Please note: I was the Mythology/Religion consultant on game-2, "Wisdom Quest," of this series.
Ordering the Wild Divine video games from this link will benefit Myth*ing Links <smile>.
I also wrote "Wisdom Quest's" Companion Guide -- click on the title to go directly to its page:
many will enjoy the book even if they don't own the game!

MYTH*ING LINKS
An Annotated & Illustrated Collection of Worldwide Links to Mythologies,
Fairy Tales & Folklore, Sacred Arts & Sacred Traditions
by Kathleen Jenks, Ph.D.

LUNAR NEW YEAR:
**5 November 2006 / Important Notification About 2007's Lunar New Year:

On Lunar New Year, 29 January 2006, this page got 46,714 visitors.  To put this in context, in 2002 I had 1,940 visitors; in 2003 there were 675; in 2004, 953.  In 2005 my stats-collector showed 19,944 but that was such an unbelievable increase that I assumed their computer had mistakenly added an extra digit at the end and that the correct number was 1,994.  I thought there was no way the numbers could have jumped tenfold to nearly 20,000 in the space of 3 years. Then when I checked my 2006 stats and found 46,714, I realized that 2005's numbers were probably correct after all.  That meant 2005 had indeed jumped tenfold and 2006 was 23 times more than in 2002!

For a non-profit, educational site, this was an unexpected & very unwelcome shock.  Most of those nearly 47,000 visitors in 2006 were first-time "impulse" surfers who only stayed a few minutes,  moved on, and never returned. But the sudden extra traffic far exceeded my current gigabyte package with my website host & I was left with a large bill. This was in the middle of a very cold winter when I was having difficulty even paying my heating bills.

I cannot afford to risk this again. Thus, this notice is to let everyone know that this page will temporarily disappear from February 17-19, 2007.   February 18, 2007 is the first day of the Year of the Water Pig, which means the page will be gone that day as well as the day before and after.  Then it will reappear February 20th.  For regular readers, please plan to visit it before or after this hiatus. I apologize for any inconvenience.  Thank you.

Chinese Fire Dog

29 January 2006-
17 February 2007

YEAR of the FIRE DOG
(YANG)

NOTE:
Myth*ing Links 2005-2006 Year of the Wood Rooster is now at: Lunar Archives: Wood Rooster
Myth*ing Links 2004-2005 Year of the Wood Monkey is now at: Lunar Archives: Wood Monkey
Myth*ing Links 2003-2004 Year of the Water Goat is now at: Lunar Archives: Water Goat
Myth*ing Links 2002-2003 Year of the Water Horse is now at: Lunar Archives: Water Horse
Myth*ing Links 2001-2002 Year of the Metal Snake page is now at: Lunar Archives: Metal Snake
Myth*ing Links 2000-2001 Year of the Metal Dragon page is now at:Lunar Archives: Metal Dragon

Dog at Stream
Lang Shining
Qing Dynasty
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NOTE: astrological, "predictive" sites are updated annually on my page.  Sites describing traditional beliefs and activities, however -- even though they may mention the date and animal of the year when the page was written -- are dealing with age-old practices and remain accurate regardless of dates.

"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

Chinese New Year:
General Information
[Note: for specific information on the current year,
please scroll down to the next section.]

[Added 3 January 2004:]  If you'd like to know the dates and animals for any Lunar New Year from 1645 to 2644, this is the site for you.

This excellent page includes a fascinating Arts & Crafts section for children -- also Resources: if you click on the link, you'll find essays plus many family and classroom-oriented, annotated links to dragons and/or serpents, festive lore, customs, food, photos, Asian astrology, and much more.  This page provides an exceptionally wide range of annotated links to history, lore, lanterns, food, dance, dragon costumes, art, games, cards to send, and much more.  For a good essay on Chinese New Year, including tradional symbolism and do's and don'ts, click here: http://www.asianfamily.com/holidays/chinese_new_year.htm:

[Added 20 January 2004:]From Australia's Father Time's Net comes a page of customs for Chinese New Year:

...Chinese people believe that evil spirits dislike loud noises so they decorate their houses with plastic firecrackers. The loud noises are intended to frighten away evil spirits and bad luck that the spirits might bring.

They also go to the markets to buy plants and flowers that will bring them good luck for the New Year. The Kumquat tree is considered to be the luckiest because its name is a play on the word lucky.

The peach blossom is also considered to be lucky and the markets are decorated with the delicate blossoms wrapped in tissue paper that stops them getting damaged....

