Five ways to embrace the energy of the sheep for Chinese New Year for a memorable celebration and great year!
February 19 marks the turn of the Chinese calendar and 2015 is the Year of the Sheep: it is kind, adventurous, easy to get carried away with something new and exciting, but similarly easy to lose interest. We know it as Chinese New Year. It is the longest celebration and, perhaps, the most important celebration.
2015 will mark the 4,713 years on the Chinese Calendar. The Chinese calendar is based on lunar activity. The darkest day is the beginning of each month.
Looking for something fun to do with your children this winter? Eileen Wacker, the author of the award-winning Fujimini Adventure Series, offers
five ways to embrace the energy of the sheep:
Seriously de-clutter your home or a part of your home like your office –
You need to make room for good fortune to settle. The extra space will become filled with new, exciting things. The sheep loves interior decorating and making an excellent first impression. At a minimum, clean out your closets and have an inviting, well-lit entryway. Then add in your color accents. Spend wisely. It is not a year of wealth flooding in.
No matter how cold, open your windows –
For a period each day leading up to the New Year and then throughout February 19th. The stale air of the past will exit and new opportunities, and good luck will be swept in. On New Year’s night, if you are awake at midnight, open every door and window briefly.
Green is “the new black” –
The Sheep loves Green this year. The sheep loves fashion and strives to be elegant. The sheep is not loud or a show-off. The sheep waits to be noticed. The sheep looks good and smells good, and when you look at the sheep, a friendly response comes back to you. She’s been waiting for your attention and affection. Be fashion-forward without being loud. Give yourself a facial with natural products every month.
On New Year’s Day, share a meal –
With someone and talk only about the future and its possibilities. This is a year to renovate your house and have a makeover. Do not talk about the past at all. For your Chinese New Year’s meal on the Feb 19, eat at a table adorned with lit candles. The food should be well spiced and if possible include seafood and dumplings. The seafood represents wealth.
Soul search –
The sheep loves peace and serenity. Give small gifts to people (love is a gift), and it will be returned in some form with greater richness. Little pouches with small money are lucky for children. These gifts bring luck to the recipient as well as the giver. Donate items as you de-clutter; these are gifts to others as well. The sheep is a worrier. Try to avoid being indecisive, moody or pessimistic. It will all work out if you keep moving forward.
Eileen Wacker, a Harvard Business School graduate, lived and worked in seven different countries, including the United States. She commuted to Asia for nearly three years as part of a business development team, which sparked her interest in Asian culture. While living in Seoul, South Korea, for three years, Wacker ran the children’s book program at the international school and started researching ideas for the Fujimini Adventure Series. Wacker now resides in Honolulu, Hawaii, with her husband and four children, one of whom is a daughter adopted from China.