One Language

The Ox 牛 pronounced as ‘new’ is the second in the cycle.
If you’re born in an Ox year, quick read of your horoscope card indicates a year full of opportunities to make money. Overall a good year.
Personality forecast: Ox’s are dependable, determined and diligent. They’re honest, ambitious and attach great deal of importance to family and career.
Generally speaking, best suited career options for ox’s are service oriented fields since they are punctual and stick to everything they commit to. They have an admirable work ethic. Engineering, interior design, carpentry and mechanics are also great fields to dabble in.
Career prospects look stressful this year with promotions up for grabs.
Health doesn’t look great, so we say get your check ups done in time, it can’t hurt. Finances look good and improving still. Investments will be rewarded. Love forecast is terrific! Ox’s will easily meet suitable companions this year.
To round up, some famous Ox year people are Van Gogh, Adolf Hi**er and Walt Disney!
#牛

New week, new topic ⚠️
This week we learn about
There are 12 Chinese zodiac signs represented by 12 animals chosen to guard the Heavenly Gates by the Jade Emperor.

The story goes to say that long ago, there was no Chinese zodiac. The Jade Emperor wanted to select 12 animals to be his guards. He sent an immortal being into the earthly world to spread the message that the earlier one went through the Heavenly Gate, the better the rank one would have. The next day, the animals set off to race.
The rat and diligent ox being early risers were the first and second. The rat jumped on the ox’s year to cross the river but jumped off right when the ox was about to cross the finish line, surpassing his friend.
Being competitive and fast, the tiger and rabbit placed third and fourth respectively. A mighty looking dragon was fifth and blessed with the emperor’s word that his son could take sixth place- however, unfortunately his son wasn’t present that day. A snake wiggled his way through and said that the dragon is like his adoptive father, and so he was given sixth place.
The horse and goat were up next and were so polite to let each other go first, that the emperor gave each one place. Horse was seventh, goat was eighth.
The monkey had fallen behind in the race but finished ninth. The rooster, dog and pig then finished in that order to round up the 12 animals selected as guards of the Heavenly Gate.

Just like sunsigns or Gregorian zodiacs, the Chinese zodiacs are commonly seen as personality trait identifiers.
The difference though is that traditional sun signs change every month, while Chinese zodiacs change every year. Each sign comes back after 12 years. These signs are also subcategorised with elements of earth, water, fire, gold and wood. Each sub category, repeats every 60 years! However that’s not used commonly unless you go to a chinese astrologer for match making purposes, where birth charts of men and women are matched to see their compatibility.
The Chinese zodiac does not start in January, but rather the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar. It is also said that zodiac birth years are unlucky. Keep checking everyday for your sign 🇨🇳

Zhongqiu Jie or Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Moon Festival.
It falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. It is the second most important festival in Chinese culture.
On this day, people offer food and prayers to the moon and longingly miss their distant loved ones.
The story behind its origins is of a beautiful, devoted wife Chang e who swallows the elixir immortality that her husband gave her for safekeeping. The said husband, Hou Yi is celebrated as a local hero for shooting down 9 out of the ten suns that were scorching up the lands and destroying crops. For his bravery and good deed he was awarded an elixir of immortality. His own protege tried to steal it from his wife but instead of letting it go in the wrong hands, she swallowed it and flew to the moon.
Yi returned home and realised what had happened and felt deeply sad and moved for being estranged from his wife. She decided to stay and settle on the moon so she can always be close to her beloved. So he offers her favourite cakes and fruits to the moon.
There on forward, people offer fruits, eat moon cakes and miss their loved ones by sending up prayer lanterns.
It is also a day that people worship the moon to show gratitude for its role in helping tides and favourable climate, for good harvest.
It falls on September 13 this year.