Don't miss this page from Jun Shan, the Chinese Culture guide at about.com, who tells an ancient tale of a fierce monster named Nian and a wise old man who saved his people from Nian.  Regardless of what animal rules an individual year, this story still lies at the root of Chinese New Year.  (Note: this tale is mentioned briefly on other sites but this is the only place where I found the full story.) [12/28/01: addendum -- since I have been having trouble accessing this page lately, and since about.com has recently been recklessly slashing their excellent guides' sites, I'm going to rescue this psychologically astute story lest it vanish:]

The legend says, long ago, there was a monster called Nian. It was born to be very ugly and ferocious, which looked like either dragons or unicorns. On the first and the 15th of each lunar month, the monster would come down from the mountains to hunt people. So people were very much afraid of it and locked their doors early before sunset on the days of its coming.

There lived an old wise man in a village. He thought it was the panic in people that made the monster so bold and furious. Thus the old man asked people to organize together and to conquer the monster by means of beating drums and gongs, burning bamboo, and lighting fireworks in purpose of making large noises to threaten the hateful monster. When he told people about the idea, everybody agreed on it.

At a moonless and freezing cold night, the monster, Nian, appeared again. The moment it opened its mouth at people, burst out the frightening noises and fire made by people, and wherever the monster went, it was forced to back off by the terrible noises. The monster couldn't stop running until he fell down with exhaustion. Then people jumped up and killed the evil monster. Savage as the monster was, he lost in the end under the efforts from the cooperation of people.

Since then, people have kept the tradition by beating drums and gongs, and lighting fireworks at the coldest day in winter to drive the imagined monsters away and to celebrate the victory over it. Today, Nian refers to the New Year's day or the Spring Festival. People often say Guo Nian, which means 'live the festival.' Furthermore, Nian also means the year. For an example, the Chinese often greet each other by saying Xin Nian Hao, which means Happy New Year! Xin means new and Hao means good.

Again from Jun Shan comes a charming page on each household's "Kitchen God" (a kind of cosmic spy), whose feast falls a week before Chinese New Year.  On this day the deity returns to heaven to make a report on the family's good or ill deeds over the preceding year.  Read the page to find out how the family makes sure the report is in their favor.  It gives a whole new meaning to the concept of "sacrifice."  [12/28/01: addendum -- again, I'm going to rescue the passage lest it too vanish:]

Traditionally the Spring Festival actually begins its course a week before the Chinese New Year (the 23th of the last month from Chinese lunar calendar), with the practice of offering a sacrifice to the Kitchen God, a god sent from Heaven to each family to take charge of family's affairs and make a report on what the family has done in the past year to Heaven annually on the date of the 23th. Strangely enough, the sacrifice to the Kitchen God is a lotus root-like sticky cake made of a kind of confection, a typical Chinese traditional candy, instead of the usual cows, pigs or sheep. The purpose of the practice is compromising, for people are making full use of the sticky cake to prevent the Kitchen God from speaking ill of the family in Heaven by sticking his mouth. Of course, it seems to be quite a tacit agreement between the Kitchen God and his prayers; he is always accepting the sweet food from the people around. This tradition is no longer popular in cities now, but may still be observed in some areas of countryside.

Note:  both this page and the one directly above are two among many interesting links on Jun Shan's index for Chinese New Year's found at: http://chineseculture.about.com/culture/chineseculture/library/weekly/topicsub1.htm

[1/12/03: unfortunately, the above link now goes to a news service with access to topics by subscription only -- thus, I can't even check to see if this is still in their archives.  Regardless, I'm keeping the annotation.
1/22/05: Good news! -- the Web Archive, or "Wayback Machine," has stored this page -- you'll need to be patient because these archival pages can take time to load, but at least it still exists]:

This is "Peach Wood Charms and Evil Spirits, a reference to small red papers adorning Chinese doors at Lunar New Year.  The red papers replace charms originally carved or painted on peach wood:

...According to legend, two brothers, Shennai and Yulei, lived on a beautiful mountain and grew a large grove of peach trees. They often helped the poor fight against monsters and demons. After their death, the two brothers became gods in heaven and were ordered by the Supreme Deity of Heaven to punish the evil spirits. The story says the spirits were so scared of the two brothers that even the mere sight of the peach trees they had planted would be enough to scare the spirits away, hence the peach wood charms....

[1/12/03: this also goes to a news service with access to topics by subscription only.   I'm still keeping the annotation.
1/22/05: More good news! -- here too, the Web Archive has saved this page -- you'll need to be patient as these archival pages can take time to load, but at least it still exists]:

This brief page from Inside China Today looks at the lantern festival held in China on the 15th day of the first lunar month:

...In ancient China, new year celebrations started from New Year's Eve and reached a second climax during the Lantern Festival....

