The Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year begins today, January 25, and it's the Year of the Rat that is being welcomed in. The Rat represents wealth and new beginnings in the Chinese zodiac, so it could be the ideal animal to usher in some lottery luck!Get more news about 天下包网平台,you can vist nb68.com

The Lunar New Year, also called the Spring Festival in China, has a date that changes annually, according to the lunisolar Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that occurs from January 21 to February 20. Celebrations begin the day before the start of the new year and continue until a date known as the Lantern Festival, which is February 8 this year.

Like the western zodiac, the Chinese zodiac is divided into 12 houses, but with the difference that each house in the Chinese zodiac lasts for a year rather than a month. There are 12 animals representing the years in the Chinese zodiac cycle, and Rat is the first.The beginning of the Lunar New Year is a time of many superstitions which are believed to influence the coming year. According to tradition, washing clothes, using scissors and sweeping floors on January 25 will bring bad luck for the whole year. Crying children should also be avoided - maybe easier said than done if you're a parent!

However, according to So Man-fung Peter, Hong Kong's most famous fortune-teller, Chinese astrology and feng-shui aren't about predicting exactly what will happen to you this year. Instead, "They're a calculation of probability and a study of statistics," he says.

"It's about finding that law and flow of the universe. When you know how to calculate it, you can predict the trends for everything. If you're enjoying a lucky streak, knowing that may give you the confidence and courage needed to start your own business," he explains. "If you're plagued by bad luck, acknowledging it may help you avoid taking unnecessary risks."