Horse Decorations for the Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is an important traditional holiday that is also celebrated in the Philippines because of the presence of significant Chinese population in this country. Based on the  12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac, the new year which will begin on January 31, 2014 and end on February 18, 2015. It will correspond to the "Horse" that bears the elemental sign of "Wood."

It has been mentioned that the Philippines has a significant Chinese population. As a result, customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese New Year have also been adopted by many Filipinos.

One such custom is decorating homes with lucky charms that is related to the animal sign of the new year. Shown are some horse-themed lucky charms that can be seen in Filipino homes during the celebrations.

It can be noticed that all three decorations have horse figures in conformance with the animal symbol of the year. The tassels are red as the color, in Chinese culture, corresponds with fire and denotes good fortune and happiness. It can be presumed that the golden color is for wealth.

The decoration at left features Budai, who is regarded as a representation of contentment. The one at the middle has a pineapple and coins, both of which denote wealth. The horse at right is accompanied by lanterns, which to some Chinese, symbolize new beginnings.