The page looks at the charming legend of the Lantern Festival -- it involves  firecrackers, a city full of red lanterns, and a dumpling-making heroine who is a palace maid.  [22 January 2005 --although the Web Archive still has this page, load times tend to be long and it's probably prudent to rescue the legend, just in case]:

...During the reign of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty, there was a palace maid named Yuanxiao. Yuanxiao was a clever and kind-hearted girl, but she was very sad and homesick as she was locked up in the palace all year round.  Luckily she found a friend in a minister called Dongfang Shuo. He told the emperor a clever story and helped Yuanxiao see her family again.

Shuo told the emperor the Supreme Deity of Heaven had ordered the God of Fire to set the city of Changan ablaze on the 16th day of the first month of the lunar year. Shuo sad the only way to prevent this from happening was to let off firecrackers and hang up red lanterns all over the city. Shuo said everyone – even the palace maids – would have to participate in the lantern show.  Knowing that the God of Fire loved to watch a good fire show and that he also liked the dumplings made by Yuanxiao, Shuo suggested to the emperor he allow Yuanxiao to present her dumplings to the god. Shuo said the fire god would surely be appeased and therefore save the city of Changan.

The emperor bought the story and ordered the city of Changan to spend that entire night letting off firecrackers and playing with lanterns. Nothing amiss happened that night and Yuanxiao took advantage of her time outside the palace to have a family reunion.  Emperor Wu Di had such a good time that the next year he again ordered that red lanterns be hung all over the city on that same day and the little palace maid made her dumplings again too.

Thus the 15th day of the first lunar month of the year became a festival. The Lantern Festival is also called the Yuanxiao Festival, named after the famous dumplings. On this night, people celebrate under the first full moon of the year, which is symbolic of family reunions and a full happy life.

This is a small and select collection of annotated Chinese New Year links from the Open Directory.  This is a great place to browse if you're looking for more in-depth explanations of Asian beliefs, calendars, astrology, and lore.

From China the Beautiful comes a page of lovely graphics which are traditionally hung throughout the house for Chinese New Year's.  The best are from Yanliuqing, which were first produced between 1573 and 1620. There are 3 linked pages here.

Note: China the Beautiful has a wide selection of exceptionally well-done pages focusing on Chinese art, literature, culture, and history.  For a listing, go here: http://www.chinapage.com/china-rm.html

[Added 20 January 2004:] Again from China the Beautiful comes this page of assorted facts and annotated links for Chinese New Year.

"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

Chinese New Year:
Specific Information on Current Year

[Updated for 2006]:  This is a page chockfull of odd bits of information about each Chinese Lunar New Year, Chinese astrology ("fortune-telling"), and much more.  About the Dog year, times, and dates in general:

...Year of Dog 2006 is after Monkey 2004 and Chicken 2005. Monkey and Chicken are in the Metal group, so the Dog is the ending year of the Metal cycle. If you are lucky in the past two years because Metal is your lucky element, then 2006 is the last year for your Metal luck. So if you have any unfinished businesses or deals in 2005, then try to finish them and get the profit before people change their mind.

Dog contains Earth, Metal and Fire according to Chinese astrology. Basically, 2006 Male Fire Dog year is favorable to people whose lucky element is Fire. This is because that Dog contains Fire, which will help the Male Fire on the stem to burn for a longer time. That means Fire Dog is kind of dry and hot, which good for people who need Fire to balance their cold birth chart. But everybody has a different birth chart. We still have to see the stem relationships and branch relationships between Fire Dog and the birth chart to determine the luck in 2006....

...The major elements in the  Male Fire Red Dog 2006 are Fire and Earth. Inside the Dog Earth contains Female Metal and Female Fire. So we can say Dog is a dry Earth. Male Fire is like the Sun. It must be hot when Sun is over the dry ground. Therefore, 2006 is favorable to the people whose birth chars are too cold or too much water and need Earth or Fire to balance. In short, if your lucky element is Fire or Earth, then your luck will much better than the past two years....

The site looks at the fortune-telling aspect of the year in conjunction with wood, metal, fire, earth, and water elements in an individual's astrology chart -- there is enough information here to let you see how immensely complex it really is.  You would need to have your own chart cast according to Chinese rules to make sense of it but the site does offer a page in which you can at least insert your birth data to get an entry-level chart that will help clarify your own personal "luck."

