Based on the Chinese calendar, animals rotate and reappear every 12 years (i.e., the last year of the ox was 12 years ago). The coming of this new year marks the completion of 2008, the Year of the Rat.

The New Year’s celebration is noted by the entire Chinese culture, though it’s celebrated in different ways by different religions including Buddhism and Confucianism.

So what does the ox symbolize for 2009?

One Buddhist temple told Independent Online that the ox symbolizes hard work and reliability. This comes at a great time, considering much of the world is looking forward to hunkering down and fixing grave economic situations.

For Zen Buddhists, the ox may call to mind the Herding of the Ox parable. Here is Zen Buddhist D.T. Suzuki’s version:

Here we see that the ox’s “great will and power” are inexhaustible and that he is capable of a “terrific struggle.” When we discover that we are the only source of his energy the “struggle” will be over. Although he is always with you, you can’t turn around fast enough to see him. Now you’ve caught him, he can no longer hide. Still, he seems insubordinate, used to his old ways, searching for new satisfactions while remaining always unsatisfied. You think you can whip him into obedience, yet another illusion!

For Confucianism, the ox symbolizes righteousness.

Reliable, righteous, hard-working – this lunar year should be quite upstanding.

Copyright 2009 Religion Transcends.

Just a day after Christians acknowledged Ash Wednesday, Chinese religions (Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism) and those Chinese of no particular religion celebrated the start of a new year. Check out a succinct rundown of the day and the celebrations here.

BBC also created a great photo feature containing pictures of various celebrations throughout the world.

Here’s wishing you a happy new year!

I realize they weren’t responding to my blog. But perhaps a divine voice spoke to them and told them people like me were hoping for an eastern religion response. Today, they posted a response from Wendy Doniger, a professor of the History of Religion at the University of Chicago who teaches courses in Hinduism. She’s witty and to the point. And I love how she concludes that there is no conclusion.

Furthermore, I’m always dumbfounded at how eastern and western religions are thought to be so different…when really, they’re much more alike than they may seem at first glance. Doniger’s array of explanations seems to be a different take on common explanations given by western religions. After all, she herself admits that karma is really just another way of saying, “God (or god or gods or existence) is punishing me for something I did.”

Check out her post for more.