Kung Hei Fat Choi 2021

As is customary at Fishermen’s Finest, each year we take a moment to reflect upon the past and look to the future as the fishing season starts and we celebrate Chinese New Year.  Kung Hei Fat Choi — Happy New Year – 2021 – Year of the Ox (metal).

According to Chinese myth, the order of the animals in the zodiac cycle was decided by the order arrival of the guest (animals) to an event thrown by the Jade Emperor.

The Ox fell behind the Rat after it was tricked into giving the smaller creature a ride, the myth claims.

Twelve species turned up at the start line: a pig, dog, rooster, monkey, sheep, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox, and rat.

In first and second place

The course included a huge river which every creature, large or small, had to cross.
The clever rat made sure it won the race.

The exhausted rat used its cunning abilities to navigate the water by persuading the kindly ox to let it sit on its head as it crossed. Rather than say thank you on the other side, the rat made a dash for the finish with the ox not far behind.

That’s why the rat is the first creature in the cycle, followed by the ox.

Third, fourth and fifth

Not surprisingly, the tiger ran a good race but the current in the river sent it a little off-course.

Next up was the rabbit. Also tired by the race, it almost did not make it, but saved itself on a floating log and got to shore to finish fourth.

In fifth place is the only mythical creature on the calendar, the dragon. A kinder creature than legend suggests, it didn’t hesitate to divert from the race to extinguish a fire that was endangering the lives of some nearby villagers. Once it got back on course, it saw the rabbit struggling and used its breath to blow it safely to shore.

Numbers six and seven

The horse wasn’t far behind the dragon and thought sixth place was assured. However, it hadn’t noticed that the snake was saving energy by wrapping itself around the horse’s leg to hitch a ride. With the finish line in sight, the snake uncoiled itself and frightened the horse enough to slither into sixth, leaving its carrier, the horse, to take seventh place.

Finishing eighth, ninth, and tenth

Next up were the sheep, monkey, and rooster and this is a perfect example of teamwork.

The three piloted a small raft that would see them across the river safely.

Once on the other side of the river, it was a race for the finish. The sheep was first, followed by the monkey and then the rooster (in some parts of the world, the sheep is known as a goat), so they came in eighth, ninth, and tenth respectively.

The pig's appetite almost cost it a place in the zodiac.

The final two

Now we’re just left with the dog and the pig. Dog owners won’t be surprised that the playful hound was more interested in splashing about in the river rather than crossing it. This enabled the first 10 creatures to overtake it. It eventually ran over the line in 11th place.

Which leaves the pig. The pig was hungry and after stopping for food, it became sleepy and dozed off. When it finally woke up, it managed to make it over the line in last place. The Emperor had almost given up on it but was happy to assign it the final space in the zodiac.