If one of your friends changes their entire wardrobe to red this year, the chances are they were born in the Year of the Sheep.
Sheep years are traditionally among the least popular birth years, and some people born in sheep years are said to be cursed with bad luck throughout their lives. Life is even worse for sheep in a sheep year, which luckily comes around only every 12 years. But this year is a particularly bad "black" sheep year, according to some astrologers.
Chinese stores have reported a rush on red sweaters in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holiday. This is because wearing red offers protection from the bad luck that can befall someone during a year of their own animal birth sign. Many of those who are superstitious but eschew bright colors make do with hidden strips of red cloth or red underwear.
Maternity staff say they expect a lull in births during this sheep year, after China experienced a baby boom in the more auspicious Year of the Horse. In the final weeks of the year, many heavily pregnant women asked doctors to induce their births early to avoid giving birth in a sheep year.
Yet the Black Sheep Year takes its name from something more complex than its grim portent for those born in sheep years. It is known as a female-water sheep year, based on the alternating male-female yin and yang, and the five elements of Chinese astrology.
Water is equivalent to the color black in the five-element system.
The femininity and aquatic tranquility of the Black Sheep Year are believed to herald a relatively peaceful world this year. Wars, international conflicts and disasters are said to end most often in sheep years. But since many wars and disasters are short-lived, does that mean they also begin in sheep years?
Whatever the international climate, red-clad sheep can still enjoy a smooth year and utilize their natural creativity this year, astrologers say. Sheep are said to be charming, elegant and artistic.
They like material comforts but can be over anxious, turning into worriers and moaners.
The Year of the Sheep is also described in English as that of the goat. While in the English vocabulary a sheep and a goat describe two largely different creatures, the Chinese-language characters for both animals are the same. In China, pictures of sheep depicting the year can be found everywhere, while those of goats cannot.
Predictably, sheep are followers rather than leaders. The sheep is said to be the most feminine sign in the Chinese zodiac, known for romance, tolerance, wisdom, elegance and passion.
But the Good Samaritans also lack objectivity, and perform poorly under pressure. They are pessimistic and can lack direction. They make bad money managers and are too generous.
Luckily for them, sheep tend to become dependent on stronger, loyal partners. Rabbits are perfect partners for sheep, while horses, pigs and tigers also make good matches. Those born in rat, dog and ox years are least compatible with sheep.
Sheep are artistic, hardworking perfectionists who make good actors and musicians. Richard Burton, Catherine Deneuve, Debra Winger, Gene Hackman, John Wayne, Julia Roberts, Isabelle Adjani, Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis are among the sheep who have graced the world's top stages and film sets. Other outstanding sheep include ex-Russian leader Mikhael Gorbachev and German tennis star Boris Becker.
And perhaps it is not always bad for sheep in sheep years. Sheep-born Sixties icons like Jimi Hendrix, Beatle George Harrison, and Rolling Stones Keith Richard and Mick Jagger reached the height of their fame around the 1967 sheep year. Against this, Hendrix, Harrison and later sheep-rocker Kurt Cobain all died before their time.
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