1172) Year of the Rat: An Uncirculated $1 US Federal Reserve Banknote rings in the Year of the Rat (2020) from the Chinese Zodiac Cycle/Lunar Calendar titled "Lucky Money Collection":
How does the Lunar Calendar or Chinese Zodiac Cycle work?
I consulted some of the books which have been kept in my personal library and got acquainted with some interesting facts about the Chinese Zodiac/Lunar Calendar:
The exact origins of the 12 animal signs is rather lost in the obscurity of time, but there is no doubt that they originated in China. In terms of the Chinese astrological "history", the 12 animals are of a rather recent introduction - for it seems that in the 2nd Century BC, Ssu Ma Chi'en (163-85 BC), who was the grand astrologer to Emperor Wu Ti, wrote the Shi Chi or "historical record" up to that time. In this book, there is no "Zodiac" or mention of the12animals.
Originally, the 12 year cycle that it takes the planet Jupiter to complete one orbit of the Sun was believed to have defined the earlier calendars. The Chinese still call this cycle "The Great Year" and each month corresponds to one of our own years.
By the 10th Century AD, however, after Buddhism had been established in china, Calendar Almanacs, such as those written by Tibetan monks in exile in the "Caves of the Thousand Buddhas" monastery in the remote reaches of North-western China, depicting the 12 animals, came into existence.
The legend of the Conference of animals called by the Buddha and naming of the 12 year cycle after 12 animals for the Chinese Lunar Calendar:
According to a legend, it was the Buddha (583-463 BC), who created the 12-animal cycle. He is believed to have invited all the animals in the land to hold a conference together. The Buddha was not surprised, as in his wisdom, he knew that some of the animals were friendly towards others, while others were inimical/enemies.
To encourage attendance, he decided to name the years after the first twelve animals, in order of their arrival.
An invitation from the Buddha was hard to resist, and when they heard the news, all the anomals set off at once, each determined to be the first to arrive.
Tiger, because of his energy and speed, at first took the lead. Soon, though, he began to tire and the early lead that he had achieved over his next rival Ox, who may have been slow, but had great stamina, soon dissipated. Ox reached the Buddha ahead of Tiger and prepared to bow down low to receive his honour.
But, what the sturdy Ox did not know was that clever Rat had sneaked a ride on his tail !! Just before Ox's nose touched the floor at the Buddha's feet, nimble and swift Rat ran up the Ox's tail, along his back and jumped off his nose, thus winning the race to be the first to bow before the Buddha. So Rat (or "Tze" is its Chinese name"), became the first animal in the Chinese Lunar Calendar/Zodiac, followed by a rather resentful Ox ("Chou").
Tiger ("Yin"), Rabbit ("Mao"), Dragon ("Chen"), Snake ("Si"), Horse ("Wu"), Goat ("Wei"), Monkey ("Shen"), Rooster ("You"), Dog ("Xu") and Pig ("Hu"), all followed, and in that order, paid homage to the Buddha and were each honoured with a year.
Interestingly, Dragon is the only mythical beast in the Chinese Circle of Zodiacal animals.
According to the Lunar or Chinese Zodiac, each year is assigned to the above-referred animals, in accordance to a 12-year cycle.
The lunar calendar is 12 months long, with each month corresponding roughly to one cycle of the Moon's movement - from a new moon, through to a full Moon and back to a new Moon. The lunar calendar is also known as the agricultural calendar as it divides the year into seasons. Agriculture was the principal economy of ancient China. Even today, the lunar calendar still has great significance for the Chinese people, who use it to set the luckiest dates for traditional events and activities, such as weddings, funerals, launching new ventures and moving to a new house.
The Year of the Rat includes, for example - 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2020 and 2032.
The next year is the "Year of the Rat" (2020) following the present "Year of the Pig"(2019):
As with Western Zodiac, persons born within that year are said to possess certain personality traits or have pre-destined luck in romance, fortune and other aspects which bring happiness or sorrow.
The Year of the Rat occupies the first position in the 12-year Chinese Zodiac.
People born in the Year of the Rat are clever and adapt quickly to new environments. They prefer to live quiet and peaceful lives.
Optimism and energy are key traits for those born in the Year of the Rat. They tend to be sensitive to others' emotions and comments, but are known to be stubborn with their own opinions. While the Rat personality is kind, their words may seem impolite or rude due to a lack of communication skills.
