February 7th, i. e. today, marks the beginning of the Year of the Rat, in China and in some other – but not all – parts of Asia.
The Chinese Calendar is a Lunar Calendar. The Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon today and is celebrated, in China, during a fortnight until the next Full Moon on February 21st.
In Mallorca we have a sizeable Chinese community. And believe it or not, the Mallorca Daily Photo Blog has a wider following in the Asian continent than I would ever have thought possible, mainly in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and India. So for those of my readers who celebrate New Year today, here is to a happy Year of the Rat. Fu Fu to you all.
Or, Molts d’Anys, as the Mallorcans say.
The photo was taken in Felanitx, Mallorca, Spain. The date: February 6th, 2008. The time was 17:36:25.