[Updated for 2006]:Master Raymond Lo's website is comprehensive and covers a wide range of issues.   In addition to wars and other international affairs, he includes natural (and manmade) disasters, health, economy, investments, and Feng Shui.  This year, in the realm of international politics and wars, he sees the Year of the Dog as quite hopeful (unlike last year):

The Year of the Dog, 2006, in the Hsia calendar, is symbolized by two elements – with fire sitting on top of earth. According to the cycle of birth and destruction, which governs the inter-relationship between the elements, fire will give birth to earth.  Therefore, fire sitting on earth is a symbol of support and harmony and this may bring a relatively more peaceful year with less international conflicts than in the past few years.

As a comparison, he looks at the most recent non-Dog Year in which fire and earth were in a similarly good relationship:

In recent years, the last time such elemental relationship occured is in the year 2000, the year of the metal dragon, which was the year when the world was at peace to celebrate the Millienium, immediately before the 911 incident in 2001. The fire standing on top in 2006 is yang fire which is compared to the Sun. This element symbolizes openness, optimism, warmth, politeness and care. As such, it is anticipated that there will be more open and honest peace talks and settlements leading to a more harmonious atmosphere which the world has been lacking for many years. The earth underneath, representing the dog, has the implication of the “gate of Hell” and “storage of fire”. This character often carries spiritual and religious implications, As such, the year 2006 will also focus on seeking spiritual meaning and answers and more people will be drawn to religious events and discussions.

He then turns for a look at conditions sixty years when this year's Yang Fire Dog was last in charge.  Again, he sees reasons for hope:

The Chinese calendar year goes on 60-year cycle. This means that we have experienced the same year of yang fire on earth dog in 1945 when the Second World War is finally over and the world powers were concentrating on recovering from the war and re-arranging a new world order. The United Nations had its first meeting in 1946. Likewise, it is expected that there will be more co-operation among countries in 2006 aimed at setting up a more effective world order for the protection of global interests, such as solving environmental issues, global warming problem, religious differences, and the prevention of epidemics etc.

Master Lo is less sanguine, however, when it comes to volcanos, nuclear explosions, earthquakes, serious droughts, and other natural phenomena.  What he sees is quite discouraging.  Here is an excerpt:

...The yang fire – in the system of the Four Pillars of Destiny, is a symbol of big fire, and the earth dog is a symbol of the storage of fire. The pair of elements shows fire on top of a mountain, this could bring serious volcanic eruptions as well as big energy disasters such as nuclear explosions. The last such disaster is the Chernobyl nuclear melt down which occurred in 1986. Yang fire, is big and powerful energy, so the issue of nuclear safety will be in focus, Historical records show the United Nations Nuclear Agency was also set up in the last year of Yang fire Dog in 1946. With such a powerful fire element, besides the possibility of nuclear disasters, it will not be surprising that the yang fire will bring big explosions and fire disasters too. In Chinese astrology, the Dog is in a clash position against the Dragon, and both Dragon and Dog are powerful earth elements. With earth elements under clash, it will bring very serious earthquake disasters....

One can only pray (and insist!) that people tasked with the care of nuclear facilities worldwide will have the good sense to take extra precautions this year. Unlike volcanos and earthquakes, nuclear melt downs are preventable.

Master Lo finds that health, investments, and real estate are also areas of concern this year (go to his site for specific details).

This essay is lengthy but worth reading if any of these issues are of interest to you.  Even if he's wrong about the specifics, it can't hurt to be extra cautious about his findings on problem areas. As he comments in his concluding paragraph:

Feng Shui energies also change from year to year. Therefore, it is necessary to watch for the re-allocation of good and bad energies at the beginning of each year, so that we can take necessary precautions if some bad energy happens to arrive at important locations of our residence or offices...

[Added 13 January 2006]: From AstroLog, an Australian site, comes a brief but well done page by Gahle Atherton on "What to Expect in the Year of the Fire Dog."  The page covers some of the same data that Master Lo explores (above) on disasters.  If you don't have time to read Master Lo's lengthy essay, this site will give you a quick overview. It also offers a stark reason for why these disasters might happen (highlighted below):

The year of the Fire Dog is the image of fire burning across or above the earth. As such, according to the cycle of the five elements, this combination forms a harmony which makes the earth strong. However, whenever the Earth becomes strong it tends to become excessive or overbalanced.  So in a year when it becomes strong, it will have to expend energy to restore balance. For instance, there could be bush fires or other big fires, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions (due to earth-disturbing fossil fuels), other unforeseen influences that cause destruction via fire, heat or collapse of the earth's surface. The last Fire Dog Year was in 1946 and there was much evidence to support this. There were tsunamis in Hawaii, the beginning of nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean, and the French Indochina war....

