Please note: I was the Mythology/Religion consultant on game-2, "Wisdom Quest," of this series.
Ordering the Wild Divine from this link will benefit Myth*ing Links.  Thank you!

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:
8 / 9 February 2005 - 28 January 2006
(Note: Lunar New Year is 8 February 2005 in USA time zones, 9 February 2005 in Asia)

YEAR of the Wood Rooster
(Yin)

NOTE:
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 Horse is now at: Lunar Archives: Water Horse
Myth*ing Links 2001-2002 Year of the Snake page is now at: Lunar Archives: Metal Snake
Myth*ing Links 2000-2001 Year of the Dragon page is now at:Lunar Archives: Metal Dragon

Chinese Rooster
Detail
© Nan Hamilton -- used with her gracious permission:

"I was lucky enough to take a trip around the world many years ago. This drawing is from a picture I took in a small Chinese village. It was a very gray day in February near the Chinese New Year's and there wasn't much color in the surroundings. The brilliantly colored rooster posed for me near the pig enclosure. The symbol on the wall means "Great", much in the same way we write "Joy" during our holiday season...."
                                                                                   -- Nan Hamilton

NOTE: astrological, "predictive" sites are updated annually.  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.

Chinese New Year

[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.

[Updated for 2005]:  This is a page chockfull of odd bits of information about Chinese Lunar New Year, Chinese astrology ("fortune-telling"), and much more.  About the year, times, and dates in general:

...2004 was the Green Monkey year. Monkey is in the Metal group. So 2004 was a Metal year. 2005 is the Green Chicken year. Chicken is in the Metal group, too. So 2005 is a Metal year again. This means 2005 is the continuation of previous Metal cycle. Most of people should have about the same luck in 2005 as in 2004. If you have unfinished business in 2004, then you need to continue to deal with it during 2005.

      The Chinese New Year day is on February 9th, 2005. Because this is a new moon day, it is the first day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system. The new moon time is at 06:28 on 9-Feb-05 in China time zone. However, the new moon time is at 14:28 of 8-Feb-05 in the US Pacific Standard Time and also at 17:28 of 8-Feb-05 in the US Eastern Standard Time, so the Chinese New Year day is on February 8th, 2005 for USA time zones....

...The major elements in the Green Chicken are Wood and Metal. According to the Five Element Relationship, we know there is a conflict between Wood and Metal. So the disputes and arguments are there for many people in 2005. Actually, the most of conflicts came from the events in 2004. Any unfinished good or bad business from 2004 will continue to occur in 2005.

      The 2004 Green Monkey contains Wood, Metal and Water. Water can diminish the conflict between Wood and Metal. There is no Water in 2005. So the disagreement between Wood and Metal will last longer and stronger....

That is a straight-forward and sobering "prediction" (other sites differ in emphasis, as you'll see below).  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 2005]:  Master Raymond Lo focuses on international politics and wars and sees continuing potential for serious conflict ahead in this Rooster year.  However, whereas the above site focuses on the absence of the water-element in making this year more difficult than 2004, Lo sees in 2005 a subtle softening of conflict due to the more flexible yin nature of the Wood Rooster:

The Year of the Rooster, 2005, in the Hsia calendar, is symbolized by two elements - with wood sitting on top of metal. According to the cycle of birth and destruction, which governs the inter-relationship between elements, metal will destroy wood. Therefore, wood sitting on its destroyer - metal, is a symbol of disharmony and this may lead to international conflicts. The elemental relationship is same as last year of Monkey which is also wood standing on earth. But the difference is that in the year of the Monkey, it is yang wood which is always compared to a tall tree, with the characteristic of being proud, tough, stubborn and sticking to principles, inflexible and uncompromising. So last year the metal wood conflict is very serious resulting in fierce fighting in the war against terrorism, especially in middle East, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia. However, in the year of the Rooster, the yin wood is symbol of flower which is flexible and easy to adjust to the environment. As such, it is anticipated that the struggle will not be as serious as in 2004. It seems chance of compromise and making peaceful settlements over international issues will be easier to achieve in the year of the Rooster....

