The Great Animal Race

Lunar New Year celebrations this year welcome the Year of the Snake, so named because the snake was a the sixth animal to finish in the Great Animal Race organized by the Jade Emperor when he created the 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac. He hoped the zodiac would help people keep track of time. The first twelve animals to cross the finish line would have a year within the new zodiac. Contestants had to cross a rapidly flowing river in order to reach the finish line.

Just as the race was about to start, the rat arrived at the riverside and asked the ox if he could ride on the bovine’s back. The ox agreed. When the rat reached the other side, he jumped off the ox’s back and crossed the finish line first. Thus, the Year of the Rat is the first year, and the Year of the Ox is second. The Tiger came in third.

The rabbit crossed the river by jumping from one stone to another until it slipped. The rabbit managed to jump onto a log and floated to the finish line. The dragon came in fifth place. This was a surprise, because most people expected him to fly into first place. But the dragon said he had to stop to help some villagers put out a fire, and then as he approached the finish line, he saw a rabbit floating on a log, so he stopped to give the rabbit a puff of air towards shore.

The horse arrived near the finish line, without realizing a snake was hiding behind his foot. When the snake appeared, he startled the horse. So, the snake landed in sixth position and the horse in seventh.

The monkey, the rooster and the sheep worked together. Rooster found a raft; monkey and sheep hopped aboard, and they worked together through the currents and weeds to reach the shore. Sheep took eighth place; monkey, ninth, and rooster, tenth.

Dog came in eleventh place, because he stopped to take a bath.

Pig arrived last, because he got hungry and stopped to eat and take a nap before completing the race.

But to return to the snake. Some believe the snake is a strong protector; others, that he is untrustworthy. The snake possesses creation energy that embraces change and sloughs off old habits. Thus the snake represents renewal and new birth. Should be an interesting year.

Legend of the White Snake

Once upon a time, a white snake and a green snake who lived in a remote mountain became immortal and transformed into two  beautiful ladies – Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing. The ladies decide to visit the human world and arrived at West Lake in Hangzhou.

As they walked across the Broken Bridge, they met a handsome young man carrying an umbrella. When it started to rain, the young man introduced himself, saying his name was Xu Xian. Then he lent the ladies his umbrella. At this point, Bai Suzhen fell in love with Xu Xian. Sounds like a case of love at first sight.

The next day, the ladies met Xu Xian again. They returned his umbrella, thanked Xu Xian for his kindness and shared a meal with him. Xiaoqing confided to Xu Xian that Bai Suzhen was in love with him. As it happened, he felt the same. The couple married and opened an herbal medicine shop.

All was well until a Taoist monk named Fahai visited their store. Fahai told Xu Xian his wife was not human; she was a devil snake. Xu Xian didn’t believe him. Fahai gave Xu Xian a special drink to prove Bai Suzhen was a snake. After Xu Xian tricked his wife into drinking the liquid, she turned into a giant white snake. Xu Xian collapsed in shock and died.

Bai Suzhen found an antidote, but after Xu Xian revived, Fahai took him to Jinshan Temple.

Bai Suzhen declared war on Fahai and appealed to the Dragon King of the East for aid. He sent them an army of sea goblins who proved helpful. Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing attacked Fahai by flooding Jinshan Temple. The sea goblins soon joined the fight. But before Bai Suzhen could claim victory, Fahai asked the gods for help and defeated Bai Suzhen.

Eventually Xu Xian escaped from the temple and found Bai Suzhen who then explained how she and Xiaoqing became the ladies Xu Xian met on Broken Bridge.

Undaunted by Bai Suzhen’s revelations, Xu Xian replied, “Human or not, I will love you anyway.” [A certified romantic swoon moment.]

But, once again, true love was thwarted when Fahai arrived with a heavenly warrior and a golden bowl. The bowl captured Bai Suzhen who was held in prison under the Leifeng Pagoda by West Lake.

Not surprisingly, this romantic tale became a popular Chinese opera.

Sandra’s Books: Sea Tigers & Merchants. Ambition, Arrogance & Pride. Saxon Heroines. Two Coins. Rama’s Labyrinth.

