By NANCY HILER
Officially on the Chinese calendar, 2007 is lunar year 4704-4705, the start of which on the Western calendar took place Feb. 18, commencing the Year of the Pig.
According to Chinese culture, those born during the year of a particular animal have certain character traits that are associated with it. In the case of the pig, these include chivalry and purity of heart, and the ability to make friends for life.
One aspect of celebrating Chinese New Year is preparing and eating traditional foods, many of which are given significance in terms of luck, longevity or wealth. Whole fish, for example, may represent togetherness and abundance, whole chicken may mean prosperity and uncut noodles may signify long life.
The children learned about the importance of red and made paper dragons, part of the festival's traditions. The color symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck, so people wear red clothing and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Also, people gather together for lantern festivals, part of which is the dragon dance.