Persons born in the Year of the rat are great at seizing opportunities that present themselves but can sometimes lack courage. They love to be organised and place great value on family. They like saving money and can be known to be a bit ungenerous. Their love of hoarding will sometimes cause them to waste money on unnecessary things.
The most outstanding characteristics of people born in the Year of the Rat are alertness, resourcefulness and intelligence. Owing to their positive contributions and strong flexibility at work, they are popular with their leaders. They are vigilant, well otganised and full of ideas.
The celebration of the coming of the Lunar Year - "Year of the Rat" (2020):
It is a tradition that in celebration of the Chinese New Year, people from all over the world exchange gifts.
Gifts of money are still the most frequently chosen presents in China and across the Globe. Traditionally, the gift of money is put in red envelopes and there is an old Chinese saying that at the "end of the day, you receive almost as much money as you have given away".
The second most popular gift in China is the lucky symbol connected to the Chinese Zodiac that initiates the new Lunar Year. Countless gifts shaped like or depicting a Rat will once again be exchanged to mark the "Year of the Rat".
The Uncirculated $1 Banknote issued by the US Federal Reserve, printed by the Bureau of Engraving & Printing (BEP):
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing's (BEP) main mission is to develop and produce US Banknotes. The agency prints billions of Federal Reserve Banknotes every year for delivery to the Federal Reserve System. These Banknotes are produced at facilities in Washington DC and Fort worth, TX.
Links to some more posts on the Chinese Lunar calendar/Zodiac signs on this Blog:
How does the Lunar Calendar or Chinese Zodiac Cycle work?
I consulted some of the books which have been kept in my personal library and got acquainted with some interesting facts about the Chinese Zodiac/Lunar Calendar:
The exact origins of the 12 animal signs is rather lost in the obscurity of time, but there is no doubt that they originated in China. In terms of the Chinese astrological "history", the 12 animals are of a rather recent introduction - for it seems that in the 2nd Century BC, Ssu Ma Chi'en (163-85 BC), who was the grand astrologer to Emperor Wu Ti, wrote the Shi Chi or "historical record" up to that time. In this book, there is no "Zodiac" or mention of the12animals.
Originally, the 12 year cycle that it takes the planet Jupiter to complete one orbit of the Sun was believed to have defined the earlier calendars. The Chinese still call this cycle "The Great Year" and each month corresponds to one of our own years.
By the 10th Century AD, however, after Buddhism had been established in china, Calendar Almanacs, such as those written by Tibetan monks in exile in the "Caves of the Thousand Buddhas" monastery in the remote reaches of North-western China, depicting the 12 animals, came into existence.
The legend of the Conference of animals called by the Buddha and naming of the 12 year cycle after 12 animals for the Chinese Lunar Calendar:
According to a legend, it was the Buddha (583-463 BC), who created the 12-animal cycle. He is believed to have invited all the animals in the land to hold a conference together. The Buddha was not surprised, as in his wisdom, he knew that some of the animals were friendly towards others, while others were inimical/enemies.
To encourage attendance, he decided to name the years after the first twelve animals, in order of their arrival.
An invitation from the Buddha was hard to resist, and when they heard the news, all the anomals set off at once, each determined to be the first to arrive.
Tiger, because of his energy and speed, at first took the lead. Soon, though, he began to tire and the early lead that he had achieved over his next rival Ox, who may have been slow, but had great stamina, soon dissipated. Ox reached the Buddha ahead of Tiger and prepared to bow down low to receive his honour.
But, what the sturdy Ox did not know was that clever Rat had sneaked a ride on his tail !! Just before Ox's nose touched the floor at the Buddha's feet, nimble and swift Rat ran up the Ox's tail, along his back and jumped off his nose, thus winning the race to be the first to bow before the Buddha. So Rat (or "Tze" is its Chinese name"), became the first animal in the Chinese Lunar Calendar/Zodiac, followed by a rather resentful Ox ("Chou").
Tiger ("Yin"), Rabbit ("Mao"), Dragon ("Chen"), Snake ("Si"), Horse ("Wu"), Goat ("Wei"), Monkey ("Shen"), Rooster ("You"), Dog ("Xu") and Pig ("Hu"), all followed, and in that order, paid homage to the Buddha and were each honoured with a year.
Interestingly, Dragon is the only mythical beast in the Chinese Circle of Zodiacal animals.
According to the Lunar or Chinese Zodiac, each year is assigned to the above-referred animals, in accordance to a 12-year cycle.
