What you need to know about The Year of the Horse and its ties to Belize
You don’t need to be Chinese to celebrate Chinese New Year, and here at Chaa Creek we want to wish all of our many friends around the world a very auspicious Year of the Horse.
In multicultural Belize, the Chinese community plays an important role in making our country the diverse, harmonious nation that it is. We couldn’t imagine Belize without the Chinese community, and this is a good time to recognise their achievements and many contributions to modern day Belize.
So here’s to the Year of the Horse!
It’s no secret that we really love horses here. Check out the Chaa Creek stables and you’ll see some of the finest examples of equestrian excellence in all of Belize. Our miles of beautiful secure jungle trails make for an amazing day out, and we’ve always maintained that there’s no better way to experience the rainforest than from the back of a horse, taking in the sounds and barely disturbing the abundant wildlife to be found.
But enough about us – here’s what we’re told the Horse symbolises in the Chinese horoscope, and see if you can find any similarities in people you know born during the years of the horse, or maybe find clues in what lies ahead this year.
It is said that the spirit of the Year of the horse is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able.
As for able, ancient people liked to designate an able person as ‘Qianli Ma’, a horse that covers a thousand li a day (one li equals 500 meters).
We’re also told that people born in the year of the horse have strong, creative communicating techniques and always want to be in the limelight. Hmm…
They are also clever, kind to others, and like to join in various ventures. They may sometimes talk too much, but make up for it by being cheerful, perceptive, and talented. They like entertainment and large crowds, and are popular among friends, active at work and refuse to accept failure.
Earthy but stubborn is another description.
Horse people apparently cannot bear too much constraint and can be impatient and hot blooded. Independent, rarely listening to advice, they can be flamboyant and like to move in glamorous circles.
Sound like anyone you know?
And getting down to brass tacks,
The Earthly Branch of Birth Year is: wu
Of the Wu Xing (The Five Elements) the Horse is huo (fire)
Yin or Yang? Definitely yang
The Horse’s auspicious directions are northeast, southwest and northwest
Lucky colours this year are brown, yellow, purple; Avoid: blue, white, golden
Lucky Numbers are 2, 3, 7; Avoid 1, 6, 5
Lucky Flowers are calla lily, jasmine, marigold (now there’s a bouquet!)
And a Horse’s Best match is a tiger, sheep, dog, while they want to avoid rats, oxen and rabbits.
There’s been a fair few Celebrities Born in the Year of the Horse, among them:
Louisa May Alcott, Chopin, Davy Crockett, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Sandra Day O’Connor, Rembrandt, Teddy Roosevelt, Sir Isaac Newton, Barbara Streisand, Cindy Crawford, Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford, Jackie Chan, Jerry Seinfeld, John Travolta, Leonard Bernstein, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Rembrandt, Emma Watson, Katie Holmes, Kristen Stewart, Kobe Bryant, Genghis Khan, Emperor Kangxi and Yongzheng of China’s Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911).
So there you have it… it’s going to be a horse kind of year.
We’re looking forward to The Year of the Horse, and all of us here at Chaa Creek wish all of you a happy, healthy and auspicious Chinese New Year and a most excellent future.