Remember the Jade Rabbit living on the moon which is the pet of Chang’e? Together with the beginning of 2023, the New Year of the Rabbit has started! The Jade Rabbit must bring luckiness to us. Now let’s talk about this lovely animal in the eyes of different cultures.
Rabbits are quiet but agile, which means rabbits can move quickly and easily. There is a view of rabbits in Chinese culture as being smart and gentle. This is shown by the phrase “dongrutuotu”, a Chinese idiom praising people who are smart and agile like a rabbit.
In ancient China, it was commonsense that the more children you had, the luckier and happier you would be. This belief made the rabbit a popular sign of good luck, since rabbits are full of energy and have more babies in nature.
Similarly in the West, rabbits are well-known to be able to reproduce and thrive in difficult and surprising conditions. They are also considered to be super lucky, with several traditions explain how to gain the animals good luck for yourself.
A stuffed(毛绒的) rabbit’s foot is supposed to bring good luck. This is a good luck charm(护身符) that can be found all over the world, from the people of Europe to the traditional cultures of North America. The first place where a hunter(猎人) caches a rabbit is also a sign of good luck. Another tradition for good luck found in North Amen ca and the UK is to say the word “rabbit” on the first morning of every month.
So, with it now being the lucky animal’s turn on the Chinese zodiac(生肖), maybe the Year of the Rabbit can bring you some wonderful progress !
【小题1】What’s the relationship(关系) between Chang’e and Jade Rabbit?| A．Husband and wife. | B．Mother and son. |
| C．Boyfriend and girlfriend. | D．Owner and pet. |
| A．lucky | B．agile | C．sweet | D．lively |
| A．keeping a Chinese jade rabbit as a pet |
| B．holding a rabbit catching race every month |
| C．saying the word “rabbit” every morning |
| D．using a key ring with a stuffed rabbit’s foot |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
