A Fire Monkey Can Usher In Chaos. So Can 600 or So Macaques.
What do Julius Caesar, Miley Cyrus and a village in Sichuan Province, China, have in common?
The Year of the Monkey.
Generations of Americans were introduced to the Chinese zodiac by way of restaurant place mats, perused while waiting for platters of kung pao chicken and lo mein. Those exotic 12-year cycles, with their hints of destiny and personality predictions, basically said, “Capricorn? What. Ever!” as they replaced Western horoscopes with animal mascots.
If you happen to have been born in 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956 or 1944, you’re a monkey, and your time is now.
Chinese tradition says people born in the Year of the Monkey are natural-born leaders: highly intelligent, innovative and influential. But they can also be arrogant and envious. In addition to Caesar and Miley, other famous monkeys are Leonardo da Vinci and Mick Jagger.
This lunar year, which began in February, is being celebrated as the Year of the Fire Monkey. This is based on the tenets of feng shui, which ascribe luck and prosperity based on the balance of fire, water, wood, metal and earth in the universe.>>>
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/09/world/what-in-the-world/chinese-zodiac-monkey.html?