Year of the Horny Animal

Whoah there boys, and girls! Just relax. That's NOT what I meant.

2015 is the Chinese (as well as other East Asian cultures)  Year of the Goat, but in truth it's a bit more complex than that.

You see, a Snake is a Snake (make no mistake),
And a Horse is a Horse (of course, of course),
But the Chinese character 'Yang' means 'Horned Animal'.

As such, various Western parties trying to understand our Eastern brethren, have translated the character to mean Goat, Sheep, or Ram. It doesn't help that even in China there are mixed opinions about which animal people want representing them.

Interestingly, some of the artwork I have seen celebrating the New Year has a creature more closely resembling some sort of Gazelle, or Antelope.

Well, whatever Horned Animal you prefer, Good Luck, Peace, and Prosperity to you from Barking Alien.

Gong Hey Fat Choy (or in Mandarin, Gong Xi Fa Cai)!

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