Happy New Year – Year of the Water Rabbit!

The symbolism of 2023’s lunar new year

What do Charlize Theron, Sting, Andy Murray and Tiger Woods have in common? Yes, they can all rustle up a sizable audience, but apart from that they also share the same Chinese Zodiac sign – the Rabbit. And as luck would have it, the Rabbit – or, to be more precise, the Water Rabbit or Black Rabbit – is the governing zodiac animal sign for the Chinese New Lunar Year of 2023.

The year runs from this January 22 until 9 February 2024, with the celebrations kicking off on New Year’s Eve (21 January), and involving a stamina-fuelled 16 days of feasting, family, and good times for all. Fireworks are compulsory.

So, who else out there is a Rabbit? If you were born in the Chinese years of 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, or 2023, then you should be feeling fluffy and have high levels of beta carotene in your system. Not only that, but combined with 2023’s Water element you’ll also experience good luck, patience, prosperity and vigour this year.

What else does our carrot-munching friend have in store for us once the festivities are over?

Well, it’s good news for nearly all zodiac signs. According to the Rabbit Chinese Horoscope 2023, this year the stars are aligned in a favourable position in terms of career prospects. In other words, your career may well see an upward surge. But don’t drastically change direction – stick with what you’re good at.

There are also whisperings that you’ll be able to build strong connections with powerful people that will help you in the progress of your career and business. Cue thoughtful looks all round in the mustard offices.

Apart from this, the Rabbit, being a gentle creature, typically represents peaceful and patient energy. It’s a symbol of thinking things through before acting. Meanwhile the Water element is all about tapping into our inner wisdom and trusting our instincts. It encourages us to be more in tune with our emotions and sensitive to those around us. Great news for office politics.

And, for goodness’ sake, we nearly forgot about the feng shui factor. According to feng shui experts, the Water element connects with the North side of your home or office. Focus on cultivating this space with a water feature or a blue and black colour scheme to beckon in a flow of positive energy. This should be complemented with something made from wood, which is also associated with our fuzzy field dweller.

So, with feng shui and wood in the bag, we turn to who’s most compatible with the Rabbit. We don’t recommend that you ask your co-workers straight up whether they’re a Dog, Pig or Goat – we predict with approximately 87% accuracy that this won’t go well for you. But if you mention that one of these may be their Chinese sign, it could get more interesting.

For instance, you’ll be happy to know that Dogs and Rabbits wish for a peaceful and quiet life, so drink in the harmonious atmosphere. Meanwhile, Rabbits and Pigs have similar personalities and will be attracted to each other (ooooh!), while Goats will bask in the Rabbits’ nurturing qualities. This can only mean one thing – your office is about to morph into a petting zoo.

So, with all that covered, we’ve only one more thing left to say. From everyone here in our mustard Hong Kong office, we wish everyone around the world a very happy and prosperous Chinese New Year of the Water Rabbit.