The date for the beginning of the Chinese new year falls on the 24th day of the 12th month of the year.
In the Western calendar, New Year's Day falls on Wednesday, February 9th 2005.
A festival marks the celebration of the earth coming back to life and the beginning of plowing and sowing.
In addition to "The Lunar New Year," the festival is also referred to as Spring Festival, Chun Jie or Yuan Tan.
To celebrate the beginning of China's lunar new year, gifts, flowers and sweets are often exchanged.
All debts are attempted to be paid before the new year begins.
Raymond Lo, a Hong Kong master of Feng Shui, predicts the coming year will not be as disastrous as the past Year of the Monkey.
Master Lo said:
The year in general won't be as turbulent and horrible as 2004.
In general, it's more peace talks, more compromises and more negotiations.
In the Middle East, we look forward to a more peaceful time.
We expect some victories against terrorism in 2005.
There are 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat (or sheep), monkey, rooster, dog and pig (or boar).
The rooster is considered the 10th sign of the lunar calendar following the monkey.
Along with the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac are five elements -- metal, water, wood, fire and earth -- which also have an influence on a person’s personality.
The year you were born determines not only your star sign but also the element, according to Chinese astrology.
A complete cycle takes 60 years, divided into 12 year elements.
The Year of the Rooster is symbolized by two elements - with "yin" wood sitting on top of metal.
The yin wood is a symbol of a flower which is flexible and easy to adjust to the environment.
Geomancers and feng shui masters are much in demand to predict the economic, political and personal fortunes of the year ahead.
Whether we believe in Chinese Astrology or not, prosperous yet potentially turbulent times are said to be in our future.
Master Lo warns against counting on 2005 being an entirely peaceful year.
However, he says:
In 2005, let us hope this is a year of victory in the war against global terrorism and we can expect there will be major gain in the global war against Al Queda.
In the Year of the Rooster, it is said that gold is always predominant. Experts in the field predict good news for the gold market.
Master Lo is quite specific about the stock market, and specifically the high-tech economy, as represented by the NASDAQ.
He says:
In 2005, the "wood element" symbolizes money to the metal industry. This is positive.
But the strong metal underneath will bring more competitors into the industry to erode the money profit.
However, the optimistic view is that the early spring months contain strong water and wood which is the productivity and money of metal industry.
Therefore I can expect there could be a boom in this sector in the first quarter of 2005.
However, as metal gets strong from August to October, it will bring in strong competition in the high tech market.
These months may not be favorable for high tech business.
The year is expected to bode well for glamorous industries, such as advertising and communications, cosmetics, spas, travel, and entertainment.
The Four E's
In fact, there are four "e"s that may be worth investing in this year: entertainment, energy, electricity and electronic goods.
Also, the property market is expected to be strong, especially this fall and winter.
Other industries that Master Lo predicts will do well this year: insurance, mining, shipping, transport, bars, drinks, chemicals and computer software.
The Rooster
The rooster is considered a blunt but hard-working bird. Relative to business, it is believe that better times are ahead. At the same time, politicians should expect a bumpy ride in the months to come.
Each sign comes around every 12 years.
According to Chinese astrology, the different signs have distinct personalities.
This year is traditionally seen as an auspicious year for individuals, though not necessarily a good period in which to get married.
The "Rooster" Personality
Those born under the sign, "The Rooster," are considered very loyal individuals.
They do not like dishonesty or mockery of any sort.
They are blunt, up front and honest people and expect those around them to be the same.
Roosters are happiest when they are surrounded by others, at a party or just a social gathering.
They even enjoy the spotlight and will exhibit their charisma and wit in a minute. This star quality can be overbearing, for a Rooster expects you to listen to him while he speaks and can become agitated if you don't.
Roosters do have a tendency to brag about themselves and their achievements and demand an attentive audience when doing so.
Adjectives to describe a person born under the rooster sign include: brave, romantic, motivated, proud, blunt, resentful, boastful.
Professionally, roosters make great actors, armed forces members, bankers, book keepers, certified public accountants (cpas), dancers, dentists, insurance agents, musicians and secretaries.
Past Rooster years have been 1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981 and 1993.
Suitable gifts for babies born this year: a terrarium or bonsai tree.
For a mother who gives birth to a child born this year, an appropriate stone to give her, in honor of her child, would be: a diamond, ruby or topaz.
Celebrity "Roosters"
Jennifer Aniston is a 'determined 'earth rooster'.
The late actress Katharine Hepburn
Actress Michelle Pfeiffer
The late Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley
British songwriter Eric Clapton
American rock star Van Morrison
The late Nobel prize-winning author William Faulkner.
Incense Burning in Beijing For Good Luck. Photo Credit: AFP
The Chinese New Year in China is celebrated with bonfires, fireworks and burning incense.
In Beijing, we wish our Chinese brother, Min Cui, good fortune throughout the year.
Here in San Francisco, we wish our acupuncturist, Dr. Angela Wu, "The Fertility Goddess" continued success helping women, like me, get pregnant who otherwise who not stand a chance.
We are also grateful to our Feng Shui teacher, Dr. Stephen Post, for the blessings he bestowed upon our new house -- nearly three years ago.
While we had one "hungry ghost" appear at our doorstep last year (a woman who lived here in the '70's when it was a runaway home for unwed mothers), our home has been a huge blessing and a lot of fun.
Tonight, here in San Francisco, as our way of ringing in the New Year, we plan to host our weekly community group from our church.
Two of the adults in our group are from Chinese descent. Three are Korean.
The rest of us are Americans who love the traditions and culture that our Chinese brothers and sisters continue to teach us.
Already, our favorite take-out food from Melisa's Chinese Cuisine has been ordered.
After posting this story, I plan to go into Chinatown to pick up some red envelopes as favors for our guests.
The children will receive a dollar in their envelopes for good luck.
The adults will receive a surprise -- in case any of you are reading this.
On Saturday, I will attend a Feng Shui workshop in Marin.
For Master Lo's complete analysis, both inspirational and positive, and that which to look out for, go to:
Raymond-Lo.com
About Raymond Lo
Raymond Lo, also popularly known as "Fung Shui Lo", is a professional Feng Shui researcher and practitioner. His expertise also covers the Four Pillars of Destiny and the prediction of the I Ching Oracle.
Having graduated with a degree in Social Sciences from the University of Hong Kong, Mr. Lo's interest in Feng Shui led him to seriously study the ancient art. He used his skill to write a popular Feng Shui column in the Hong Kong Standard between 1988 and 1991. In this Column he made several forecasts about world events, including the outbreak and the result of the Gulf War, the fall of Mr. Gorbechev and Mrs. Thatcher's resignation, all of which have later proved to be accurate.
Mr. Lo is the author of a Feng Shui titles in both English and Chinese.
He frequently contributes his Feng Shui knowledge to various media publications.
In 1990 he made a live appearance on the popular BBC program "Whicker's World".
In 1994, he also introduced Feng Shui to American audiences in the ABC program "Good Morning America".
In 1996, Mr. Lo was interviewed by TV stations of many countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Switzerland, Germany and Poland.
He is also a Feng Shui lecturer at the School of Professional and Continual Education, the University of Hong Kong, and is the consultant to the Hong Kong Tourist Association for their annual Health and Fortune Expo and Feng Shui Tour.
To learn more about his feng shui practice, go to:
FengShui-Lo.com
Rooster Coasters
For a collection of Rugged Elegance Select "Year of the Rooster" products and gifts go to:
~ Jennifer Carolyn King
Disclaimer
We recommend you check with your investment advisor before buying stocks based on Master Lo's predictions.
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Fireworks in China; Photo Credit: Getty Images
