Asian Lunar New Year – ‘Year of the Dog’ February 16, 2018 – February 4, 2019

February 16, 2018 will mark the beginning of The Year of the Dog, the Asian Lunar New Year, one of the largest and most festive celebrations for the Asian American Community. This is the Year of Earth Dog, starting February 16, 2018 (Chinese New Year) and lasting to February 4, 2019.

Celebrated by Asian American groups including Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Filipino, Japanese, Malaysian, Thai, Indian, Pakistani and Korean Americans, the Lunar New Year is an event where family and friends come together to wish each other happiness and pay respect to ancestors. Traditionally, the festivities start FACGC Celebrates National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal’s 125th Death Anniversary Dec. 30, 2017 at the Rizal Center 22 days prior to the New Year and continue for 15 days afterwards. The Lunar New Year is represented by a cycle of 12 years, each denoted by a different animal. This year, the Year of the Dog, is the eleventh animal in the Chinese horoscope. According to Chinese astrology, people born in the Year of the Dog (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018) are independent, sincere, loyal and decisive. Although each of the 12 animals gets an outing every dozen years, there are different varieties – and 2018 will be the first year of the earth dog since 1958. Anyone born in an earth dog year will be communicative, serious, and responsible in the workplace.

The Lunar New Year is celebrated with loved ones, lots of food, drums and gongs. Family members and friends gather at each other’s homes for visits to share large meals and gifts, as a sign of fortune. Families also visit temples for prayer and luck. According to tradition, Chinese and Vietnamese give children “red-envelopes” with good luck money for the New Year and Koreans offer newly minted money as a symbol of auspicious and fortuitous beginnings. Business people in the Asian communities also celebrate the holiday with colleagues and employees. During this celebration decorations are also significant. Red and gold are the primary colors as they symbolize good fortune.

Here are some fun Year of the Dog Facts: Year of the Dog: February 16, 2018 – February 4, 2019 Who Celebrates: Asian Americans Animal Symbol: Dog Dog Years: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018

Famous People Born in Year of the Dog: Jennifer Lopez, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Andre Agassi, David Bowie, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Christopher Lee, Steven Spielberg, Sylvester Stallone, Elvis Presley and Winston Churchill. The Dog is: independent, sincere, loyal and decisive Best Careers for Those Born In the Year of the Dog: The people under the Dog sign are suitable for the jobs including politicians, philosophers, doctors, teachers, judges, writers, nurses, actors, counselor, priests, psychologists and more.

About the Dog: brave, forthright, friendly, loyal to his friends and like righting wrongs. Loyal and honest. They are also good working partners. In love, they are fiercely loyal to those they love.