Lunar New Year Google Logo Ushers In The Year Of The Sheep – Or Is It Goat?
Many English speakers question whether the Chinese zodiac sign for "horned animal" translates to sheep, goat or ram.
After yesterday’s tribute to Alessandro Volta and the inventor’s first electric battery, Google has marked the Lunar New Year with an animated doodle on its homepage inspired by the Chinese Zodiac’s Year of the Sheep.
Because the Mandarin Chinese character “yang” merely translates to “horned animal” for English speakers, many question whether or not it is the year of the sheep or the year of the goat? (Or, possibly, ram?)
A folklore expert from the Beijing Institute of Culture and History told the New York Times, “Goat and sheep are different in French and English, but what’s that got to do with Chinese traditional culture?” He said the debate was silly.
Either way, this new lunar year represented by the sheep (or goat) will be one of peace, harmony and tranquility according to the Chinese Zodiac calendar, and will bring luck to anyone born during previous years of the sheep.
Here’s the animated logo showing the sheep setting off fireworks that light up the sky with Google’s letters:
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