Zodiac 2005 Year of the Pig

Author: Hu Zuqing and Li Haibo (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Your 2006 Zodiac Book, Get to Know the Twelve Zodiacs, Love Tumbles for the Pig Zodiac, Best Matches for the Pig Zodiac, Zodiac Charm Unveiled, and a Variety of Divination Games! In people's eyes, the pig is perhaps the most honest domestic animal. It's not as clever as the dog, which understands how to curry favor with its master and follows it around, doing everything in its power to please. The pig has a round, chubby, and innocent appearance, giving it a honest and straightforward demeanor. It eats when it's hungry and sleeps when it's tired, and its laziness is well-known among animals. Due to these characteristics, it is often associated with stupidity, laziness, greed, and ugliness, carrying a clear derogatory connotation in human culture. So, is the cultural symbolic meaning of the pig entirely negative, only used to mock human flaws? The answer is definitely not. The pig is used in a derogatory way solely because of people's observations of its outward behavior. In ancient times, the cultural significance of the pig contained no derogatory meaning at all. On the contrary, it was a measure of courage. Domestic pigs appear gentle and honest because they have been domesticated by humans for a long time and have lost their natural instincts due to isolation from nature. Wild pigs, however, are fierce and skilled in fighting, so based on this trait, the pig carries the meaning of "pressing forward bravely." As a domestic pig, it is so honest and straightforward, content with its own lot, and never harms anyone, bringing economic prosperity to people and becoming the "treasure casket" of farmers and ordinary people. Additionally, every part of the pig, from head to tail and every organ, is a delicious delicacy that people never tire of eating. Therefore, in Chinese culture, the pig has many other meanings and symbols. Naturalist Hessen said, "The pig is not as timid and obedient as horses, cows, or sheep; not as fearless as goats; not as hostile as geese; not as submissive as cats; nor as begging as dogs." In conclusion, in our lives, the pig represents stupidity, laziness, gluttony, lechery, and filth on one hand, but symbolizes courage, honesty, loyalty, caution, and truthfulness on the other.