Year of the Monkey: Kung fu, predictions of fire, disease

The most popular of these is that Lord Buddha on his deathbed summoned all the animals to come to him, and the first 12 that made it were honored with a year: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

Monday, Feb. 8 is the Lunar New Year and the start of the Year of the Monkey.

These mostly comedic celebration films also provide some relief from the typically heavier Oscar fare that plagues the earlier months of the year, so they stand a good chance of doing quite well at the box office regardless of their quality.

On that basis, the folks who are born next year, after February 8th, will be as smart as – and perhaps, as cheeky as too – a monkey. “Chinese New Year, more commonly referred to as Spring Festival in Chinese, is of unusual significance to every Chinese person, and that is why so many Chinese New Yorkers return to China or to one of New York’s several Chinatowns to celebrate the day”.

The incentive programs are being launched as the parks respond to the Tourism Bureau’s call to launch a Lunar New Year holiday campaign to encourage local residents to visit Taiwan’s 23 amusement parks and give a boost to the island’s tourism sector. “So, it’s a good year full of hope and energy”.

The Chou period saw the addition of 12 animals associated with each year merely as symbols and as an aid in counting, but numerous folktales and beliefs have been linked to this zodiac.

God bless you with supreme courage and strength to turn the stones, as thrown in your life’s path, into milestones of prosperity and success. Just send the Chinese new year 2016 – The Year Of Monkey – messages and images to your Family and Friends.