Chinese Parents Plan Conception and Birth to Avoid Having A Child During the Year of the Sheep

Each of the 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac comes with its positives and negatives, strengths and weaknesses, but somehow over the years, the Year of the Sheep (also known as the year of the ram or goat) has developed a bad reputation. This bad rep is taken so seriously that couples are planning their conception or delivery of a child around avoiding the upcoming Year of the Sheep. 

People say that some children are born lucky, but many Chinese parents believe that luck comes from the year that their child was born. The luckiest year of all to be born is the Year of the Dragon, but no other years are frowned upon the way the Year of the Sheep is. But why? The sheep is thought to be passive, kind, and generous. All qualities that are thought highly of in a person. But in a cutthroat, competitive world those qualities can be a disadvantage. Chinese tradition believes that a baby born during the Year of the Sheep will be followers rather than leaders, are destined for heartbreak, and will not find success in the business world. There is even a folk tale that says only one in ten people born during the Year of the Sheep find true happiness. 

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While many people are working hard to debunk these superstitions, it has proven to be difficult. Some parents have even inquired to medical professionals about having a Caesarean section to ensure their child is born during the Year of the Horse, and not after February 2015, when the Year of the Sheep begins. Health professionals have also reported that last spring, fertility consultations spiked and since the window for conception and delivery during the Year of the Horse closed, they have declined. Professionals in the medical field have expressed concern that as fertility consultations rose during the Year of the Horse, abortions will rise during the Year of the Sheep. 

Even as these assumptions present as unfair and outdated to many, it is a difficult mindset to alter. The traditional beliefs and superstitions of the Chinese Zodiac calendar are deeply ingrained in Chinese culture and provide an explanation for phenomena that is otherwise difficult to understand. But as of recent years, other factors (such as political and economic conditions) have greatly influenced birth rates and begun to overshadow the effects of the Zodiac calendar. But regardless, it will be interesting to see how the upcoming Year of the Sheep affects birth rates in comparison to this past year, the Year of the Horse, which is the third luckiest year in the calendar. 

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The Legend Behind Korea's Mysterious Jindo Sea Parting

Like with many Korean festivals and holidays, the Jindo Sea Festival is deeply set within their culture, tradition, and history. The fascinating celebration is loved for it’s magic and mystery but also for the centuries-old tale that lies behind it. Each year the East China Sea parts around the the southern tip of the Korean peninsula exposing a pathway wide enough for people to walk the 1.8 miles to get the the nearby island of Modo. 

A scientific explanation for this mysterious event is that natural phenomenon known as tidal harmonics, where the different tides sync up causing either extremely high, or in the case of the Jindo Sea parting, extremely low tides. However, ancient Korean legend has another explanation for the phenomenon. 

According to a centuries-old Korean tale, the parting all began with a man named Son Dong-ji near the end of the 15th century. The man was condemned to exile and sent from the mainland to Jeji Island, located a few hours south. During his journey from his home to the Island a storm swept through the Yellow Sea down Korea’s west coast- washing Son Dong-ji ashore of the village of Hoedong, which is now known as Jindo. 

There, Son lived a difficult life among the other villagers, fighting off the many tigers that inhabited the land. After years of suffering and witnessing many deaths due to the ferocious cats, the people had finally had enough and wished to vacate the island. So by raft the villagers fled to the island of Modo in search of a better life. Unfortunately, an elderly woman known as Grandma Bbong was accidentally left behind. Each day she prayed to the Dragon King of the Sea that should could be safely delivered to her family and not be deserted on this island. 

One day her prayers were finally answered when the Dragon King appeared to her in a dream, telling her that the following day a rainbow would appear in the sky and a pathway would be there to guide her across the dangerous ocean waters. The next afternoon, like the Dragon King had promised the waters parted and a crescent-shaped pathway appeared, connecting her to the island of Modo, where her family was waiting for her. Upon her arrival on the island, she died of exhaustion in her family’s arms and her last words were a prayer of thanks to the Dragon King for allowing her to be with her family one last time. 

In addition to the fun and celebration that takes place during the Jindo Sea Parting Festival, many rituals, performances, and dances are still held by the locals to honor Grandma Bbong and remember her tragic fate as well as her strength and determination.

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