Some Feng Shui sifus say the ‘Year of Rat’ is a year for new beginnings, but why ah?

Wait, hold on one sec. What do you mean there’s only a little more than one week until Chinese New Year? ? Honestly, can’t wait for the ang pows that will grace our hands soon.

And if you’re well-versed in Chinese traditions and all that stuff, you probably know about the thing with Chinese zodiacs and how each year represents a zodiac in a twelve-year cycle. It goes like this: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

Given that 2019 was the year of Pig, you might be able to guess which animal the year of 2020 represents. Yep, we will be entering the year of Rat on the first day of CNY! To be fair though, we do understand if you feel a bit cringe-y about the idea of rats. After all, it has been an animal with preeeeetty negative connotations for quite some time, such as that they’re unhygienic, or something much worse. But fear not, because Central i-City has something in its belly that might be able to help you find some love for these creatures with…

… this adorable eight-feet tall golden mouse CNY decoration

Okay, just go to any mall, and you can see the main halls all decked out in CNY decorations. But their decorations probably doesn’t have an adorable giant mouse as tall as eight feet, like the one you can find in Central i-City. You can easily find this golden mouse in front of an ancient Chinese house replica, where there’s a tea set equipped with replicas of tables and chairs from the olden Chinese dynasties.

Our friends actually paid a visit and you can actually watch the full video here!

And this is not the only cute mouse on display, okay? Around the whole CNY setup at the mall, there are also other cute mice around for you to take Instagram photos with, but they will be a bit smaller la.

Of course, a set up like this isn’t just for decorations. Central i-City has also organized a number of CNY-related activities for you to participate from the 8th of January to 2nd of February, 2020.

If you like watching artful performances, there are lion dances and wushu performances, among others. If you’re more of a…hands-on person, you can even join the Chinese opera fan painting workshop or even try sewing your own red packets to save some cash from having to buy them.

Plus, with the rising prices of pretty much everything, you know you need some prospe-rat-y luck! So, in lieu of that, the God of Prosperity will also show up every now and then and shower you with some ka-ching ka-ching vibes!

Honestly, the place has so much going on that it’s probably easier for you to check when everything is happening by yourself.

Oh yeah, and before we forget, just in case the events and decorations are not enough for you, Central i-City will also be giving you a chance to win RM29,000 worth of prizes. All you have to do is spend RM100 minimum in multiple receipts. Once you have those, then you can play a game at the Central i-City game booth. And if you manage to rank top 10 until the end of the mall’s CNY campaign, then you have a chance of becoming a winner.

It’s CNY la – starting the new year with some winning fortune doesn’t sound so bad, does it? (Btw for more info, you can go to their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centralicity/ or website: Central i-City)

Though if you are still skeptical, but you believe in stuff like Feng Shui and the alignment of stars or something like that, you might be pleased to know that…

… the year of Rat supposedly signals new beginnings and renewal? (BUT THEY’RE RATS?!!)

To the Chinese, instead of dirtiness and signs of food poisoning, people born in the year of Rat are clever, quick thinkers, and tend to be successful but are willing to live a quiet and peaceful life. Wow, have you ever thought that rats could become such a…positive signal?

Not only that, apparently, Rat-zodiac people are very likeable individuals, because they tend to be outgoing, cheerful, and sociable with others.

And the Rat became the first in the twelve zodiacs because, according to Chinese folklore, it was the first to complete the zodiac race, which is kind of a long story, so we’re not gonna get into that. However, because it’s the first among 12, Chinese culture, apparently, considers the year of Rat to be a year of new beginnings and renewal.

In general, when a new Rat year comes along every 12 years, it is said that new ventures often come with favorable outcomes. Some Feng Shui masters even believe that the 2020 year of Rat indicates a successful year filled with growth and accomplishments. And if your zodiac sign is a “close friend” of the Rat, you’ll get to reap more benefits than the others, like the Ox, Dragon, and Monkey.

So, you see, rats aren’t necessarily that bad…in the non-physical sense, at least.

But of course, that is just the general aspect of it. The year of Rat can mean different things for different zodiac signs, because of a lot of elements that the Chinese culture takes seriously, such as the day and time of birth and sometimes, even where you were born. You can always find out, even just for fun, what the year ahead can mean for you here!

Who knows? Maybe this is the year where you’ll finally hit the lottery and not have to spill sweat, blood, and tears to survive the year ;-;