2023: Chinese Rabbit New Year

New beginnings carry a lot of hope, some excitement, and some curiosity and anxiety, like a journey into the unknown. So is a new year…… 2023, which we welcomed with good wishes on the evening of December 31, is considered the “Year of the Rabbit” according to Chinese astrology. The rabbit, which is the symbol of abundance and plentifulness, is also believed to bring luck.

Managing time with the voice of nature

For many centuries, the livelihoods of societies have been agriculture and animal husbandry. Making the right timing for processing and planting the soil is a very important need in agriculture… People did this by listening to the voice of nature in those times. The same was true for animal husbandry. It was important to understand the language of nature to get efficiency from animal husbandry and to understand the language of nature due to disruptions that may occur due to birth times, cold, heat and drought. The positions of the Sun, Moon and stars were also observed, and in ancient societies, the concept of time was divided by taking all these effects into consideration.

The Chinese calendar, which is organized according to the movements of the Moon, was created on the basis of a 12-animal calendar, which was also used by the ancient Turks, unlike today’s. According to this timing system, each year corresponds to an animal and the year passes according to the characteristics attributed to that animal. In addition to this 12-year cycle in the Chinese calendar, there is also a 60-year cycle created by five elements… 5 different elements, namely “Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water”, accompany each animal.

Let’s come to the year 2023… The element of this year is “Water”… According to Chinese philosophy, when the active side “Yang” and the passive-hidden side “Yin” present in every being are involved, the year 2023 is called the “Yin Water Rabbit Year”.

The year of the Rabbit begins on January 22, 2023 and will last until February 24, 2024.

New Year celebrations in China

The new year, which is celebrated on the evening of December 31st in our country and in many other countries, begins with the birth of the second new moon after the winter solstice in China. This corresponds to a period between January 21 and February 20 according to the Western calendar.

The beginning of the Chinese New Year is more than just a celebration… Details enriched with symbols are traditionally practiced by everyone. The focus of the celebrations is to say goodbye to the old year and to compensate for the bad events encountered… In summary; It is aimed to start a new year with abundance, luck and happiness by starting a new year with a clean page…

A week before the new year, a comprehensive house cleaning is carried out and preparations begin. It is very important that the celebrations are held with the family at dinner tables… Many families serve long-cut noodles on their tables to symbolize a long and happy life. Since Niangao, or rice cake, symbolizes abundance, fish is among the indispensable items on the table. Since it is believed to provide prosperity, energy and luck, Chinese people decorate their homes with red and children are given money as gifts in bright red envelopes. Tea, fruit and candies are also offered as gifts. The celebrations continue with open-air shows accompanied by fireworks, lion and dragon dances, and end with a magnificent lantern festival heralding the new full moon. This ceremony also serves to commemorate deceased ancestors and promote peace, reconciliation and forgiveness. The celebrations continue with enthusiasm for approximately 15 days.

2023; year of growth and development…

In Chinese astrology, each new year marks the transition to a different animal. Chinese zodiac animals are; Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig… Each animal gets its turn every 12 years.

It is believed that each year has its own characteristics and those born in these years carry these characteristic features. It is said that those born in 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963,1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 belong to the Rabbit zodiac sign.

The rabbit symbol symbolizes longevity, peace and prosperity in Chinese culture. For this reason, it is thought that 2023 will be the year of “hope”. Rabbit; Since it is synonymous with creation, fertility and rebirth, it is predicted that it will be a year in which our productive side will be active and we will make room for the new to come. In this way; It is also possible for us to discover new ways of existence with high creative energy, to think of different things and to come up with very inspiring ideas… It is also believed that the rabbit brings luck.

Since 2023 is the year of the “Water” element over “Tree”; It is defined as a year full of harmony, where we will not hesitate to trust our intuition with every step taken, and our sensitivity will increase. Tree and Water have a mutually supportive effect and are both said to be in the Yin pole. This combination is thought to promote growth, just as water nourishes and roots trees. Therefore, it is believed that 2023 will bring germination, growth and development. It may be a particularly suitable year for laying the foundations of a business. At the same time, one of the good news about this year is the prediction that the ideal environment can be created for the things whose seeds are planted to grow further…

According to Chinese astrology, economic difficulties are predicted to increase in years without the Fire element. Since it does not carry the fire element, it is also recommended that economic difficulties may be experienced in 2023, so a balance should be maintained in terms of spending and saving.

In the year of the Rabbit, it is recommended to use red, pink and blue tones in spaces. It is believed that using shades of green in clothing will bring good luck.

Even though 2023 started unpleasantly, we hope that the rest of it will be beautiful for our country and the whole world. After all, 2023 will be the year of hope, prosperity and peace according to Chinese astrology…

As Chado, we have prepared a special tea blend for the Year of the Rabbit: “Year of The Rabbit”… We blended black tea from China with the elegant flowers of pomegranate, the symbol of luck and abundance, and cinnamon and cloves, which stand out with their relaxing effect. Hoping to accompany you in pleasant moments…