According to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Pig begins on February 18th, which is the Lunar New Year’s Day. Its the Chinese year 4705. The celebration is 15 days long, with different traditional activities for each day. It ends with the Lantern Festival, which is on March 3rd this year. Since its a lunar calendar, these holidays fall on different dates each year.

The Lunar New Year is celebrated all around the world... and in outer space, too! This greeting was recorded at the International Space Station two years ago.

You can see previous celebrations on YouTube from Rotterdam, Bangkok, Paris, Ipoh (Malaysia), Shanghai, Chicago, Sydney, Philadelphia, Hong Kong, London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore, and Beijing.

This year, New York is celebrating with lots of different events. Los Angeles will host the 2007 Golden Dragon Parade on February 24th. On March 3rd, there’s a Lantern Festival celebration at the Chinese American Museum. In San Francisco, enjoy the Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade on March 3rd. You’ll find a list of other Chinatown events on this page.

NTDTV is taking their annual Chinese New year Spectacular show on the road to cities all over the world.

In Japan, you can celebrate at Inoshishi-Mura, which translates roughly to “Boar Village.”

Free online tools to learn Chinese! This site includes lessons, a dictionary, character instruction, and links to lots more information. (via Ursi’s Blog)

What is the symbol for the year you were born in? Calculate it easily here. Those born in the year of the pig (or any other year) can find their horoscope detailed at Wikipedia.

Raymond Lo’s Feng Shui forecast for the Year of the Pig. (via Exploding Aardvark)

This article from Frog in a Well tells you just about everything you’d want to know about pigs in China.

In China, you can buy New Year stamps that have the picture of a pig, the scent of sweet-and-sour pork, and the glue tastes like it!

However, China's top television station has banned all images of pigs from advertisements to avoid offending its Muslim minorities.

Around 700 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty, the Emperor had a dream in which he was saved by a strange and mysterious creature. When he later recounted the dream to his advisors, he was told that the creature resembled the Western lion. It was not long before the story reached the provinces, and the lion became a symbol of good luck and prosperity throughout China. This symbol has been carried down throughout the centuries, and today, whenever a Chinese business has its grand opening or any other important event, a Lion Dance is performed. This ancient Chinese tradition is performed to chase away the evil sprits, and bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year.

In honor of the Year of the Pig, Retrocrush has published their list of the Greatest Porkers in Pop Culture History.  (via J-Walk Blog)

Scaramouch is a bacon freak. Check out some of his favorite bacon links.

Pig wishes for 2007!

CLARIFICATION

In my hometown, police officers still write their reports by hand, and the data is entered later by a computer tech into their database. One theft report stated that a farmer had lost 2,025 pigs. Thinking that to be an error, the tech called the farmer directly.

"Is it true Mr. Smith, that you lost 2,025 pigs?" she asked.

"Yeth." lisped the farmer.

Being a wise girl, the tech entered: "Subject lost 2 sows and 25 pigs."

Chinese New Year Chant for 2007

BREEDING PIGS

A city boy decided to quit the rat race and bought himself a farm, which included a few sows. He wanted to breed the sows, but had no idea how to go about it. His neighbor volunteered his boars for the job, and told the city boy to bring them over in the pickup the next day.

In the afternoon when he went to pick them up, the city boy asked how he would be able to tell if the sows were impregnated. He was told to look and see where they were early in the morning. If they were up on the hill, they were pregnant; if they were in the sty, it hadn't worked.

The next morning, he leapt from the bed and looked up the hill, but alas the pigs were down in the mud. Grumbling, he loaded them back into the pickup and headed for the neighbors. The following three mornings were just the same; he would leap from the bed, look up the hill, find the pigs down in the mud and have to return them to the neighbors to let the boars have another shot at them.

On the fifth morning, he looked up the hill, and there were no pigs. He looked down in the sty; still no pigs. He called to his wife, "Where the hell are the pigs today?"

Amid hysterical laughter, she managed to choke out, "They're down in the truck, and the big one is honking the horn!"

Previously on Miss Cellania: Pigs

Thought for today: Gung Hay Fat Choy!  新年快乐  恭喜发

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