The Chinese New Year of the Earth Pig - What Does it Mean?

Lifestyle & TravelCulture ♦ Published: February 13, 2019; 17:24 ♦ (Vindobona)

Since 5 February 2019 we are in the year of the pig according to the Chinese zodiac sign. Celebrated not just in China but overseas in Chinese communities across the world, including Vienna, custom sees every year characterised by one of the 12 spirit animals of the Chinese zodiac. The festivities typically run for two weeks, from New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month.

To wish someone a happy new year in Mandarin, the phrase is “Xin Nian Kuai Le”. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Made by Fanghong [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)]

The Pig is the twelfth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.

In the continuous sexagenary cycle, every twelfth year corresponds to Hai, and is commonly called the "Year of the Pig".

There are five types of Pigs, named after the Chinese elements. In order, they are: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and…