Tiger and Tigress

by Kathy KeyJia-Jones

“Hu Lai La (The tiger is coming to get you)!”  Grandma warned. Right away I would stop misbehaving. Though I knew it was a false alarm, the trick worked. As a child growing up in Northeast China, home of Siberian tigers, I learned to revere tigers early on.

Now as the Year of the Tiger is arriving, Chinese around the world are preparing to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Twelve Animal Cycle

The start of the Chinese New Year is determined by the Chinese lunar calendar; usually falling between the end of January and the end of February in the Gregorian calendar. This year (2022), the Tiger comes early on Feb. 1st.

Twelve animal names are used in the Chinese Lunar calendar to represent a twelve-year cycle:  Rat, Ox, Tiger,  Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. There are legends surrounding the twelve animals in the zodiac, but nobody knows for sure why these twelve animals were selected, and others forever excluded from the list.

 How the Chinese Celebrate Chinese New Year in China

The celebration is one to two weeks long. It is a time of family gatherings and feasting so people travel from afar to return home. While customs differ from one region to another, on New Year’s Eve many families make jiaozi—dumplings—together. On New Year’s Day, normally people visit each other, exchange gifts, and pay their respects to the elderly by giving them warm “Bai Nian” (greetings in the form of head bowing). In return, the elderly would give children “Hong Bao”, red packets containing some money. This year, however, people are encouraged to stay in their own “bubble” due to the COVID.

In Canada, for many Chinese immigrants, this can be a lonely time as they are far from their loved ones. Celebrations even held virtually in the workplace, schools, and the community are appreciated.

My Guardian Tigress

Some Chinese believe that if you have a tiger in your family – that is, if someone in your family is born in the Year of the Tiger – you are protected. I don’t consider myself superstitious, but I believe this is true because I have had the great fortune to live with a tigress! She was my late grandma. Born in the year of the Tiger, she was the humblest and kindest person I have known. She would have been 108 years old this year.

My grandma was my role model, my angel. She was the pillar of the family during the chaotic time of the Cultural Revolution. Despite the political turmoil outside, inside our home was a safe and warm haven thanks to grandma.

Year of the Tiger

The tiger is considered the king of animals in Chinese culture. The extraordinary markings on the forehead of a tiger have a strong resemblance to the Chinese word Wang for “King”.

A Tiger’s appeal is universal. His beautiful physique and ferocity are vividly described by William Blake in his well-known poem “Tyger (Tiger)”:

“Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”

Tiger is a symbol of power; we hope Year of the Tiger will see the end of the global pandemic this year!

Common Expressions Used for Chinese New Year:

Kung Hei Fat Choi (In Cantonese), or Gong Xi Fa Cai (in Mandarin)—Wishing you a prosperous year!

Chun Jie Kuai Le–Happy Spring Festival! Chinese New Year is also considered the beginning of spring.

May this year bring you good health, good luck, and prosperity!

Kathy Keyi Jia-Jones, M.A., DTM, is the author of Effective Intercultural Communication and Conflict Solving and the founder and owner of Cross-Cultural Biz, a leading company in cross-cultural solutions.

 

 

Posted in Blog, English Blog

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