The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Chinese New Year

  • Predicting What the New Decade Will Bring

    Predicting What the New Decade Will Bring

    Three methods of thought going into the new year reveal a time of dedication and hard work

    Three different pseudoscientific approaches, including astrology, numerology and the Chinese calendar, investigate information both singularly and as a whole. Together, these pseudosciences may predict what the new year and decade may bring.

    Astrology is the study of celestial movement and positioning. This ancient method of predicting and explaining is most commonly associated with horoscopes.

    The astrological movements for 2020 are even more significant than in other years because it’s not just a new year, but a new decade. The birthing of the new decade will cause pain, discomfort and confrontation resulting in struggle and challenges. However, this endurance will allow for active change and role assertion coming into the new year. This is important, as the beginning of a new decade and astrological era comes with growing pains, challenge and a call to overcome.

    Celestial movements predicted to impact 2020 most intensely involve the interactions between three planets: Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto.

    Jupiter and Saturn are social planets that rule in opposition. They command two different branches of thought towards social interaction and understanding.

    Using the three pseudosciences above, 2020 supports a year of hard work and challenge.

    Jupiter is one of two social planets. Jupiter controls development and knowledge towards self-growth and understanding. Saturn, meanwhile, is in control of responsibility and judgement toward creating boundaries and restrictions as well as wisdom.

    Pluto, although found at the very end of the solar system, rules forcefully, bringing both rebirth.

    The interaction of these three planets will most heavily affect social structure and reform. The initiation for change and reform will become most dire towards the end of 2020. The defining celestial movement of 2020 will be Dec. 21, where the conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn will unite air signs until the year 2159. This conjunction will challenge society, affecting it in all ways: structurally, fundamentally and economically.

    Numerology, or the study of numbers, looks into the meanings and relationships with coinciding events. Numerology focuses on the divine number, which is the sum of information in numerical form. This number is then compared to a list of fixated numbers ranging from one through nine with attached meanings.

    Dates are easiest to calculate due to the numbers already being assigned. For example, last year 2019 was 2+0+1+9=12. However, because the list ranges from one to nine, 12 is broken down further to 1+2=3. 2019’s divine number was three. The divine number for 2020 is broken down by each digit in the year, 2+0+2+0= 4. Therefore, four is the divine number of 2020.

    Four symbolizes masculinity and strength with a focus towards responsibility, hard work and discipline. Four is a stagnant and comfortable number basking in dedication and consistency, rather than imagination and creativity. While Four sounds bland, the value is on hard work and finishing the job, making 2020 a year of drive and dedication.

    Lastly, the Chinese New Year zodiacs. There are 12 Chinese zodiac animals corresponding with specific years. The last year of the Rat was 2008 and has cycled around again to 2020.

    The Rat is the first zodiac sign in the zodiac chart and symbolizes fortune and personality. Rats are witty, quick thinkers who can accomplish great things and live contently and peacefully. However, the Rat is also considered too feeble and, at times, overly conservative.

    Along with a corresponding animal, a new year is also assigned an element. The five elements are Metal, Wood, Fire, Water and Earth. 2020 is a Metal year. Metal symbolizes determination, hard work and persistence.

    Collectively, 2020 is the year of the Metal Rat and will be a year of work and persistence. The drive to accomplish will come to those who remain patient, dedicated and loyal in the process of great reward for great work.

    Using the three pseudosciences above, 2020 supports a year of hard work and challenge. A time for reform will become evident in the year that demands patience and control. The beginning of 2020 may seem challenging and overbearing, with constant need to troubleshoot and refocus on finishing the job. Though difficulty so early in the year is distasteful, the hard work will reveal rewards. Dedication will reap benefits if one can endure the hardships.

  • Humboldt State celebrates the Lunar New Year

    Humboldt State celebrates the Lunar New Year

    “The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be.” – Chinese Proverb

    This year’s Lunar New Year Festival landed on Feb. 16 and is also the year of the dog. The new year is determined by the first new moon between Jan. 21 to Feb. 20.

    The celebration is a time to welcome in the new year with family, as well as giving luck out and taking it in. Some of the festivities include ceremonies, lion and dragon dances, fireworks and more.

    Video recorded by Dajonea Robinson. Edited by Surya Gopalan.

    Allan Hubbard, martial arts instructor for Eastern Ways Martial Arts, and his team made the six-hour drive from Sacramento to perform the traditional lion dance for the Lunar New Year event on Feb. 16.

    “The significance of the lion dance is normally the kickoff to any event during the Lunar New Year to bring good luck, prosperity and good health for the new year,” Hubbard said.

    Hubbard said in a typical performance, the audience should expect the lions to be very animated as they move throughout the crowd.

    “There’s a segment of the routine where the lions will play and then take nap. They’ll wake back up, scratch and stretch and then they eat lettuce. They then perform three bows, which are the humility of the lion to the crowd,” Hubbard said.

    Jacob Langley was one of the performers in the lion dance routine. Langley has been lion-dancing for five to six years and has been training for kung fu for 16 years.

    “I’ve always loved it here, [and] I’ve been a few times. We had some other teams that were going in to perform at casinos and we figured this would be the better one to come to,” Langley said. “It’s just always fun to travel and do lion-dancing anywhere we can go. I had a great time, the audience was a blast and we had a really successful dance.”

    Aaron Gardener is one of the instructors for Eastern Ways Martial Arts and he was also part of the lion-dancing team.

    “Every year around Chinese New Year we do a lot these lion dances,” Gardener said. “It’s always a lot of fun. I like entertaining people and making them laugh.”

    Gardener has been training for lion-dancing for about four years and has been training for kung fu for about eight years.

    “At our school, everybody does the martial art aspect first,” Gardener said. “Once they get down the basic stances and skills balance, then we allow people to be lion-dancers.”

    Gung hay fat choy (happy new year)!