The Year of the Golden Pig has dawned.
People in South Korea are hoping for better luck in 2019 as pigs symbolize abundance and good fortune.
Our Kim Hyo-sun delves deeper into the meaning of the Year of the Golden Pig.
Pigs are seen as a symbol of wealth and good fortune in Korea as they give birth to many piglets.
During the 1970s and 80s, barber shops in Korea had images of pigs on their walls,... hoping to attract more customers.
Coin banks have also long been in the shape of pigs.
"Known to be fertile animals, pigs are often associated with abundance, and thus many believe that those born in the year of the pig will live a prosperous life. "
The Chinese character for 'home' is a combination of a modern character that represents a house on the top and a character below that represents a pig.
Likewise, people have domesticated pigs for a long time.
In Korea, pigs were used as sacrifice for memorial rituals for ancestors, and were a precious food source for the Korean people.
As 2019 is the Year of the Pig, and it's an Earth Pig year,... according to the Sexagenary cycle,... better known as ganzhi that consists of a combination of a color and an animal.
Earth Pig also symbolizes yellow, or gold,... and this is why 2019 is the Year of the Golden Pig, which comes just once every 60 years.
"2007 was the Year of the Red Pig, but it was marketed as the Year of the Golden Pig. But, this year is definitely the Year of the Golden Pig according to the Chinese zodiac. "
Thus, people in Korea are hoping to benefit from some lady luck in 2019.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.
