Fetching some luck in the Year of the Dog

2018dog

Time to say goodbye to the Rooster!

It’s Chinese New Year on Friday February 16th, at which point we’ll begin 2018… the Year of the Dog according to the Chinese zodiac (or Shēngxiāo).

An estimated 1.4 billion people worldwide will celebrate Chinese New Year, enjoying celebrations starting on the 16th and continuing through the Spring and Lantern Festival periods, ending March 2nd.

All well and good, but what we really want to know is…

Will the Year of the Dog bring Fortune?

The short answer…depends.

The longer answer is that it depends on your Chinese zodiac birth sign, which in turn depends on your birth year.

Dogs 狗, born 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018

Let’s start with the Dogs, because it is their year; or more correctly according to Shēngxiāo – it won’t be their year.  This isn’t a Dog specific thing…the year of one’s zodiac sign (本命年 ben ming nian) is never supposed to be good. Roosters suffered last year, Monkeys had a tough time in 2016 and so on.

2018 will be a minefield of misfortune for poor old Dogs. Don’t expect good surprises; be ready for bad ones. It’s not a year to take risks. It’s a year to keep your head below the parapet as it is likely to be shot off otherwise. Your singular goal for the year is to try get through reasonably unscathed, and then enjoy the next 11 years of relative peace and prosperity.

There is a thin silver lining to your otherwise very dark cloud. 2018 will be a short year ending 5 Feb 2019 (the Chinese lunisolar calendar is out of sync with the Gregorian calendar). Only eleven and a half months of pain before the Pigs get stuffed.

Dogs can help their situation by wearing red underwear whenever possible. Note also your lucky numbers 3, 4, 9 and colours green, red, purple and avoid the unlucky counterparts 1, 7, 8, blue, brown.

Definitely not the year to take on Evolution’s Salon Privé blackjack tables!

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 7pm to 9pm.

Rat 鼠 born 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

2018 is supposed to be a mixed bag for Rats. You’ll hit the highest of highs, and plumb the lowest of lows.

Pretty standard year for a gambler really.

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 11pm to 1am.

Ox 牛 born 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009

The Dog and the Ox don’t get along according to Chinese zodiac. As a consequence, oxen shouldn’t expect a great 2018. Invest conservatively, avoiding risk (and financial planners who are dogs).

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 1am to 3am.

Tiger 虎 born 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010

Finally some good news! If you’re a Tiger this is your year to let it ride. The Dog and the Tiger are apparently great mates, so 2018 promises to be a lucrative one.

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 3am to 5am.

As an aside 2017 was also a pretty good year for Tigers, as any fan of the AFL’s Richmond Football Club would happily tell you.

Rabbit 兔 born 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011

Rabbits will also enjoy a good year. And about time too. They’ve spent the 2016 and 2017 struggling with incompatible Monkey and Rooster years. Fortune, and even a little fame may be on its way.

For the rest of us, perhaps a year to trust in the rabbits foot a little more than usual (remembering always that it didn’t help the rabbit).

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 5am to 7am.

Dragon 龙 born 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012

Dogs don’t like Dragons, and vice versa. Of the 12 zodiacal years, the Year of the Dog is one of the few that gets the better of the Dragon. Play your cards close to your chest and think twice before going all in.

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 7am to 9am.

Snake 蛇 born 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013

The news seems pretty positive for Snakes. Promotions, romantic success, good times in general on the way.

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 9am to 11am.

Horse 马 born 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014

The Horse is the third zodiacal animal compatible with the Dog. Horses can expect more good luck than bad, so don’t be afraid to take a punt.

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 11am to 1pm.

Goat 羊 born 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015

The experts seem a little unsure about what’s in store for Goats (or Sheep). Seems there will be ups and downs in equal measure. A positive attitude will be important.

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 1pm to 3pm.

Monkey 猴 born 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016

If you’re a Monkey you shouldn’t lose, but you probably won’t win either. You’re a monkey treading water basically.

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 3pm to 5pm.

Rooster 鸡 born 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017

Poor Roosters. Financially raped last year, things are only supposed to improve marginally this year. Not the year to take up a challenge, or to take a stand in a fight. Rollover; take another kicking and wait until 2019.

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 5pm to 7pm.

Pig 猪 born 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

Pigs should enjoy a moderately auspicious year, before things take a turn for the worse on Feb 5 2019. You might want to get you shit together before things get really nasty next year.

Your lucky ‘hour’ is 9pm to 11pm.

New Year Festival Dos & Don’ts

No matter what your sign, you can help your cause during New Year Festival period (Feb 16th to March 2nd) by observing a few simple, and I think you’ll find, generally satisfying rules.

Don’t…

  • use negative words…especially death, kill, pain, sick & poor;
  • break things made of glass;
  • wash or cut your hair…avoid sharp objects generally;
  • do any cleaning;
  • visit your wife’s family;
  • visit the doctor, have surgery, get shots or do medical stuff generally; or
  • chase debts..recover them later

Do…

  • set off fireworks;
  • eat dumplings; and
  • clean your home BEFORE news year’s eve

A final thought

For those who believe in the powers of the Shēngxiāo (not me in case you guessed) here’s a sobering thought.

Donald Trump’s birth sign is the Dog, meaning 2017 was his good year. 2018 is the year he will really cock things up!

Hope I didn’t just spoil your Spring Festival.

Gong Xi Fa Cai !

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