YEAR OF THE RAT

Happy New Years! This year is the year of the rat according to the Chinese New Year's lunar calendar. The new moon and the official lunar beginning of the year is February 7, 2008. Rats have a bad reputation. The animal has been hated in western culture since the Black Death. Rats were the couriers of the disease. But the rat has been a symbol of hearty survival and perseverance in Chinese tradition. New York has always been a happy residence for rats. Lots of crumbs to eat, places to hide. The city of New York is symbolic of the symbiotic relationship between humans and rats. Yet, rats were deemed a nuisance and rat catchers, like the one above, were employed for many years. But the rat is not to be feared. In fact, the rest of the world has developed a fondness. Observe the rat craze in Russia. You can read up on this curious animal in Mr. Langton's book and this one about rats in New York by Mr. Sullivan. More to follow on the week of Chinese New Year festivities in NYC!