Chinese New Year celebrations are happening in London this coming weekend on the 1st February to celebrate Year of the Ox.

In Buddhism, the white Ox symbolises contemplation and wisdom, and oxen are blessed by the compassionate Chinese goddess Guan Yin because of their gentle and peaceful nature.

According to an ancient Taoist legend, human beings have a special relationship with the Ox. In early farming communities, people often went for days without eating and feared starvation during poor harvests. To aid suffering humans, the gods and goddesses removed the Ox from heaven, where she was a star, and sent her to earth.

The gods instructed the Ox to tell people that with her help they would avoid starvation and eat every three days. But Ox misunderstood and told humanity that they would eat three times a day. The Ox had to keep to her word, so that is why Oxen have to work so hard and endure many burdens without complaint.

The year of the Ox is traditionally a time of  hard work, duty, and discipline, and not a time for laziness. In the year of the Ox, success is attained through diligent labor and conscientious effort.

Why not check out the celebrations in London this weekend, or visit the British Museum, where there is an exhibition of ancient Chinese bronzes and jades from Shanghai. An old Chinese text, the Canon of Mountains and Rivers, suggests that a type of jade used to be ground into needles for acupuncture treatment, the so-called ‘Bian stones’.

Tags: Chinese new year, year of the Ox