Happy St. Patrick's Day 2013,
Most people may be recallin' that wee Japan is the land of the Rising Sun? Part of the reason being that the business of each new day of the Old World begins with this most ancient of island nations.
First ya'been needin' to think of the Old World as being one giant super island or perhaps...a grand ol' Super Continent? Now don't be forgettin' that at one time all of the Asia, Africa, and Europe were are all connected by land. Essentially as a sun should rise and fall over an island each day so to does it rise and set over the grand interconnected island like land mass of the Old World.
But if there is a Land of the Rising Sun shouldn't their be Land of the Setting Sun? Thinks about it for a wee moment....What nation fits into this balanced paradigm? Perhaps England ye'be thinking? Nay England already has or had th' title of that sun which never sat still on her empire or somethin' of that sort. Rather Erin fits the bill perfectly. Ireland like Japan hath no land claim on the continent proper. Both are positioned at the far ends of the landmass and finally both by all accident have flags with suns on it.
Thus as the Old World gets ready to set their minds on to the dreamin' world, tis' Ireland that gets thee last word on what it was and ta' say goodnight to the day that was for the Old World.
The Year of the Ox comes one every twelve years, just like all the other signs of the Eastern Zodiac. It is the one sign that has a perfect match with the Western Zodiac under the month of Taurus. Likewise the attributes of these signs are similar. The flag for the Year of the Ox uses a brownish background and has a western symbol for the animal.
The Eastern Zodiac begins with the Year of the Rat or in this case the Year of the Rodent. The Western Symbol for the Year of the Rat is essentially a Roman Number Three on its side, however the symbol is directly based upon the Chinese upper radical but has the 'hands touching.'
But if there is a Land of the Rising Sun shouldn't their be Land of the Setting Sun? Thinks about it for a wee moment....What nation fits into this balanced paradigm? Perhaps England ye'be thinking? Nay England already has or had th' title of that sun which never sat still on her empire or somethin' of that sort. Rather Erin fits the bill perfectly. Ireland like Japan hath no land claim on the continent proper. Both are positioned at the far ends of the landmass and finally both by all accident have flags with suns on it. 
The Year of the Pig is the final sign of Chinese Astrology, before the cycle repeats it self. In the West and America the Greco-Roman Zodiac plays a dominant role in newspapers and enthusiasts of things groovy and cosmic, but in the East another Zodiac from China fills the same void. Like the traditional Western Zodiac the Eastern Zodiac is divided into twelve teams that repeat themselves every twelve years instead of every twelve months. 
