Monday, February 08, 2016
Year of the Monkey
This was my favorite image that resulted from a Google search for "year of the monkey." It's a detailed graphic by Yunnan Sourcing in the papercut style, most likely done in Photoshop or Ilustrator. I like how the twin monkeys are looking off in either direction, and the way their tails loop together.According to China Highlights, in 2016 those born in the year of the monkey "should guard against untrustworthy people and discipline themselves in order to avoid trouble." Also they"should avoid gambling" ... and "should not show off their wealth, or they will be persecuted by others." Good advice for everyone, I'd say, but there's more. Monkeys should "be aware of traffic safety.... Great attention should also be paid to food safety to ensure illness is avoided." The most common-sense advice for them seems to be: "remember to take breaks to save their energy" and "pay attention to safety [doing outdoor activities], and while traveling or driving."
As for the rest of the zodiac animals, Julia Zhou of NBC News reports that Fengshui master Chen Shuaifu predicts a "generally" good year for the Snake, Sheep, and Dragon but unlucky for the Tiger, Rabbit, Pig and Dog. So what are Chen's tips for those unfortunate ones? Stock up on red apples and wear more green.
Well, regardless of your zodiac year, I hope everyone has a Happy Year of the Monkey!
For your crafting pleasure, I leave you with two tutorials of Chinese New Year decorations you can make yourself.
Chinese New Year Red Packet (Hongbao) Lantern by Irene Chua, making
a simple Chinese New Year lantern using 15 red packets.
a simple Chinese New Year lantern using 15 red packets.