[Link & Annotation updated 13 January 2006]: This is a page from Shelly Wu's main Chinese Astrology site.
It is entitled, "2006, the Fire Dog (Bing Xu) Year" and she begins with a timely quote from Winston Churchill, who, she points out, was born in a Dog Year:

The optimist sees opportunity in every danger;
the pessimist sees danger in every opportunity.

This quote sets the tone for her common sense, balanced approach.  She begins with protective Foo dogs:

The Dog is rich in Chinese history and tradition. Whether shown guarding ancient Buddhist temples or depicted as protector of sacred buildings and a defender of law, the Dog is known for its loyalty, tenacity and watchfulness. Many times displayed in a powerful guarding position, the Dog was the protector of peace and serenity in the sanctuary it was guarding.

The "Foo Dog" is a popular representation and is known as the Celestial Dog or Happiness Dog. It is a symbol of energy and value, and is often displayed in a male/female pair. The male holds a sphere that symbolizes the Earth, while the female holds her offspring.

Then she moves to what we can expect in this year of the male (yang) Dog:

The year of the Yang (+) Dog teaches the lessons of watchfulness, defense of the weak and fair play. International justice will be the order of the year. Causes, protests and the righting of wrongs defines Dog years. Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge....

...The Dog year and those under its influence are protectors of morals and defenders of the weak. Causes, revolutions and human-rights are on the agenda for the Dog year. The watchful Dog keeps us one step ahead of those who would harm us. However, while a single dose of anticipation is healthy, a double dose can be toxic and result in paranoia, expecting problems around every corner and jumping to conclusions throughout 2006.

Parents can expect to pull their offspring out of a scuffle or two this year. In like kind, these same parents may have to exercise herculean self-control at the workplace when the office bully flexes their muscles. Loyalty in relationships becomes more important than ever this year and best results are achieved by taking the high road in any given situation. Best results are acheieved when worry is transformed into advance thinking and planning....

Finally, Wu offers a number of lists and charts relating to various issues in 2006 as well as in earlier Dog-years.  For the first time, she is including a month by month evaluation of each zodiac sign's good fortune, using 4 stars for "Excellent (Very auspicious, a wide and smooth path)" down to one star for "Difficult (Be cautious, astral clash to the month)."

Since Wu's work is engaging and excellent, this is a good place to browse for information on Chinese astrology and related matters.  You can even get your Chinese year-animal and basic element by following one of her links (as indicated above however, for a thorough reading much more is needed than just those two ingredients).

"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

Chinese New Year:
Dog Year People

[Added 13 January 2006]:  From the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco comes an excellent, nicely illustrated page covering all twelve of the Chinese zodiac signs.  Here is what it says for Dog:

Year of the Dog: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people’s confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders. They are compatible with those born in the Years of the Horse, Tiger, and Rabbit.

Note: this site doesn't go into larger predictive material for lunar years: focus is on traits applicable to individuals born in these years.

[Added 13 January 2006]:    Here again, the focus is on the personalities of those born in each of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. In addition to a survey of characteristics of each sign, there is also a jade animal representing each sign -- these come from a 1,000  year old Song Dynasty jade artifact collection of the 12 Zodiac Animals. The photos of these jade pieces are large and detailed -- many are quite lovely.  [Note: for those interested in jade, click on "Chronological History" and you'll find a treasure trove of beautifully illustrated pages (including maps) of jade art from Chinese dynasties from Neolithic times through the Qing Dynasty.]

Here is what this page has to say about people born in the Dog Year:

DOG People are honest, straightforward, and friendly. They are extremely protective of themselves and their loved ones. With a passion for fair play and justice, they never fail to rescue you time after time. They may rant  and rave, but they never rest until they right the wrong. They are true humanitarians and suffer with the world. In spite of their concern for others, social graces and fancy parties do not impress them. Having sharp eyes, they will see through people's motives. DOG People are quite private about their personal lives and someone prying into their affairs makes them secretive and withdrawn. Once you gain their confidence, they open up freely. Once DOG People classify you, they rarely change their minds. There are few in-between. Dogs perceive things either in black or white. You are either friend or enemy. Luckily, they are good judges of character and have superb insight into human nature. DOG People are tolerant of their friends. Before they approve of you, the friendship must develop slowly with a variety of meetings and conversations. If  they look you over and decide they can trust you, you remain in their hearts forever. If you need them, DOG People will be there.

