6.2.17

Year of the Rooster...


The Chinese New Year, in 2017 the year of the Rooster, began January 28. It has since been celebrated in different ways at different spots in Paris. The last great manifestation was the parade in the 13th arrondissement, Sunday February 5.

Actually, in Chinese astrology, each zodiac year is associated not only with an animal, but also with one the five different elements - water, wood, earth, metal… and this year it’s the Fire Rooster. As the Rooster is one of the 12- year cycle animals you will have to wait for 60 years to see the Fire Rooster year come back. If you are interested in the zodiac interpretations, horoscopes etc… I will let you look for it yourselves. There are too many sources and I don’t know which one to “trust”! 


The Chinese have dated the years differently during the last four or five thousand years. Although this celebration is a great event – and the Chinese New Year actually is also that of Korea, Vietnam… , we must of course remember that these countries today officially refer to the Gregorian calendar as do most other countries in the world.  Actually, China adopted it already in 1912, earlier than countries like USSR, Romania, Greece, Turkey…


This is not the first time I have reported on this yearly event, but it’s quite spectacular and worth revisiting. I hope you don’t mind getting some views also from this year’s parade. There were of course some local politicians in the front line, including the Paris Mayor. There were a few Roosters to be seen but many more dragons, lions… 








4 comments:

Dédé said...

Il est beau de voir que la diaspora chinoise fête ses traditions, même à Paris.

Studio at the Farm said...

Happy Year of the Fire Rooster, Peter! I enjoyed you post with all the colourful parade photos. And I learned something new - I didn't know that Chinese New Years were also associated with elements.

Thank you

Kathryn

Jeanie said...

These photos look fabulous Peter, and I wish I could have seen it in person. Such great colors.

Looks like we have our own Fire Rooster as president here. I wish someone would take him off our hands before we get into one world crisis after the next!

claude said...

Je ne dirai pas cocorico mais il y a de la couleur dans ces photos.
Jolie l'Eglise Notre Dame de Lorette !