Hello friends!

Today China is celebrating its 4717^th New Year (perhaps 36^th in the current 60 year cycle). This is arguably the world's biggest holiday time. The festival is celebrated for about a fortnight with at least a week of public holidays.

Although a crypto ban was imposed on China last year by its Government, China plays an important role in crypto and blockchain industry with several major blockchain start ups, miners, major exchanges and dapps involving Chinese people. Therefore, this holiday and binge buying festival time do have some impact on overall market too.

Western influence destroying several cultures

I've noticed several players wishing a happy Chinese new year to their followers. Many are running special offers, airdrops and contests on this occasion. I can catch the festive mood all along.

But I didn't like them wishing me as Happy "Chinese" New Year! What's the need of this word "Chinese" in the wish?

Did anyone wish you on 1^st of January as Happy Gregorian New Year? It's simply called a new year. Then why do you call your own new year as Chinese new year?

The problem is most cultures around the world are vanishing because people everywhere are trying to celebrate Western festivals. Western culture is trying to be dominant in all spheres by giving generic names to their festivals. Establishment of uniformity and standardization across the world has a huge price. It kills the diversity.

Why should new year means 1^st January? India has got over a dozen dates for a new year according to the community you're referring to. There is no Gregorian date for traditional Hindu festivals. Whether it's the birthday of Lord Ram, Lord Krishna or Lord Shiva, whose exact birth years are not known and hence no one knows the date according to the Gregorian calendar. Neither do people celebrate birthdays of Lord Buddha or Lord Mahavira, whose birth year is known and their date of birth can be determined according to Gregorian calendar. But no one is interested to celebrate it according to that calendar.

There are strong spiritual reasons and stories behind it. If we start celebrating those according to Gregorian calendars, whole culture and significance of those stories will be lost.

But with increasing Western dominance, that day doesn't seem far.

Mongolia celebrates two new years with holidays on both traditional new year day as well as Western new yea day. Many companies & schools in India too have started declaring 31st December or 1st January as a new year holiday. Tibetan community still celebrate their traditional new year with much excitement. Sindhi community's new year fest viz. Cheti Chand is also very vibrant. But all these are being down sized by Western New Year celebrations.

Therefore, it feels good that Chinese are still celebrating their new year festival accompanied by 10-15 days of holidays. But when Chinese people themselves wish it as a "Chinese New Year", it tells that they subscribe to some different calendar system and are "also" celebrating their traditional new year to carry on with their old traditions. Now, I find this attitude problematic.

If you really believe it's your new year then you need not term it as "Chinese" or "your" new year. It should be the only new year for you. So simply call it new year. Let others figure out which new year celebration it is!

Anyway, Happy New Year to you all! And a very happy year of the pig.

Yeah, year of the boar ...this means this is the last year in 12 zodiacs. Chinese name all 12 zodiacs by animals. It goes in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. So this one is the last!

It's good to hear that pig symbolizes wealth, luck and health. But I don't take it as lazy or unintelligent. In fact, pig is a very intelligent creature.

Heavenly Race!

Stories are just that ...stories! According to that heavenly race story, emperor of Jade was going to choose only 12 animals as his guards. So rat woke up first and was smarter to cross the river riding the ox. But pig was the last to reach!

Here, instead off considering pig lazy, one should note that he made to the list of 12 animals. Many animals like cat, deer etc. couldn't even reach. So why to consider it as lazy!!!

Well, as a matter of fact, I was born in the year of rabbit, so I'm compatible with pig 😊. May be, this is the reason I'm taking his favour here 😊

Whatever it means, let it be. Let's all celebrate the year of the pig!

Happy New Year!