Illustrations & A Few Sources

Jade Emperor, Ming Dynasty; Ox Carries Rat Across the River by D. H. Isais; Chinese Zodiac Carving, Kushida Shrine, Fukuoka; Funerary Sculpture, Yunnan Province; West Lake; Chinese Opera, Legend of The White Snake by Evan Wood. “Legend of the White Snake.” Google Arts & Culture

The post Year of the Snake & Legend of the White Snake first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Whew!  There were more holidays last week than during the official “Holiday Season.”  Funny word “holiday.”  It’s a contraction of Holy Days.  Most folks don’t think of holidays as religious – we think of free time, decorations, special food, gifts, and shopping.  But, for those so inclined, there is opportunity for contemplation and purification.

CHINESE NEW YEAR – February 10

Those of you who read last week’s blog (and if you did not, why not) know last Sunday marked CHINESE NEW YEAR and the inauguration of the Year of the Snake.  Symbols for wealth and auspicious colors abound.  Golden tangerines and red money envelopes being in high favor.

KUMBH MELA – January 14-March 10

The Hindu festival of KUMBH MELA had several events during the week.  The festival began on January 14 and concludes March 10.  Every twelve years when the moon and planet Jupiter are aligned, pilgrims journey to the convergence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and (mythical) Sarasvati Rivers. Those who bathe at the rivers’ convergence are cleansed of their sins and receive blessings that can extend through several generations.  Eighty million pilgrims are expected at Allahabad to participate in ritual bathing.  So many people in such a small area inevitably leads to chaos.  Already this year, thirty-six people died at a stampede at the Allahabad railway station platform 6.

Three special days of the Kumbh Mela occurred last week.  The Mauni Amavasya Snan on Sunday, the Basant Panchami Snan on Friday, and the Basant Panchami Snan today.

 MARDI GRAS – February 12

February 12 – MARDI GRAS – CARNIVAL – one last chance to let things roll before the austerity of Lent.  The word itself is French for “Fat Tuesday.”  Dance, Sing, Eat, Drink, Parade, Mask.  Enjoy all the world has to offer.

And then, confess.  Because it is also Shrove Tuesday.  The last day for ritual Christians to purify themselves for the austerities of Lent.

 ASH WEDNESDAY February 13

The date for ASH WEDNESDAY is calculated as forty days before Easter.  Unlike consistent Christmas, Easter is set by the lunar calendar and moves.  On Ash Wednesday, many Christians have a priest place ashes on their heads in the sign of a cross.  While doing so, the priest intones, “From dust you are made and to dust you shall return.”  A sobering thought, especially for those still a bit ill from Mardi Gras.

 VALENTINE’S DAY –  February 14

Then there is the dreaded date of February 14^th – VALENTINE’S DAY.  One might wonder how a day originally commemorated by the Church to honor St. Valentine’s martyrdom became the day of Cupid’s arrow.  I suppose it’s about selfless love.  If you can equate the pressure for candy, flowers, and cards with love.  And, for some folks, the question of whether it might be time to take down the Christmas tree.  [See Kristen Lamb’s Blog http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/what-to-do-when-your-christmas-tree-wants-a-bass-boat/ ]

 VASANT PANCHAMI –  February 15

And now for something completely different VASANT PANCHAMI – a Hindu festival to salute spring’s arrival.  My favorite goddess Sarasvati presides.   She especially supports the arts: music, literature, and language.  Students place pens, pencils, and notebooks at her feet for her blessing.  In her left hand she holds the vina, a generic term for any stringed instrument.  (At my house, Sarasvati sits in my writing nook, hopefully to inspire my writing.)  Special color for the festival – yellow.  Special food, Kesar Halwa, a confection of flour, sugar, nuts, cardamom powder and saffron.

