This week: The Year of the Rat, 2020 Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Fantasy Newsletter by Dawn
Not every cultures goes with a January 1 on the solar calendar as the new year, one of which is the Chinese New Year, which includes many elements to the celebration. Looking at different forms of celebration in our world can help inspire world creation in fantasy stories.
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Time is an element that we all face in our worlds and in the ones we create for speculative fiction stories. While there are shorter aspects to the structure of time, there is the longer formatting of how the year is created and even celebrated. In our world there are a few different examples of new year celebrations too, one of which that occurred this month too. The Chinese New Year is one example of how to celebrate a shift in time from one year to the next and the way that different people celebrate this particular lunar new year can be inspiration for what some might see within a fantasy world. So, let's look a little more into detail for the Chinese New Year and in particular 2020, which is the year of the rat.
The Chinese New Year has three sections and in 2020 it started on January 17th with the Little New Year when preparations begin leading up to the Eve, which is on the 24th. From the 24th through February 4th is the Spring Festival as the new year has officially begun on the 25th. Finally, there is the Lantern Festival where preparation begins on the 5th with the official festival day on the 8th. While these are the dates for this year, that doesn't mean they will be the same in 2021. According to the Lunar calendar, the Spring Festival is on January 1st and lasts until the 15th (the full moon). Unlike western holidays, if calculating with the solar (Gregorian) calendar, the date can shift. The Chinese New Year ranges from January 21 to February 20. In 2019, it was on February 5th.
The Chinese zodiac is a repeating cycle of 12 years, with each year represented by an animal and its reputed attributes. In order, the horoscope animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.
2020, The Year of the Rat
The Rat is the first of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. The Rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride. Then, just as they arrived at the finish line, Rat jumped down and landed ahead of Ox, becoming first. The Rat is also associated with the Earthly Branch and the midnight hours. In the terms of yin and yang, the Rat is yang and represents the beginning of a new day.
Celebrations and Fantasy
Aside from the appreciation of different cultures and approaches to the composition of time, as writers we can take some inspiration from these celebrations. Whether it's the use of the lunar year compared to the solar for showcasing the way the characters in your world view the span of a year in time or if it's the approaches to a new year celebration, there is something you can take from the Chinese New Year for a fantasy story. Even the epic world of Disney has found ways to celebrate at their parks with decorations and festival elements from the New Year, though they do have it labeled as the year of the mouse, instead of the rat cause Mikey and Minnie. Still, if you check out some of the pictures on instagram or had a chance to make it to the park to see their celebrations, it's clear the way they showcased the Chinese New Year. Even something like the lantern festival could make a beautiful fantasy celebration if you're looking for a spark of inspiration.
Do a little research, check out images and factual elements of events like the Chinese New year and be inspired to create something fantastical. Check out this site for some interesting facts about the Chinese New Year: https://chinesenewyear.net/21-things-you-didnt-know-about-chinese-new-year/
Enjoy some writing, have a few dumplings and good look to everyone in the Year of the Rat, 2020!
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Does your fantasy world have their own way to mark the New Year?
 Just as you usher in lights, lanterns and other forms of illuminations to welcome the new year, may the new year usher in for you new hopes, dreams and aspirations. Happy Chinese New Year!
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Fantasy: January 29, 2020 Issue [#9992]
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