribute a great deal of significance to the personality traits attributed to the animal associated with the year in which they are born. These are not something that people take lightly.
Each animal has its own traits, and then each animal and element combination has their own subtraits. These are explained later in the blog.
Positive Rabbit Traits
Rabbit people (and thus the effects of the Year of the Rabbit) are associated with a strong but steady approach. As Master Pun-yin puts it: "The Rabbit is diplomatic and calm. Artistic, sensitive, and moody at times, the Rabbit is gracious, good mannered, and personable. The Rabbit is popular but frequently needs some alone time to recharge. Lucky in business and career, possibly because of their good negotiating skills. Rabbit can hide a cunning mind behind a placid exterior." Some debate exists regarding whether Rabbit people are succeed because they are lucky or are lucky because they are conservative in their choices and are uncomfortable with risky enterprises.
Rabbit people are famous for trusting their intelligence and imagination. They are innately creative while cautious in what they create. They thrive on maintaining a harmonious environment. As Man-Ho Kwok in his book on Chinese Astrology puts it, Rabbit people "instinctively want to create a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere... [making the Rabbit] a very hospitable host, attentive to the needs of others, ensuring that they do not feel isolated or neglected." (p. 18)
Compatibility With Other Signs
Rabbit people are liked by most. The only sign incompatible with the Rabbit is the attention-seeking Rooster. All other Zodiac signs like and are liked by the Rabbit. The most compatible of all signs for the Rabbit are the Dog and the Goat/Ram/Sheep. The Dog's dependability and loyalty play well with the Rabbit's need for security, while the Rabbit's ability to soothe others' emotions puts at rest the jealousy common among Dog people. The Rabbit and Goat/Ram/Sheep work well as both are creative. The Rabbit makes the Goat/Ram/Sheep's dreaming and unrealistic fancies into a more conservative realm, while the Rabbit is inspired and amused by the Goat/Ram/Sheep's whimsical ideas and imaginative flourishes. Interestingly, even though the Rabbit betrayed the Ox in the Great Race, the two remain compatible because both crave security and planning ahead.
The system discussed here is often called Chinese astrology. This is a misnomer for two reasons. First, the holiday is far more widely observed than in just China, especially in Korea, Singapore, Bhutan, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam as well as those from these backgrounds living in other countries.
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| East Asian lunar zodiac |
A second reason the phrase Chinese astrology is a misnomer is that the system really has nothing to do with constellations as astrology does in the West. It is less a reading of the stars than an interpretation of the importance of the time, date and year in which one is born. To the extent that when one is born matters to Western-style astrology, there is a correspondence. Moreover, there is another similarity as the five elements in the system, in fact, do correspond with the five planets known in ancient China.
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| Tang Dynasty (8th Century), Shaanxi Archaeology Institute, Xian, China |
Because of these corresponding commonalities with Western astrology, many people call the Asian system’s combinations of animals and elements the lunar or Chinese “horoscope”. This is a bit of a misnomer, however, not only for the reasons just described but because the way in which people view the two “horoscopes” is very different.
The difference here is that many people (although with many exceptions) in Europe, Australia and the Americas consider the Western zodiac horoscope of star signs (Scorpio, Sagittarius, etc.) to be a form of superstition, a game or something believed only partially.
This is NOT the case with the Asian lunar horoscope cycle, where people follow their sign very seriously. As a result, the system, though it transcends that of any specific religion, should be treated with the respect accorded religious beliefs. In any case, the point here is that in a cross-cultural and inter-religious sense, the issue of lunar horoscope animal element signs should be treated with respect.
Geomancy, Feng Shui and Zodiac Consultants' Influence
The importance attributed to the predictions of the each animal affects business and political decisions for over one billion people. Among the notable masters, many have an influence among Chinese and other East Asian diaspora communities as well as a growing number of non-Asian adherents. Among the earlier populizers of East Asian zodiac forecasting were book authors such as Man-ho Kwok who published over a dozen books in English on the subject in the 1990s.