[Added 13 January 2006]:     This is another site focusing on personalities determined by the Chinese zodiac.  Each zodiac sign is given its own page (with a search engine at the top for other signs). Here is an excerpt about Dog Year people:

...Socially, Dog signs are not too interested to mingle with the mainstream.They don't exactly enjoy parties or get-togethers.They are always concerned on the issues that are most important to them.  Emotionally, they have trouble staying light and calm when an important issue is at stake.This Sign can also be very temperamental; mood swings characterize its emotional life and often the Dog needs a sabbatical in order to recuperate.

In relationships,Dogs often have a tough time finding the right match. They can be so anxious and overwrought in the romance dance that they'll stress their  partner to the maximum!   It would be better if the Dogs  work on controlling their irrational worries and would also be well-served to relax their mile-high standards, which can sometimes wind up alienating the ones they love.

[Added 13 January 2006]:   This is my final page of Chinese zodiac signs.  I only checked Dog so far and found an interesting and astute psychological portrait -- hopefully, all the other signs are as well done.  You can further click for the animal's relevant element -- e.g., fire dog, earth dog, metal dog, etc. On Dog people, this is the best page I've read so far, both in terms of style and content.  The page is so good I wouldn't know what to excerpt -- so I hope you'll read it for yourself <smile>.

"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

 Japanese New Year

This page has annotated links to Japan's New Year celebration: there are fewer links here because many Japanese celebrate the New Year from January 1-3 instead of using the more traditional lunar calendar [see below].  Nevertheless, though few, the links are well chosen, especially those for children on special New Year's toys and games.  This is an accompanying essay on Japanese New Year: http://www.familyculture.com/holidays/japanese_new_year.htm:

...Japan has adopted the solar calendar since 1873 and the New Year celebration starts on January 1.   However, in rural Japan, villagers continue to follow the lunar calendar and Oshogatsu is the Lunar New Year....

[Added 20 January 2004:] From Father Time's Net in Australia comes an informative little site on Japanese New Year, which is celebrated starting January first, but the celebrations include older Shinto aspects from Lunar New Year.

[Updated 22 January 2005: this page has now died but still exists at the Wayback Machine/Web Archive -- please be patient as it loads]:

This is an engaging little essay by Japanese American, Dean Toji, on many pan-Asian New Year celebrations falling from November to mid-April.

Although New Year's is now generally celebrated January 1-3 in Japan, many of the customs connected with this celebration have simply been shifted from the much older lunar New Year.  Thus, I am including this link on this page as well as on my Solstice/Yuletide page.  This enjoyable site looks at Japanese New Year's customs and offers a wide range of clickable photos depicting decorations, symbols, foods, and much more.
"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

Korean New Year

[Added 4-5 January 2004:] This is an engaging, charmingly written page on Korean customs and rituals (quite detailed) at the New Year.  It's also beautifully illustrated.  Here's a passage on New Year's Eve that I especially love:

Before going into the "New Year's day," let's see what happens on New Year's eve:
"Sut dal kum mum" is New Year's eve in Korean and on that night nobody is supposed to sleep. It's the so called "je yah". There was a belief that if someone slept on that night, the eyebrows would turn white. That was the reason why the light was on at every room, the "maru" and even in the kitchen. This was done to receive the brand new year's day with awaken eyes and brightness. During the New Year's eve day people perform an overall cleaning, brushing off old dust. At the evening they heat water and take a bath. They also burn bamboo sticks to cast off every single house demon. They thought that with the sound of the exploding bamboo's knots, the demons would get scared and run away. At night, as a sign of appreciation, people greet the family's elders and if there is a "sadang" at home they present an offering there. It's the ceremony of the last day of the year....

I only had time to check the first two annotated links here but found the first one (Click Asia) informative and beautifully illustrated, and the second one (Korean Insights) a great resource for children, especially the delightfully illustrated folk tales. [Note: as of 1/22/05, some of the links have died -- if you are especially attracted to one, you might try the Web Archive.]  There are also links to more academically oriented data.  For a brief essay on Korean New Year, click here: http://www.asianfamily.com/holidays/korean_new_year.htm

[Added 4-5 January 2004:]  From Father Time's Net comes a brief page on Korean traditions:

The first day of the lunar new year is called Sol-nal. This is for families to renew ties and prepare for the new year.  New Year's Eve: People place straw scoopers, rakes or sieves on their doors and walls to protect their families from evil spirits in the new year....

[Added 4-5 January 2004:]  From a world travel site comes an informative page on Korean customs at the New Year. It includes links for those wishing to travel to Korea for this celebration.

