Chinese New Year: A fiery 2018 predicted for people born in the Year of the Dog, like Donald Trump
Donald Trump is a typical Fire Dog: hot-tempered, talkative and argumentative. Chinese astrologers predict his second year in office will be even more tempestuous than his first.
The Year of the Dog begins on Friday 16 February. Cities around Asia are being illuminated with red lanterns and dog-shaped decorations. The city of Taiyuan in northern China has removed a giant sculpture of a chicken that looked like US President Donald Trump from outside a shopping mall, where it greeted shoppers throughout the Year of the Rooster. And its place, they have installed a giant dog that bears a distinct resemblance to the Donald.
The dog is the eleventh sign in the Chinese zodiac. People born in a dog year (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006) are said to have certain personality traits associated with dogs, such as loyalty, honesty and exuberance. However, they can also be aloof, overly independent and stubborn.
Tradition says people born under the sign of the Dog will not be lucky this year. Donald Trump – who was born in 1946 – is a typical Fire Dog: hot-tempered, talkative and argumentative. Chinese astrologers predict his second year in office will be even more tempestuous than his first.
5 December 2017: US President Donald Trump speaks about tax reform during a meeting with families to discuss how the tax reform plan would affect them in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DCSaul Loeb/AFP
The New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is marked by the lunisolar Chinese calendar. This means the date changes every year, but mostly falls between 21 January and 20 February in the Gregorian calendar.
Festivities usually start the day before the New Year and continue until the Lantern Festival, celebrated on the 15<sup>th day of the new year.
During this period, people flock to temple fairs in public parks to watch traditional performances such as dragon dances and Chinese opera. People also burn incense at temples to pray for good health and fortune.
Fireworks explode over the Hudson River and the Empire State Building during Chinese New Year celebrations, as seen from Weehawken, New JerseyEduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty ImagesA man poses with a Chinese flag during a fireworks display over the Hudson River to kick off Lunar New Year celebrations in Manhattan, New YorkAndrew Kelly/ReutersA miniature sculpture of three dogs is seen on a pencil tip, created by Taiwanese artist Chen Forng-Shean in New Taipei City, TaiwanTyrone Siu/ReutersToy dogs are displayed at a shop on the eve of the Lunar New Year in the Chinatown district in SingaporeRoslan Rahman/AFPA visitor hangs a wish onto a lantern at a lantern fair ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year in Xian, Shaanxi provinceChina Daily/ReutersPeople walk in a maze at the Tang Paradise Park in Xi'an, Shaanxi provinceFred Dufour/AFPDancers prepare to parade for the She Huo festival near Tang Paradise park in Xi'an, Shaanxi provinceFred Dufour/AFPDragon dancers perform in front of Tien Kok Sie temple in Solo City, Central Java, IndonesiaUlet Ifansasti/Getty ImagesA vendor sells Lunar New Year decorations at a market in Shenyang in China's northeastern Liaoning province,AFPPeople walk under lantern decorations in Yu Yuan Garden in ShanghaiMembers of Portugal's Chinese community perform during celebrations for the Lunar New Year in LisbonPatricia de Melo Moreira/AFP
Spring Festival is focused on family reunions and is often the only time students and migrant workers get to return to their home towns.
The world's largest annual migration is underway as hundreds of millions of Chinese people head back home to celebrate the Lunar New Year with their families. The week-long holiday is surrounded by a 40-day travel frenzy known as "Chunyun", during which the total volume of passengers this year is expected to be almost three billion.
That's more than two journeys for every single member of China's population, or more than double the number of passengers on the London Underground in an entire year.
Passengers wait to board trains at Shanghai's Hongqiao Railway Station during the annual Spring Festival travel rushAly Song/ReutersPassengers wait to board trains at Shanghai's Hongqiao Railway Station during the annual Spring Festival travel rushAly Song/ReutersMigrant workers sleep at Harbin Railway station in northeast China's Heilongjiang provinceTao Zhang/Getty ImagesA conductor carries a Injured migrant worker at Qiqihar Railway Station in northeast China's Heilongjiang provinceTao Zhang/Getty ImagesPassengers heading home for the Lunar New Year travel on a crowded train during the 26-hour journey from Beijing to ChengduFred Dufour/AFPPeople sleep in the restaurant car during the 26-hour train journey from Beijing to Chengdu, as they travel from the capital to their home townsFred Dufour/AFPAerial view of vehicles waiting to pass a toll station on the Shenyang-Haikou expressway in Suzhou, Jiangsu ProvinceVCG/Getty ImagesHundreds of high-speed trains wait to set out for the Spring Festival Travel Peak, from a maintenance base in Wuhan, ChinaWang He/Getty Images
IBTimes UK wishes its Chinese readers around the world a Happy New Year – Gong xi fa cai!