Lunar New Year is on Friday 12 February this year and it’s the lucky Year of the Ox.

It’s called the Lunar New Year because it marks the first new moon of the lunisolar calendars which are regulated by the cycles of the moon and sun. The Lunar New Year (often called Chinese New Year) is celebrated by many East Asian countries.

The zodiac sign of the Ox occupies the second position in the Chinese Zodiac. Those born under the influence of the Ox are fortunate to be stable and persevering.

The typical Ox is a tolerant person with a strong character.

Oxen are the hard workers in the background, intelligent and reliable, but never demanding praise. Years of the Ox are: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021. Were you born in the “Year of the Ox”?

Members of our team born in the year of the Ox are your best advocates, intelligent, reliable, guiding you in your legal and life decisions.   At Phoenix Law & Associates, we have a multilingual team to help you rise from the ashes.

Chinese Zodiac Calendar
While you may have heard of the 12-year Chinese zodiac calendar, represented by 12 different animals, it’s actually far more complicated. A year isn’t just categorized by its zodiac animal. There’s also a complex sexagenary cycle — a combination of one of 10 heavenly stems and one of 12 earthly branches.
For example, February 12 marks the beginning of the xin chou year, according to the sexagenary cycle. “Xin” represents the heavenly stem for the element metal, while “chou” is the earthly branch symbol for ox, making it the Year of the Metal Ox.
Thierry Chow, a Hong Kong-based feng shui master
“The year of xin chou will have a strong emphasis on the yin metal element,” she says. “The metal element represents anything sparkly from jewelry to the needle of a syringe. So we can see a bigger emphasis on industries related to metal in 2021.
“The ox, in Chinese culture, is a hardworking zodiac sign. It usually signifies movements so, hopefully, the world will be less static than last year and get moving again in the second half of the year.”
Many people take the 60-year calendar very seriously and believe each person’s own birth sign will be affected differently by the year’s heavenly stems and earthly branches. So the calendar plays an important role in making huge life decisions for the year ahead, such as whether they should get married or start a business.

Lunar New Year 2021 The Year of the Ox

February 12 marks the start of the Year of the Metal Ox.
Normally, Lunar New Year fairs will be set up during the last days of the lunar year, most selling trinkets and flowers for the new year. But because of the pandemic, many cities have downsized or cancelled their festivities.
The year usually wraps up with a big family reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on February 11 this year.
The Menu
The menu is carefully chosen to include dishes associated with luck, including fish (the Chinese word for it sounds like the word for “surplus”), puddings (symbolizes advancement) and foods that look like gold ingots (like dumplings).
Do wear red, don’t wash your hair. or buy shoes.
Families tend to have different sets of rules and traditions, but most will bless each other with auspicious words like “san tai gin hong” or “shen ti jian kang” (wish you good health).
There are plenty of other rules and superstitions attached to the Lunar New Year. For instance, don’t wash or cut your hair on the first day of the new year. The Chinese character for hair is the first character in the word for prosper. Therefore washing or cutting it off is seen as washing your fortune away.
You’ll also want to avoid purchasing footwear for the entire lunar month, as the term for shoes (haai) sounds like losing and sighing in Cantonese. Do, however, wear red. It’s associated with luck and prosperity.
All year round,  Phoenix Law & Associates work hard to help you with your prosperity, business decisions and legal needs. 

 

Aussie Road Etiquette Guide

Your blinker is your best mate. Always let others know you’re changing lanes, snapping a park or turning into a driveway.

A smile and wave goes a long way. It’s nice to be nice, so give thanks to fellow drivers.

Don’t be a tailgater, hater. People like their personal space. So do cars.

Want to be seen? Dim your high beam. No one likes a blinding light heading their way.

You go, I go. When merging, let other cars in and they’ll return the favour.  It’s all in the karma.

Park as if you’re passing your Ps. Be careful, precise and give other cars their space.

It’s wrong to be right. Unless you’re overtaking, stay in the left lane.

Turn the other cheek, resist the beep. Take a breath before hitting that horn. It can stress out other drivers and we don’t want that.

No one likes a backseat driver. Not driving? No worries, sit back and relax.

Everyone’s on their own journey. Literally. Remember we’re all trying to get to where we’re going in the safest possible way. ( With thanks , ING Insurance)

Our Personal Injury Lawyers Are Here for You  When you have suffered losses due to the actions of someone else, it’s important to know what you’re entitled to in terms of compensation. If you’re not sure what to do in this frustrating time, the Brisbane personal injury lawyers at Phoenix Law are here to help.

Whether you were injured in a car accident, at work, or on private or public property, our knowledgeable and compassionate lawyers can help you understand and uphold your rights.

Get In touch anytime – info@phoenix-law.com.au 1800GETHELP
or +61 (07) 3180 0908 . #phoenixlaw #accidentinjury #roadetiquette #roadsafety

At Phoenix Law, We Speak Your Language, and we understand your customs.  

“In Japan, the New Year is the biggest celebration of the year. We have a proverb in Japan, “the total for the year is on New Year’s Day”. In other words, we symbolise the first of January of each year as being your new year coming. So most Japanese people will visit their local temples and shrines to pay respects to their ancestors and gods and pray for the prosperous year.

Traditionally the New Year dish In Japan is called “Osechi”. Osechi are traditional foods which are the variety of Japanese traditional foods packed together in “Jubako” which is special box that resembles bento boxes. It is prepared before the New Year so that the kitchen would not be used to give “the Kitchen God” rest during the new year festive period.

All of the ingredients in Osechi are meant for good health, fortune and prosperity for a year. For example, “Black beans” are eaten to encourage work and academic achievement. Prawns have long hair with bended backs, so that it symbolises old people and you eat them to pray for longevity.

Salted Herring Roe is eaten to pray for the prosperity of descendants. Mashed sweet potato with chestnuts is believed to raise money luck and fortune, and  Sweet Omelet is eaten to improve your knowledge. ” Hideki Shimizu,  Legal Practice Director, Lawyer , Registered Migration Agent (MARN 9900985)

Japanese Lawyers plus thirteen other languages 

In today’s transnational world, finding advisors and Japanese lawyers that can communicate with you about your legal needs in the language you’re most comfortable speaking is a must. At Phoenix Law, we are proud to be a multilingual law firm that celebrates diversity. We strive to assist you with your domestic and international affairs in the language you prefer speaking. At Phoenix Law, we speak thirteen languages in addition to English.  CALL US anytime at 1800GETHELP –  or read more at https://www.phoenix-law.com.au/