As the Internet grew and ties with East Asian business leaders became more intertwined, many other Masters grew in importance outside of East Asia. For example, the Trump organization and Donald Trump himself relied on the guidance of New York-based Master Pun-Yin in the building of Trump Tower. Canadian-based Paul Ng was notable already for a wide range of clients in 66 countries before his appearances on US-based CNN in 2013, US-based Bloomberg TV and Canada's CTV in 2014 made him a recognizable figure thereafter to a wide audience. Likewise Hong Kong-based Grand Master Raymond Lo has had audience's well outside of China also appearing on the BBC, CNN, "Good Morning America" more. He has carried a wide following since his prediction of the fall of the USSR's Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991 and the 2000 NASDAQ collapse.
Personality Traits and Asian Astrological Year
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| Year of the Rabbit sidewalk plate Philadelphia Chinatown |
Each animal has its own traits, and then each animal and element combination has their own subtraits. These are explained later in the blog.
As with all Asian Lunar zodiac animals, Rabbit people have both positive and negative attributes.
Positive Rabbit Traits
Rabbit people (and thus the effects of the Year of the Rabbit) are associated with a strong but steady approach. As Master Pun-yin puts it: "The Rabbit is diplomatic and calm. Artistic, sensitive, and moody at times, the Rabbit is gracious, good mannered, and personable. The Rabbit is popular but frequently needs some alone time to recharge. Lucky in business and career, possibly because of their good negotiating skills. Rabbit can hide a cunning mind behind a placid exterior." Some debate exists regarding whether Rabbit people are succeed because they are lucky or are lucky because they are conservative in their choices and are uncomfortable with risky enterprises.
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Rabbit people are famous for trusting their intelligence and imagination. They are innately creative while cautious in what they create. They thrive on maintaining a harmonious environment. As Man-Ho Kwok in his book on Chinese Astrology puts it, Rabbit people "instinctively want to create a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere... [making the Rabbit] a very hospitable host, attentive to the needs of others, ensuring that they do not feel isolated or neglected." (p. 18)
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| Rabbit Pendant, Western Zhou Dynasty, 10th Century BCE Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida |
builds on this, noting that Tiger people:
are excited by new challenges, unusual places, and unexpected events... Your attention is caught by the unpredictable, and while others may be cautious, you are not afraid to explore the potential in unlikely situations. (p. 16).
Finally, rabbits are considered beautiful... or in Japan, the quintessentially kawaii (adorably cute). Nowhere is this more apparent than in Kyoto's Okazaki Shrine, devoted entirely to enormously kawaii rabbits.
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| Kawaii rabbit, Okasaki Shrine, Kyoto |
Negative Rabbit Traits
The negative side of Rabbit people is the flip-side of their caution. As Moon-ho Kwok explains, Rabbit people are famously uncomfortable expressing disagreement or dissent:
The negative side of Rabbit people is the flip-side of their caution. As Moon-ho Kwok explains, Rabbit people are famously uncomfortable expressing disagreement or dissent:
When faced with a dilemma or if you a just feeling low, you tend to keep your thoughts well hidden in the belief that it is not appropriate for you to make demands or force your opinions on others. (p. 18)
Relatedly, Rabbit people tend to lack ambition and find safety in bureaucracy and other social safety nets.
Rabbit people are liked by most. The only sign incompatible with the Rabbit is the attention-seeking Rooster. All other Zodiac signs like and are liked by the Rabbit. The most compatible of all signs for the Rabbit are the Dog and the Goat/Ram/Sheep. The Dog's dependability and loyalty play well with the Rabbit's need for security, while the Rabbit's ability to soothe others' emotions puts at rest the jealousy common among Dog people. The Rabbit and Goat/Ram/Sheep work well as both are creative. The Rabbit makes the Goat/Ram/Sheep's dreaming and unrealistic fancies into a more conservative realm, while the Rabbit is inspired and amused by the Goat/Ram/Sheep's whimsical ideas and imaginative flourishes. Interestingly, even though the Rabbit betrayed the Ox in the Great Race, the two remain compatible because both crave security and planning ahead.
