Welcome the New Year of the Horse

We've been in places where there are celebrations of the Chinese New Years often - last year in Seattle.  Today, we're in Anchorage and we have a Chinese teacher living in our house.

From Hanban.com, on this year's astrological symbol:

Chako's 2002 Year of the Horse card

The Year 2014 is considered as the Year of the Horse as per the Chinese Zodiac Calendar which begins on January 31, 2014, and ends on February 18, 2015. 2014 according to Chinese Astrology Calendar. it is the Year of Wood Horse.  Wood is related to tree or green, so it is also called Year of Green Horse. 2014 is the jiăwŭ (甲午) year.The Chinese zodiac calendar comprises 12 animal signs and horse is the seventh among all of them. In Chinese culture, the Horse is a symbol of nobility, class, speed and perseverance.  People born in the Year of the Horse are smart, fabulous speakers who have a gift for getting through to other people. People bearing the horse sign strive towards seeking freedom and happiness. In general, 2014 would be a better year for those people who were born under The Year of the Horse.

The Common Personality of People Born in Horse Year
People born in the year of the horse are extremely animated, active and energetic. Horses love to be in a crowd and like entertainment, they have a deft sense of humor, they love to take center stage and delight audiences everywhere. They are trustworthy, friendly and like to be surrounded by their relatives and friends. They usually have a large circle of acquaintances, but they never rely on their friends too much. Sometimes, the horse is a little self-centered, but it doesn't mean that he will not be interested in any problems except his own. However, a horse person is really more cunning than intelligent, that is probably due to the fact that most horse people lack confidence. Sometimes, they are very independent and rarely listen to advice

I couldn't find any good pictures of horses in my own files.  Moose, yes.  Horse, no.  Tempted as I am to give this year an Alaska flavor, I just can't do it.

I did find a 2002 card that our friend Chako made.  I've played with it modestly in photoshop.