According to Chinese astrology, we are starting the Year of the Tiger, about which my very old Book of Chinese Chance paperback says:
“Tiger years are notoriously turbulent. Political unrest, coup d’etats, and catastrophes often strike during these action-packed years.
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Prudence is advised in all new undertakings… The Tiger, though noble and honorable, endows his year with uncertainty and danger. Tigers never know where they might place their next paw. In Tiger years it is incumbent upon the rest of us to face head-on collisions with our own enemies. When we least expect that calamity, it surges out of nowhere. Much strength is required of us during these testy times.”
2010 is a Metal year, so this is the year of the Golden Tiger or the White Tiger, depending on which source you believe, but the white tiger is considered a bit of a jinx for reasons I haven’t been able to track.
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However, every new year is the chance for a new start, and in that spirit I share my favorite of this year’s Chinese New Year Songs, because it embodies the ancient universal traditions of every extended family celebration… namely, bribing the kids to sit down and shut up until their elders can get sufficiently lubricated to stand being around each other. And then hoping the ensuing Carb Coma will keep actual fistfights from breaking out. Kampai!