Hello!<\/p>\n
Welcome to this week\u2019s blog, I hope you are all having a prosperous and positive start to the New Year. Whilst the New Year for many of us is well under way, for some it is yet to arrive\u2026 On the 5th<\/sup> of February the Chinese New Year will commence, with celebrations recognising the beginning of the Year of The Pig!<\/p>\n The Pig, the twelfth of all zodiac animals, is a symbol of wealth and good fortune (signed particularly from their \u2018chubby faces\u2019 and \u2018big ears\u2019!). You are a Zodiac Pig if you were born in the years of: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007 and now 2019. Being a Zodiac Pig can mean a number of things in Chinese tradition, namely having a \u201cbeautiful personality\u201d, being \u201cblessed with good fortune in life\u201d and wanting everyone to live in harmony \u2013 sounds pretty good!<\/p>\n Zodiac Pigs are said to find an array of luck in their lives, however sometimes needing to work hard to avoid the pitfalls of life\u2019s ups and downs – something many of us can relate to. With \u2018Blue Monday\u2019 (the apparently \u201csaddest day of the year\u201d) only a few weeks behind us it\u2019s important to remember that the start of a New Year may not bring complete happiness for us all. In these times of hardship, as suggested for the Zodiac Pigs this year, it is important to remember that a key element to utilizing your luck is timing. Perhaps if your luck is down and things are feeling about heavy consider whether maybe the time isn\u2019t right to \u201charvest the fruits of your labour\u201d- a key element in many Asian religions.<\/p>\n In times of difficulty instead of consulting the same problem over and over perhaps the best thing to do is reach out to somebody. As demonstrated by the twelve Zodiacs we are all different. However, we can be connected through our empathy, kindness and compassion. It\u2019s important to remember that it\u2019s ok not to be ok and if you need help there is always somebody to turn to, especially within the university. There are a range of staff\/student support services available including the Chaplaincy team who are there if you need somebody to talk to, a place for prayer or thought \u2013 or even just a warm brew and a chat!<\/p>\n With this in mind, over these next few weeks let\u2019s all try to remember that the Chinese New Year is a time to celebrate new beginnings and let fortune and happiness surround you. Chinese Blessings can be celebrated and appreciated by wearing red in recognition of its significance amongst the celebration. A key act of celebration indulged in during this time is the giving of h\u00f3ng b\u0101o (\u7ea2\u5305) (red envelopes), traditionally given containing money (\u538b\u5c81\u94b1 – y\u0101 su\u00ec qi\u00e1n) as a blessing for the New Year \u2013 literally meaning \u201cmoney to anchor the year(s)\u201d, \u201clucky money\u201d or \u201cNew Year\u2019s money\u201d. In line with this, the university will be celebrating by sharing pig shaped sweets and red envelopes containing traditional blessings. So keep your eyes open around campus for blessings to start the Year of the Pig with tidings of peace and harmony!<\/p>\n Thank you for reading and I hope whatever your Zodiac sign you have success, peace and harmony throughout the year!<\/p>\n \u7b11\u53e3\u5e38\u958b (xi\u00e0o k\u01d2u ch\u00e1ng k\u0101i) – May you smile often!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello! Welcome to this week\u2019s blog, I hope you are all having a prosperous and positive start to the New Year. 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