Tiger symbolizes courage, confidence and energy, so this year is supposed to be full of hope and success.

Years of Birth for Tigers: 1914 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010

Possessing the strength of king, you are confident, independent, brave and humane. You are always attached to what you want to do until you achieve it. To people, you have valuable qualities such as self-sacrifice and chivalrous heart. The Tiger would be successful as a public cadre and senior executives. Some famous Tigers are: Qin Shi Huang, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Queen Elizabeth II, Roman Rolland, Socrates.

本命年(běnmìngnián) The recurrent year in the twelve-year cycle of Chinese Zodiac

本命年(běnmìngnián) refers to the year you were born in. It matches with one of 12 animals of Chinese Zodiac called 生肖(shēngxiāo). In the upcoming 本命年(běnmìngnián), according to Chinese tradition, one should wear a red belt and red socks and stitch a red cloth stripe on one's coat. Because 本命年(běnmìngnián) is also called a threshold year which, it is believed, might be hard to get through. Chinese people believe that red is a lucky color, which can help people rid themselves of any misfortunes coming from their 本命年(běnmìngnián). Chinese New Year 2010 is the Year of the Tiger! If you were born in 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, you are a Tiger, and Chinese New Year 2010 is your 本命年(běnmìngnián).

除夕(chúxī) Chinese New Year's Eve is the last night of the previous year and means ringing out the old year and ringing in the new. There are three main activities on Chinese New Year's Eve: having 团圆饭(tuányuánfàn) family reunion dinner or 年夜饭(niányèfàn) the dinner on new year's evening, 祭祀(jìsì) offering sacrifices to ancestors and 守夜(shŏuyè) or 守岁(shŏusuì) staying up late. People still follow these traditions today. No matter where people are, they will try their best to go home for the family reunion dinner. The 守岁(shŏusuì) tradition shares the deep lingering feelings from the previous year and a nice longing for the upcoming new year. When staying up late, children can get 压岁钱(yāsuìqián) lucky money from their 长辈(zhăngbèi) seniorities, symbolizing good wishes for having a safe new year. Many people also will put up 春联(chūnlián) Spring Festival couplets and New Year paintings on their doors and walls. At the same time, they also hang red lanterns across gate beams and set off fireworks on this day.

大年初一(dà nián chū yī) The first day of Spring Festival is a time when families 拜年(bàinián) visit the oldest and most senior members of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents. 红包(hóngbāo) red envelop is important at this time. Generally speaking, the seniors give 红包(hóngbāo) red envelop to the minors who pay them a visit. The main meaning of it lies in its color-red, which symbolizes good luck. Celebrations for Spring Festival vary from different places, but basically in China people will invite 舞龙舞狮(wǔlóng wǔshī) a dragon and lion dance troupe and 放鞭炮(fàng biānpào) set off fireworks as symbolic rituals to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises. All the celebrations in Spring Festival are the symbols of people's new and good expectations for the Chinese New Year.