Celebrating the New Year in Japan means paying special attention to the "first" time something is done in the New Year. Hatsuhinode is the first sunrise of the year. Before sunrise on January 1, people often drive to the coast or climb a mountain so that they can see the first sunrise of the New Year. The real celebration does not begin until sunrise when the traditional meal of vegetables, seafood and dessert is served in one dish - the different types of food symbolizing prosperity.
In Asia, sunrise celebrations and honoring of the ancestors and elders brings luck.
Koreans make wishes for the New Year while watching the sunrise. Some wear traditional clothing. Family members gather early in the morning to remember their ancestors. After the observance, they eat a kind of rice cake soup. Koreans believe that eating this food will add an extra year to their life. After the meal, young people lower their heads to honor their parents and older adults. This means good health and good wishes. Many parents give the children money.
Vietnamese people get up and put on new clothes at sunrise.
Mongolians have a tradition to climb the nearest sacred hill or mountain on the first morning of the New year, offering dishes and burning juniper and incense sticks to welcome the New Year.
Occupying the 1st and most prominent position on the Chinese Zodiac, the Rat symbolizes such character traits as wit, imagination and curiosity. Rats have keen observation skills and with those skills they’re able to deduce much about other people and other situations. Overall, Rats are full of energy, talkative and charming but they have a tendency to become aggressive. Rats are full of good advice but they will never share their troubles with others. They are honest individuals and they enjoy living for the moment. They’re also capable of surviving any situation.
Love Compatibility of the Rat
Rats are compatible with a Dragon and Monkey.
Avoid: Horse and Rabbit
Celebrities Born Under The Chinese Zodiac Rat
George Washington, John F. Kennedy, Wolfgang Mozart, William Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte, Truman Capote, Catherine I, Mata Hari, Prince Harry, Prince Charles, Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, Avril Lavigne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alyssa Milano, Ben Affleck, Eminem, Katy Perry, Scarlett Johansson, Katherine McPhee, Kelly Osbourne, Denise Richards, Mandy Moore
Plan on being early enough to witness the sunrise. We'll start to gather around 6:30 a.m. and hang till about 7:30 a.m. then head to breakfast. Happy New Year Everyone.