[Added 20 January 2004:]  This gentle little page (with good photos) looks at Korean New Year's customs from the perspective of adopted Korean children living in the United States.

Some Korean children living in Middle Tennessee as the adopted children of American families had the opportunity to learn about the holiday's customs Saturday at a Korean New Year's Party put on by the Murfreesboro Korean School.  Traditional Korean food, crafts, clothing and music were a part of the event, said Jan King, the mother of two adopted Korean children and founder of the school.

"It's not all dragon parades and fireworks," said King, referring to popular images of the celebration. "It's a much simpler, family event. The Korean New Year's is mainly a way of showing your respect for your parents and your elders and predecessors, and hoping to start your New Year off right"....

...The adoption of Korean children by American parents started during the Korean War and has continued throughout the 50 years since that time. When some of the older adoptees reached adulthood, they were able to communicate the problems they faced as Asian children raised by mainly Caucasian Americans.  When the adoptions began, King said, "Parents were advised to take them home and treat them like their own children. They suffered a lot, because society felt they were Asian, and they felt they were American, and so they had identity crises.  "They felt they were white, but were not always accepted as white by the general public. Over the years, it was found that one of the best things we can do for them is teach them about their heritage."

As a way to do this, adoptive parents began starting Korean schools in their communities where Korean-American children can learn about the culture, language and traditions of their ancestors.  "This way, they kind of get to have a dual heritage," King said.

"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

  http://www.fathertimes.net/taiwanesenewyear.htm

[Added 20 January 2004:] From Father Time's Net comes an entry-level page on Taiwanese traditions:

...To insure the arrival of luck and wealth in the new year, several taboos must be heeded. Floors may not be swept and garbage may not be disposed for fear of casting riches out the door, cussing and quarreling is to be avoided at all costs, and anyone who breaks a dish on this day must quickly say Peace for all time, to avoid incurring misfortune....

"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

Tibetan New Year

A few days ago Dharma Publishing sent customers an e-mail of special bargains for Tibetan New Year (beginning 24 February 2001 and lasting for a week).  They included great data on traditions connected with this celebration.  I checked their website to see if they had a page on this.  They did not.  I wrote to see if they planned to launch one and, if not, could I?  They gave me their gracious permission to reprint their e-mailed material.  I created a special page for this -- the above link will take you there.  Enjoy!  <smile>[12/28/01: note -- I've e-mailed for an update on the Horse Year since this page currently only considers the Snake Year: no response.]

[Added 20 January 2004:]   From Father Time's Net in Australia comes an entry-level site on Tibetan New Year, or Losar.

[Added 22 January 2005:]  This page on Losar (New Year) comes from the Venerable Salden of Namgyal Monastery -- the personal monastery of the Dalai Lama.  I found especially intriguing the role of Belma, an old woman who understood lunar time and gave this knowledge to others:

...The word Losar is a Tibetan word for New Year. LO means year and SAR means new. The celebration of Losar can be traced back to the pre-Buddhist period in Tibet. During the period when Tibetans practiced the Bon religion, every winter a spiritual ceremony was held, in which people offered large quantities of incense to appease the local spirits, deities and protectors.... The [Buddhist] festival is said to have begun when an old woman named Belma introduced the measurement of time based on the phases of the moon. This festival took place during the flowering of the apricot trees of the Lhokha Yarla Shampo region in autumn, and it may have been the first celebration of what has become the traditional farmers' festival. It was during this period that the arts of cultivation, irrigation, refining iron from ore and building bridges were first introduced in Tibet. The ceremonies which were instituted to celebrate these new capabilities can be recognized as precursors of the Losar festival. Later when the rudiments of the science of astrology, based on the five elements, were introduced in Tibet, this farmer's festival became what we now call the Losar or New Year's festival....

The page continues with a number of interesting traditions connected with this day, including the role of the Dalai Lama, where again the feminine plays a significant role, this time as a goddess:

... In the early dawn of this day, the monks of Namgyal Monastery offer a sacrificial cake (Tse- tor) on top of the main temple (Potala in Tibet) to the supreme hierarchy of Dharma protectors, the glorious goddess Palden Lhamo. Led by the Dalai Lama, the abbots of three great monasteries, lamas, reincarnated monks, government officials and dignitaries join the ceremony and offer their contemplative prayers, while the monks of Namgyal Monastery recite the invocation of Palden Lhamo....

... In Tibet before the Chinese came, Losar had been celebrated for fifteen days or more. In India today we celebrate for three days, and in America we have minimized it to one day....

