Happy Lunar New Year:

New York, NY - Peter - Friday, January 31st, 2003 : goo

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According to Chinese legend, the twelve animals represented in the Chinese zodiac once quarreled over who would be the lead animal in representing the annual lunar year cycle. The ancient gods were consulted, and decided to hold a contest t odetermine the winner: the animals were to swim the widest breadth of the river; whomever reached the opposite bank first would be chosen,the rest of the animals receiving their reprasentative years according to the order in which they finished. All of the twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to reach the shore, the rat jumped off his back and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the ox second, and the pig last, etc...

Just thought I'd toss this obscure tidbit out there in respect to today's annual significance.

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