2017 Year of the Rooster: 10 things to know about Chinese New Year

2017 is the Year of the Rooster according to the Chinese zodiac. Chinese New Year, like Easter and Pancake Tuesday, is also dependant on the Chinese lunar calendar. It does not begin on Jan. 1 (though fireworks are also set off on the date). It falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 and that is when the New Year is celebrated with great enthusiasm and cultural festivities across the country.

Roosters are those born after the Chinese New Year in 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005 and 2017. They are characterised as trustworthy, hardworking, strong at timekeeping, career-driven and good at multitasking.

Here are 10 things to know about the year

1. Start date and end date

The Year of Rooster will start from Jan. 28, 2017 and will last until Feb. 15, 2018.

2. Compatible with other signs

The Roosters are most compatible with Chinese signs Ox, Snake and Dragon and hence, the year will be good for the aforementioned signs. However, the Roosters likely do not get along well with the sign Rabbit and so those born under the Rabbit they shall be cautious. Considering the western sign, the Roosters are compatible with Virgos.

3. Element: fire

Out of the five Taoist elements (fire, earth, water, metal and wood), 2017 is the Year of the Fire Rooster, which means the year will be full of enthusiasm, passion, joy and creativity. However, the enthusiasm can lead the Roosters to take more responsibility than they can handle. Hence, they shall be careful, specifically during the autumn season, says astrologer Susan Levitt.

4. Luck hours: 5PM to 7PM

If there are special activities that the Roosters are planning for in the following year, they will be more successful if undertaken during the lucky hours. Apart from Rooster hours, Ox, Snake and Dragon are also lucky this year.

• Rooster hours – 5PM to 7PM
• Ox hours – 1PM to 3PM
• Snake hours – 9PM to 11PM
• Dragon hours – 7PM to 9PM

5. Lucky Colors – Gold, Brown and Yellow

The Roosters’ list of lucky colours includes gold, brown and yellow. However, according to Feng Shui expert Maritess Allen, wearing earthly colours such as beige, cream and terracotta will also be good for the year.

While wearing red was considered lucky last year, this year, for the Year of the Rooster, the colour is considered unlucky. Hence, avoid wearing red in the forthcoming year.

Read More: Chinese New Year 2017: Right way to eat and serve fish

6. Lucky Numbers - 5, 7, and 8

While numbers 5, 7 and 8 are considered lucky, numbers 1, 3 and 9 are unlucky, according to Chinese zodiac.

7. Lucky direction – south, southeast

South and southeast directions are thought to be lucky this year. On the other hand, eastern direction is considered unlucky. Hence, face the south to begin an important work or task in the coming year.

8. Lucky flowers - gladiola, cockscomb and impatiens

The lucky blooms for the year are gladiola, cockscomb and impatiens. Hence, they may be used for decoration and gifting purposes.

9. Lucky days - fourth and 26th of any Chinese lunar month

The fourth and the 26th days of all Chinese lunar months are considered lucky for the Roosters. On the other hand, second, fifth and 11th days of the months are unlucky.

10. Lucky charm – necklace

To enhance your luck this year, wear a necklace or a bracelet that has a rooster sign on it. This will diffuse the disadvantages coming in the way and bring good luck in the year 2017.

2017, the Year of the Rooster, may not be all good for the Roosters and so they shall be extra cautious during this Chinese New Year because the year isn’t considered lucky for the respective birth sign. In fact, it is considered the most unlucky year in the cycle of 12 years.

Hence, Roosters shall also take note of the lucky colours, charms, flowers, hours and days to counter the bad luck coming their way. Furthermore, keeping a positive attitude and welcoming the New Year with enthusiasm, new clothes, dragon and lion dances will help driving the evil spirits away.

Read More: Chinese New Year 2017: Significance of red envelopes, amount of money to gift in them