No, I’m not talking about your best friend that you call a rat, I’m talking about the Chinese New Year! On January 25, 2020, China will celebrate the ‘Metal Rat’ with the Spring Festival usually held in mainland China. People whose birth dates occurred in the Year of the Rat include those born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996 and 2008. Rats are clever and quick thinkers, successful but content with living quiet and peaceful lives.

The Spring Festival includes many events such as cleaning and decorating the house, but also balls and pageants. The festival also includes the traditional lion and dragon dance.

The Chinese new year is based on the original Chinese calendar from the 14th century. The calendar was originally made to match the Chinese agricultural cycle.

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the “Year.” The “Year” looked like an ox with the head of a lion and was believed to inhabit the sea. The legend says the on New Year’s Eve, the “Year” would come out to harm animals, people, and their properties. Eventually, people discovered that the “Year” feared the color red, fire, and loud sounds. Thus beginning the Chinese Revolution.