Oh, Rats

AMERICAN NOTES

Has Richard Nixon added a court astrologer to his already massive staff? On the Chinese calendar, the lunar year 4670 starts on Feb. 15, and will be known as the Year of the Rat. The President plans to arrive in Peking on Feb. 21, the seventh and most auspicious day of the Chinese New Year observance. If the sun shines on that day, according to the Chinese folklore, the whole year will be a bright one for mankind.

The rat is the first in the Chinese cycle of symbolic animals, and so the Year of the Rat is the beginning of a new era. Generally it is supposed to be a time of timidity and meanness. It may turn out to be good for international relations, but it is not recommended for marriage. Astrologers in Hong Kong say that the rat is a bad omen for connubial bliss, so unusually large numbers of Chinese couples there have recently been marrying in order to beat the deadline next month.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.