Famous Rabbit People
Rabbit People's intelligence and creativity result in their disproportionate number in creative activities and areas of great intelligence and planning. Their ability to smooth over people's hurt feelings and maintain harmony also lead them into leadership roles. Their quick wit results in many comic actors and comedians. Finally, their athletic abilities and speed result in a great number of athletes.
Famous Rabbit People Thinkers, Creators and Scientists
- Marie Skłodowska Curie, Polish and French double Nobel Laureate, once in Physics (in 1903, the first ever to a woman in any field) and once in Chemistry (in 1911), who pioneered the field of radioactivity (a word she coined)
- Albert Einstein, German-born American physicist, Nobel Laureate and Creator of the Theory of Relativity
- James Franklin Hyde, US inventor credited with creating the silicone industry
- Anatoly Karpov, Russian Chess Grandmaster
- Garry Kasparov, Russian Chess Grandmaster and political activist
- Louis Leakey, Kenyan-British Paleoanthropologist and archaeologist
- Cecil Frank Powell, UK physicist and Nobel laureate, and discoverer of the pion subatomic particle
- Adam Smith, whose The Wealth of Nations founded capitalism and revolutionized the study of economics
- Benjamin Spock, US pediatrician whose Baby and Child Care became the best-selling child care book of all time
- John von Neumann, Hungarian American mathematician, early computer scientist (creator of the Von Neumann architecture_) inventor of Von Neumann universal constructor (the first self-replicating machine), and key figure in game theory
- Ye Rongguang, China's first ever chess grandmaster
- Karl Zener, US perceptual psychologist, creator of the Zener Cards used to research extrasensory perception in a scientific setting
Famous Rabbit People -- Business
- Jeff Bezos, US founder of Amazon and multibillionaire entrepreneur
- Hubert de Givenchy, French founder of the Givenchy design house
- Ralph Lauren, US founder of the Ralph Lauren design house
- Zhang Jindong, Chinese multibillionaire entrepreneur and owner of Suning Holdings Group
- Zhong Naixiong, Chinese founder and chairman of the Nenking Group and multibillionaire entrepreneur
Famous Rabbit People -- World Leaders and Politicians
- Gordon Brown, UK Prime Minister
- King Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand for 70 years
- Fidel Castro, Leader of the Cuban Revolution and Cuba's head of state from 1959-2008
- Brian Mulroney, Canadian Prime Minister and signer of NAFTA
- Tunku Abdul Rahman, first Prime Minister of an independent Malaysia
- Queen Victoria, Empress of the British Empire at its height of power
Famous Rabbit People -- Writers
- Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet
- Günter Grass, German novelist, playwright and Nobel laureate for literature (1999)
- Washington Irving, the first internationally recognized author from the newly independent United States, widely known for his stories "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
- Henry James, US-British novelist who is considered the greatest writers in English whose works began what would become literary modernism and which focused on cross-cultural differences such as The American, Daisy Miller, The Portrait of a Lady, and The Wings of the Dove
- John Keats, English Romantic poet
- Herman Melville, US novelist, author of Typee and Moby-Dick
- George Orwell, English anti-totalitarian novelist whose dystopian works such as Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four added phrases still in common use such as "Big Brother", "Newspeak", "Doublethink" and "Thought Police" among others
- Neil Simon, US Pulitzer-Prize-Winning playwright and screenplay writer, with more nominations for screenplays (film and TV) than any other screenwriter (20, of which he won five) and 13 Tony Award nominations for theater (of which he won four), and was the only playwright to simultaneously have four plays running live on Broadway simultaneously)
- Walt Whitman, US poet and author of Leaves of Grass
- Yashpal, Indian writer considered among the most important Hindi writers of an independent India