The lunar calendar is 12 months long, with each month corresponding roughly to one cycle of the Moon's movement - from a new moon, through to a full Moon and back to a new Moon. The lunar calendar is also known as the agricultural calendar as it divides the year into seasons. Agriculture was the principal economy of ancient China. Even today, the lunar calendar still has great significance for the Chinese people, who use it to set the luckiest dates for traditional events and activities, such as weddings, funerals, launching new ventures and moving to a new house.
The Year of the Rat includes, for example - 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2020 and 2032.
The next year is the "Year of the Rat" (2020) following the present "Year of the Pig"(2019):
As with Western Zodiac, persons born within that year are said to possess certain personality traits or have pre-destined luck in romance, fortune and other aspects which bring happiness or sorrow.
The Year of the Rat occupies the first position in the 12-year Chinese Zodiac.
People born in the Year of the Rat are clever and adapt quickly to new environments. They prefer to live quiet and peaceful lives.
Optimism and energy are key traits for those born in the Year of the Rat. They tend to be sensitive to others' emotions and comments, but are known to be stubborn with their own opinions. While the Rat personality is kind, their words may seem impolite or rude due to a lack of communication skills.
Persons born in the Year of the rat are great at seizing opportunities that present themselves but can sometimes lack courage. They love to be organised and place great value on family. They like saving money and can be known to be a bit ungenerous. Their love of hoarding will sometimes cause them to waste money on unnecessary things.
The most outstanding characteristics of people born in the Year of the Rat are alertness, resourcefulness and intelligence. Owing to their positive contributions and strong flexibility at work, they are popular with their leaders. They are vigilant, well otganised and full of ideas.
The celebration of the coming of the Lunar Year - "Year of the Rat" (2020):
It is a tradition that in celebration of the Chinese New Year, people from all over the world exchange gifts.
Gifts of money are still the most frequently chosen presents in China and across the Globe. Traditionally, the gift of money is put in red envelopes and there is an old Chinese saying that at the "end of the day, you receive almost as much money as you have given away".
The second most popular gift in China is the lucky symbol connected to the Chinese Zodiac that initiates the new Lunar Year. Countless gifts shaped like or depicting a Rat will once again be exchanged to mark the "Year of the Rat".
The Uncirculated $1 Banknote issued by the US Federal Reserve, printed by the Bureau of Engraving & Printing (BEP):
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing's (BEP) main mission is to develop and produce US Banknotes. The agency prints billions of Federal Reserve Banknotes every year for delivery to the Federal Reserve System. These Banknotes are produced at facilities in Washington DC and Fort worth, TX.
The 2020 $1 "Year of the Rat" product is the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's (BEP) 7th release in the second generation of the Lucky Money Lunar Calendar product line. The BEP has collaborated with the US Mint and its money products are now marketed through the Mint's e-commerce system.
The $1 elegantly captures the festive spirit of the Lunar New Year.
It features a crisp, uncirculated $1 Federal Reserve Banknote with a serial number beginning "8888". The Banknote is packaged in a symbolic red folder that features decorative, embossed gold foil, capturing the significance of Chinese numerology and the Zodiac symbolism. Each Note is protected by an acid-free sleeve.
The Banknote bears a serial number beginning with "8888" and is placed in an attractive red folder featuring decorative, embossed gold foil. The presentation set is titled "Lucky Money Note" and captures the significance of Chinese numerology and the Rat Zodiac Symbol
The cover and inside section of the Presentation Set of the $1 Uncirculated Banknote placed together
The specifications of this $1 Banknote issue are:
Denomination: $1; Dimensions: 9.5 inches x 5 inches; Production facility: Washington DC, Fort Worth TX; Mintage Limit: 108,888; Product Limit: 93,888; Household Order Limit: 999 pieces; Federal Reserve Bank: This Banknote can be procured from any of the following banks - Boston (A), New York (B), Philadelphia (C), Cleveland (D), Richmond (E), Atlanta (F), Chicago (G), St. Louis (H), Minneapolis (I), Kansas City (J), Dallas (K), San Francisco (L).
Links:
24) An Uncirculated $1 US Federal Reserve Banknote from the Bureau of Engraving & Printing, rings in the "Year of the PIG" (2019) from the Chinese Zodiac Cycle/Lunar Calendar titled "Lucky Money Collection"
25) Year of the Rat: An Uncirculated $1 US Federal Reserve Banknote rings i9n the "Year of the Rat" (2020) from the Chinese Zodiac Cycle/Linar Calendar titled "Lucky Money Collection"
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