AND HERE WE ARE – A THREE DAY WEEKEND – PRESIDENTS’ DAY –  February 18

First there was GEORGE WASHINGTON – Once Known as the “Father of His Country” – the general who managed to avoid British Defeat – The first President of the United States.  Among the many words attributed to him, his reflection on the American revolution for freedom against Great Britain: “Our cause is noble; it is the cause of mankind.”  Washington’s Birthday is on February 22, but was not a national holiday.  Just an opportunity for school children to change the class bulletin board from the commemoration of Abraham Lincoln.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN – The Great Emancipator who presided over what some historians call the Second American Revolution.  He was born in a log cabin on February 12, self educated, the man who said:  “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.”

In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill specifically to create the maximum number of three-day weekends.  Thus, the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln became more than individual bulletin board displays.  Now they have national recognition.  But whether we notice the contributions these men made to the United States as much as we stress over Valentine’s Day – you be the judge.

Holidays are about who we are and what we believe as a culture – religiously, politically, historically.  They are opportunities for refreshment, reflection, and laughter.  To have so many holidays over nine days – amazing

The post SIX FEBRUARY HOLIDAYS IN THE SAME WEEK first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

“Okay, I’ll bite.  Why are you wishing me a Happy New Year when we already celebrated the New Year on January 1?”

Excellent Question, Grasshopper.  (Historian settles in for a lengthy chat.)  The January 1 date is completely arbitrary, a result of the introduction of the Julian calendar in 45 BCE.

“Could you answer my question without presenting a 50 minute lecture?”

You exaggerate.  I can answer your question in less than five minutes.

“I’m setting the stopwatch on my smart phone.  Go.”

Did you know the ancient Romans held a festival for Saturn, an agricultural god, on December 17?  The event expanded to cover five days, then seven.  It was the most popular event of the year.  That’s why the early Christian Church set Christmas on December 25, so new converts would not feel excluded from the fun and games.  Of course, Christian celebrations were more moral.

“Seconds are turning.” (Yawn.)

You want to know when the “new year” begins.  Got it. A new year can begin on any day.  It could start tomorrow.  But it wouldn’t be the New Year with capital letters.  Roman political leaders were a bit mischievous.  Their term of office lasted a year, but there was no fixed length to the months.  A leader might lengthen or shorten the year to suit himself.  Until Julius Caesar came back from the African campaigns.  He decreed 46BCE would be two months longer than usual so he could align time into long months of 31 days and short months of 30 days and February which was extra short and expandable during leap years.

(Starts texting.)

I can hear you.  (Exasperated) The first day of the official New Year is January 1 because that’s the day when Roman consuls took office.  The Christian Church adopted the Julian calendar, later changed it to the Gregorian calendar, but kept January 1.  And thus it has ever since, encompassing the entire known world, just as Caesar planned.

“Two minutes.”

Yesterday, February 10 started the new lunisolar year known as Chinese New Year. Celebrations continue for fifteen days ending with the Lantern Festival.  This is the Year of the Snake.

“I don’t like snakes.”

Have you ever met one?  Snake people are good to have around.  They are intelligent, analytical and graceful.  They like the good things in life.  They like wealth.

“Doesn’t everyone?”

Wealth means different things to different people.  Snakes like sumptuous luxury.

“One minute.  Will we get rich this year?”

Maybe.  Some think the Snake will encourage economic recovery.

“Why did you put a picture of tangerines at the top?”

That’s a new question.  You can’t count it in the five minutes.  Did I make it?

“Yes.  This proves you don’t have to go into every teeny tiny detail to answer a question.”

I like to be thorough.

“Can you briefly tell me about the fruit.”

I shall be succinct.  Tangerines and oranges invite luck and wealth, because the Chinese word for tangerine sounds like the word for “luck”, and the word for orange sounds like “wealth.”  As an added bonus, bright orange is a color associated with gold.

“So, luck + wealth + gold = prosperity.”

I didn’t know you could do math.

“Is the red envelope a replacement for plastic shopping bags?”

Better. These small paper containers hold lucky money.  Red is an auspicious color.  Lots of Chinese New Year decorations are red and gold – all to attract health, wealth, and happiness.  And, it’s biodegradable.  Where are you going?

“To buy tangerines.”

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