2020 is upon us, which means it is the Year of the Rat! At first thought that may not sound pleasant, but I assure you that it is wonderful. Have you ever been to a Chinese restaurant and read the table mats? If you have then you probably know your Chinese zodiac. The rat is the first of all Chinese zodiacs. It is actually said in one myth that the order would be decided by who showed up to the Jade Emperor’s party first. The rat hitched a ride on the ox by tricking him. Then, just as they got to the finish line, the rat jumped off ahead of the ox, winning the race. 

People born in the year of the rat are known to be energetic, positive and liked by all. They are known to be kind, but lacking good communication skills which makes them seem impolite. People born in the year of the rat are clever, quick thinkers, and successful while also wanting to have a life of peace and quiet. 

Each zodiac has lucky and unlucky charms. The charms vary from numbers to directions. The rats’ lucky colors are blue, gold and green, but yellow and brown are known to be unlucky. Their lucky numbers are two and three, while five and nine are said to bring bad luck. Their lucky flowers are African violets, lilies and valley lilies. The rat has directions that are lucky for wealth, love and success. It is said that east and south east are the best directions for the rat to find wealth. West is the lucky direction for them to find love. Southeast and Northeast mark the directions for them to find success. 

 2020 is said to be a good year for the rat. The rat will benefit greatly financially, and flourish in the workplace. However, love and health will be a struggle. New relationships don’t look promising for the rat, and current relationships can be a little hard this year. The rat should be extra cautious with health in 2020, so take care of your body and make sure to go to the doctor when you first feel ill.

Goodbye, Year of the Pig! And hello to the Year of the Rat!