HANOI, Jan 20 (Portal) – As China, Japan and other East Asian countries prepare to celebrate the start of the Lunar Year of the Rabbit on Sunday, the people of Vietnam will be an exception – welcoming the Year of the Cat instead.
There is no official explanation as to when and why the Vietnamese embraced the cat instead of the rabbit.
Another minor difference in the otherwise nearly identical celebrations of the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle is Vietnam’s adoption of the ubiquitous water buffalo in the year of the Ox.
Ngo Huong Giang, a Hanoi-based cultural researcher, said one reason for the choice of the cat may be that the term for the rabbit in Chinese astrological system is pronounced “mao” in Mandarin, which sounds similar to the Vietnamese word for cat . Raising rabbits is also not common in Vietnam.
What is certain is that the Vietnamese are not ready to change their tradition.
A girl plays with a cat at West Lake after the government eased the nationwide lockdown amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Hanoi, Vietnam April 28, 2020. Portal/Kham
“It doesn’t have the same power as a cat,” Hanoi resident Ngo Quy Dung said of the rabbit, proudly noting that he was born in the year of the cat 60 years ago.
Another Hanoi resident, Nguyen Kim Chi, 64, agreed.
“The cat looks more majestic because it also resembles a small tiger,” she said while photographing next to a large cat statue in Central Park in the capital.
Cat sculptures have appeared in public places across the country ahead of the Lunar New Year, along with a variety of cat charms and gadgets for sale at street stalls.
Some coffee shops keep their cats in their branches to attract customers.
For most Vietnamese, the cat is a steady family friend, helping to protect crops and food from rodents while also chasing away evil spirits and bringing good luck, researcher Giang said. Despite this, cats can still be on the menu in rural areas. Authorities have banned the practice.
Additional reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Francesco Guarascio, Robert Birsel
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