He looks at the last time we had a Yin Rooster year following a Yang Monkey year.  It was in 1945:

The Chinese calendar year goes on 60-year cycle. This means that we had experienced the same year of yin wood on metal Monkey in 1945 when the Nazi and Japanese suffered their final defeat and the second world was ending. The allies were liberating Europe from the Nazis . In 2005, sixty years after, with the same pair of elements yin wood on metal appearing again, 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. However, as wood and metal are conflicting elements, we still cannot expect the year of Rooster will be a peaceful one. Like in 1945, the victory can only be achieved with fierce fightings and heavy casualties ....

In summation:

In general, the yin wood Rooster is symbol of more moderate changes and flexibiltiy . The metal cutting the root of the flower still represents hidden danger and disturbance to the foundation. But the flower is by nature moderate and easy to submit. So it will be a year of resolving conflicts and disharmony in international relationship by compromise. And this may lead to longer term peace as from 2006....

Master Lo's website is comprehensive and covers a wide range of issues.  In addition to international affairs, he includes health, economy, investments, and Feng Shui.

FYI: for another site carrying this lengthy lecture in a larger font size, see: http://www.fengshui-lo.com/page1.html. You may need to disable its background as it's quite "busy" and not very eye-friendly.

[Link & Annotation updated 22 January 2005]: This is a page from Shelly Wu's main Chinese Astrology site.  She first looks back briefly at the preceding Monkey Year, commenting at the outset:

I don't know about you, but this Chinese astrologer is exhausted from the shenanigans of this past Monkey year! Surprise after surprise (both fabulous and panic-laden) swung most of our ways....

Then she turns to the Rooster Year:

The year of the Yin(-) Rooster teaches the lessons of order, scrutiny and strategic planning. The sage advice of Sun-Zi which is still taught in modern military circles, advises one to "achieve psychological advantage over the adversary and  use force only as a last resort."

Economy stabilizes and many items come down in price after spiking last year in 2004. Plentiful Spring rainfall will keep food prices stable and help with crop volume, improving nutrition around the world. However, uneven distribution of rainfall could favor certain regions while leaving others high and dry. Winter may also be more severe during 2005 with record snows and record lows.... Military, pomp and circumstance, "appearance" and strategic planning energies rule the year. 2005 will see the armed forces raised to a higher profile, with increased recognition, respect and benefits for both veterans and active duty troops. War criminals and tyrants are brought to justice.

During Rooster years, we will also see the improvising of difficult situations. Rooster years straighten-up and put life back into order, including re-building, reconstructing and beginning from scratch. We must all take special care of our nervous systems and emotional well being as Rooster years tend to bring out extremes in emotions (both fiery and frigid) and everything in-between. Do not allow disputes to linger -- find a harmonious compromise.... Seek emotional solace by surrounding yourself with nature and the natural beauty of the Earth. A year when it is especially important to exercise tolerance, channel inner energies into creativity and release our souls of any resentments or bitterness. In appearance-conscious Rooster years we all will seek to be admired, but must remember that "Pretty is, as pretty does."

Wu then looks at significant events from earlier Rooster years and offers disturbing comments on geophysical events for 2005:

...If the Rooster year cycles of the past remain consistent, 2005 may go down as yet another uncustomary weather year.  Aside from both extreme temperatures and the setting of new precipitation records in various localities; according to statistics, Rooster years are marked by an unusual number of great earthquakes throughout the world. The geophysical phenomena of plate-shifting and release of tension along the Rim of Fire North-American faults remains a concern.

On bridges and transportation:

...According to Federal Highway Administration statistics, 1/3 of US existing bridges and transportation infrastructure is in immediate need of maintenance. In 2005, bridges and transportation structures are at heightened risk. Explosives, combustibles and even atomic energy sources should be under increased security....

On a lighter side, she looks at racehorses born in Rooster years as well as at Rooster year movies.  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).

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

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....

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.

 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.

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.

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.

  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....
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.

Vietnamese Tet

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

[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

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 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)

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

"Rooster" in Chinese Zodiac

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.
13 January 2006, 4:55am: archived this page.

*****************

Rooster runners-up for this page -- these are in no special order:
http://www.theprivatecollector.com/Item/L0480.htm
http://www.chinesepaintings.com/chinese-painting/private/C032.html
http://www.chinesepaintings.com/chinese-painting/private/C037.html
http://www.sierratel.com/timberline/elliott/portfolioelliott.html

Chinese Rooster Logo

Ungrokked on meaning of zodiac sign of rooster & wood rooster:
http://www.metaphysicalzone.com/china/rooster.shtml
http://www.metaphysicalzone.com/china/rooster3.shtml