Get Ready for the Year of the Pig!

February 18th, 2007 will mark the start of the Chinese New Year on the Western calendar. 2007 is the Year of the Pig, lunar year 4705.

This celebration should not be confused with Emile de Antonio’s In the Year of the Pig, his 1968 documentary about the Vietnam War. Interestingly, The Smiths used an edited version of a photo from the movie for their1985 album Meat is Murder.

The image above is of a stamp issued by Taiwan's Chunghwa Post Co. Ltd. According to Chunghwa's web site, "two roly-poly red and gold piglets smile at each other, representing nobility and joy." Their plump bodies and smiles convey the abundance and festivity of the year of the pig.

I will be running my first 5k race with my pals Sean and Amy to celebrate. Assuming I survive (I'm no runner), I'll have more to post...