Famous Rabbit People -- Visual Arts
- Yeng Shui-Long, Taiwanese mosaic artist, sculptor and painter
- Yip Cheong Fun, Singaporean documentary photographer, famed for his "Rowing at Dawn", the iconic photo of Singapore's independence
- Andy Warhol, US artist who helped establish the Pop Art movement, and whose 1964 "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" in 2022 sold at auction for $195 million, the highest amount ever paid for a 20th Century artist's or US artist's work
- Frank Lloyd Wright, US architect who introduced the concept of organic architecture
- Wataru Yoshizumi, Japanese manga artist best known for her Handsome na Kanojo (Handsome Girl) and Marmalade Boy series
Famous Rabbit People -- Athletes
- David Beckham, English soccer great
- Maria Bueno, Brazilian tennis great who, with 19 Grand Slam titles, is the most successful Latin American female tennis player
- Lou Gehrig, baseball great, the first MLB player to have his uniform number retired
- Michael Jordan, widely considered the best basketball player in history
- Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis great, Olympic silver medalist, and the only Russian to have won tennis' Grand Slam
Famous Rabbit People -- Singers, Rappers and Musicians
- Coolio, US rapper best known for his Gangsta's Paradise
- Bing Crosby, US crooner and actor whose "White Christmas" is the best-selling single of all time (according the Guinness Book of World Records) with over 50 million sold
- Marvin Gaye, US R&B singer songwriter known as the "Prince of Motown"
- Billie Holiday, jazz great singer with four Grammy Awards and known as "Lady Day"
- Whitney Houston, US singer and actress, among the best-selling female singers of all time with over 2 million records sold
- Kendrick Lamar, US Grammy Award winning rapper, and first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for music (in 2018)
- Edith Piaf, France's most-widely known chanteuse, whose signature song "La Vie En Rose" is one of the most widely covered songs in music
- Leontyne Price, US opera singer and first African American soprano to receive international recognition
- Frank Sinatra, US best-selling singer and Oscar-winning actor
- Sting, UK singer, songwriter and actor with 17 Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and four Oscar nominations
- Lawrence Welk, US bandleader and TV variety show star
Famous Rabbit People -- Actors, Comedians, Directors and Filmmakers
- Ingrid Bergman, Swedish actress with three Oscars, four Golden Globes and a Tony Award, often consider among the most influential actresses of all time
- Francis Ford Coppola, US director and screenwriter, with 14 Oscars (out of 55 nominations) and 10 Golden Globes (out of 42 nominations), whose Godfather trilogy remade the concept of crime movies
- Johnny Depp, Golden-Globe-winning US actor
- Ethel Barrymore, known as the "First Lady of American Theater" for her dominance of stage, radio and eventually movies in the first half of the 20th Century
- Bob Hope, UK-born US comedian and actor
- Angelina Jolie, US Oscar-winning actress and humanitarian activist
- Brad Pitt, US Oscar-winning actor and producer
- Sidney Poitier, Bahamian-born actor, who was the first black person to win an Academy Award (for 1963 Lillies of the Field) as well as an Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 2001, winner of the 2009 US Presidential Award of Freedom and more
- Will Rogers, US comedian and social commentator
- Orson Welles, US actor, director, screenwriter and producer, whose first film, Citizen Kane (1941) which he wrote, directed and starred in, is consistently ranked among the best films ever made
- Robin Williams, US comedian and actor, winner of six Golden Globes, five Grammy Awards and two prime-time Emmy Awards with four Oscar nominations (including one win for Good Will Hunting)
- Donnie Yen, Hong Kong actor, mixed martial arts master and director, who is among the most influential figures in Asian action films and often given credit for bringing mixed martial arts to a wide audience throughout Asia
Whatever your outcome for the year, Happy Year of the Black Water Rabbit!