[Added 22 January 2005:]  This page looks at New Year traditions in nearby Ladakh -- scroll past about 1/3rd of the page until you get to a section called "Losar: How Ladakh got its new year":

This New Year festival has an interesting history. In the 17th century, King Jamyang Namgyal decided to lead an expedition against the Balti forces during winter. He was advised that any expedition before the New Year would be inauspicious. Like Alexander's solution to the Gordion Knot, his solution was direct and simple. He advanced the New Year celebrations by two months, establishing a tradition that people still follow- celebrating Losar on the first day of the eleventh month of every year....

The page doesn't explain why the populace didn't simply revert to their usual date the following year but it does offer information on rich customs associated with the festival.

[Added 22 January 2005:]This is a huge mega-site on Tibetan New Year with dozens, maybe hundreds, of links.  The links aren't annotated but they do include the first line or two so that you can get some idea of their content.   Many are from tour organizations with good (albeit brief) data and photos.

"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

Vietnamese Tet

This is a beautifully written and exquisite page on Vietnamese Tet.  It's available in both French and English.

[Added 31 January 2007:]   Here is a belated & updated Vietnamese page from the above French site -- this is specifically focused on the Fire Dog, even though this year will expire in a little over two weeks.

[Added 20 January 2004:] From Australia's Father Time's Net comes this interesting little page on Tet:

The more popular name for the Vietnamese New Year is Tet, whereas the formal name is Nguyen-dan.  Tet is a very inportant festival because it provides one of the few breaks in the agricultural year, as it falls between the harvesting of the crops and the sowing of the new crops....

I especially like gradually changing animals into dragons, with the carp-stage coming just before the crowning event:

...They observe the custom of the kitchen god tao for a week before the New Year, they believe there are three gods represented by the three legs of the cooking equipment used in the kitchen. The middle god is a woman the other two are her husbands. It was once customary to provide the gods with a carp on which to travel. The carp represents the second last stage in the process by which animals are gradually transformed into dragons. They buy the carp from the market, bring it home and place it in a bucket of water to place at the altar of the house before it is later set free....

This an extensive collection of annotated links to the Vietnamese Tet celebration -- the links include folklore, customs, the Vietnamese zodiac, food, art, and college term papers with many well researched details (and bibliographies).  Of those I checked, the quality was first rate.  This is an accompanying essay on Tet: http://www.familyculture.com/holidays/tet.htm

"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

Pan-Asian Lunar New Year

[Added 20 January 2004:] This is "New Year Around the World," a cross-cultural collection of pages from Australia's Father Time's Net.  Listed alphabetically by country, all New Year celebrations are featured here, including Lunar New Year.

 

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OTHER RELEVANT Myth*ingLinks PAGES:

To the 2005-2006 Wood Rooster page

To the 2004-2005 Wood Monkey page

To the 2003-2004 Water Goat page

To the 2002-2003 Water Horse page

To the 2001-2002 Year of the Metal Snake page

To the 2000-2001 Year of the Metal Dragon page

To the ASIA menu-page

To Common Themes: Time
(Calendars, Millennial Issues, etc)

These Lunar New Year pages were begun 17 January 2000 for Dragon Year: for subsequent logs, see archives.

Begun: 19 January 2005 for Rooster Year; finished the links, old & new,  and launched 22-23 January 2005.
My grateful thanks to my diligent links-assistant, Michaela, who did the page's initial links-check, tracking down broken links and finding replacements in Web Archive and elsewhere.
24 January 2005: a few small changes.
29 December 2005: added Wild Divine data at top of page.

FIRE DOG YEAR:

Chinese Dog Logo

13 January 2006, 2-5am: launched after archiving last year's page and finding new art, etc for this Fire Dog page.  Links remain to be checked & many still refer to last year's rooster year.
13 January 2006, 7pm: I've now updated all rooster references and divided opening sections into 3 parts on Chinese New Year: (1) general info, (2) specific info on current year, &  (3) zodiac reports on individual traits.
Links not relating to Dog-year or Dog-people haven't been updated yet.
18 January 2006: links check now complete with Michaela Oldfield's help.
5 November 2006: added notification about 2007 hiatus over Lunar New Year.
11 December 2006: updated WD links at top.
31 January 2007: added a belated update to the French Vietnamese site on Fire Dog.

"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

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Additional Art Sources:

http://www.theprivatecollector.com/Virtual/VirtualPages/Search_Page_MERCHANT_5.asp:
A "Search Page" for art depicting Foo dogs and other Asian dogs (also some European works)
http://www.chinesepaintings.com/:
A good, searchable source of Chinese art on various themes.