新年快樂! (Happy New Year!)

2011

Okay, if you are a werewolf or you count your days by lunar calendar, you probably know that today is the first day of the new (lunar) year. It is also the beginning of the year of the rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. 


The image on the right is a Chinese character or logogram: a graphic sign which represents an entire word, such as "rabbit." Can you see the similarities between the character's strokes and the rabbit's shape? 


Over time, Chinese calligraphy has evolved as both a writing system and an art form. It is currently written in two forms: traditional and simplified. Although many consider the traditional form more aesthetically appealing, the simplified form has reduced the number of strokes needed to compose each character, making it easier to write quickly. Curved, or uncial and miniscule letters were developed during the medieval era for similar reasons.