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| Bunnies and tiger painted on outside side wall of Front Temple, Sesimsa Temple, Chungcheongnam Province, South Korea |
Clip Art Sources:
Year of the Water Rabbit opening: https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/on-the-radar/2023/01/04/2235267/2023-year-water-rabbit-feng-shui-tips-master-hanz
The 12 Animals of the Zodiac: http://creatingyourvelocity.com/www.knowledge2work.com/wp-includes/css/12-chinese-zodiac-animals-i13.gif
Wu Xing Cycle: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Wuxing_en.svg/220px-Wuxing_en.svg.png
Wu Xing Cycle: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Wuxing_en.svg/220px-Wuxing_en.svg.png
Yin Yang animation: http://www.eharrishome.com/Kungfu.html
The 12 Zodiac animals in their race: http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/firefoxthief/zodiaccolor.jpg'
Year of the Rabbit sidewalk plate, Philadelphia Chinatown: Own photograph
East Asian Lunar Zodiac: http://www.china-family-adventure.com/chinese-zodiac.html
The 12 Zodiac animals in their race: http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/firefoxthief/zodiaccolor.jpg'
Year of the Rabbit sidewalk plate, Philadelphia Chinatown: Own photograph
Rabbit Pendant, Western Zhou Dynasty, 10th Century BCE Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida, https://medium.com/norton-museum-of-art/the-chinese-year-of-the-ox-727059b7e442
Okasaki Rabbit Shrine, Kyoto, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/okazaki-shrine
Bunnies and tiger painted on outside side wall of Front Temple, Sesimsa Temple, Chungcheongnam Province, South Korea: Own photograph
Want to Learn More
For more on the Asian Zodiac and Astrology in General, please see:
Richard Craze, Handbook of Chinese Astrology, Lorenz Books, 2013.
Man-ho Kwok, Chinese Astrology: Forecast Your Future from Your Chinese Horoscope, Tuttle Publishing, 1997.
Theodora Lau and Laura Lau, The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes (7th edition), Collins Reference, 2010.
Susan Levitt and Jean Tang, Taoist Astrology: A Handbook of the Authentic Chinese Tradition, Destiny Books, 1997.
David W. Pankenier, Astrology and Cosmology in Early China: Conforming Earth to Heaven, Cambridge University Press, 2013.
Neil Somerville, Your Chinese Horoscope for Each and Every Year, Harper Thomsons, 2017.
Ruth Q. Sun and Norma Sun, Asian Animal Zodiac, Tuttle Publishing, 2012.
Xiaochun Sun, "Crossing the Boundaries Between Heaven and Man: Astronomy in Ancient China," in Astronomy Across Cultures, ed. Helaine Selin and adv. ed. Sun Xiaochun: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000.
David Twicken, Five Element Chinese Astrology Made Easy, iUniverse, 2000.
Derek Walters, The Complete Guide to Chinese Astrology, Watkins Publishing, 2005.
Suzanne White, The New Chinese Astrology, Thomas Dunne Books, 2015.
Charles Alfred Speed Williams. Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs (2000), New York: Castle Books.
Shelly Wu, Chinese Astrology: Exploring the Eastern Zodiac, New Page Books, 2005.
Shelly Wu, The Definitive Book of Chinese Astrology, Weiser, 2010.
Zhongzian Wu, The 12 Chinese Animals: Create Harmony in your Daily Life through Ancient Chinese Wisdom, Singing Dragon Press, 2010.
Zhongzian Wu and Karin Taylor Wu, Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches: The Heart of Chinese Wisdome Traditions, Singing Dragon Press, 2016.
Master Pun-Yin, "Chinese Zodiac," https://www.punyin.com/feng-shui/chinese-zodiac/index.html
Ho-Peng Yoke, Chinese Mathematical Astrology: Reaching Out to the Stars, Routledge, 2003. This is the pre-eminent book on the mathematical science of Asian lunar horoscope calculations. It is downloadable at http://www.ebook3000.com/Chinese-Mathematical-Astrology--Reaching-out-for-the-stars--Needham-Research-Institute-Series-_130932.html
For general popular websites on Asian Astrology and the Zodiac, please see:
China Voc.com "Zodiac" http://www.chinavoc.com/zodiac/index.asp
Chinese Fortune Calendar http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/5EBasic.htm
Chinese Horoscope-e.com, "Basic Chinese Horoscope," http://chinesehoroscop-e.com/index.html
Malaysia Site, "Chinese New Year," http://www.malaysiasite.nl/newyear.htm
Online Chinese Astrology http://www.onlinechineseastrology.com/
Topmarks Education, "Zodiac Story, Chinese New Year." http://www.topmarks.co.uk/ChineseNewYear/ZodiacStory.aspx
"Your Chinese Astrology": https://www.yourchineseastrology.com/