courtesy of © (@christophercline) — courtesy of © *(@christophercline)*

By Scarlett Davis

The Chinese New Year begins Today on February 16th, 2018, ushering in the year of the Dog. The Asian zodiac is characterized with hard-work and sensibility. Astrologers have projected progress for 2018 with people partaking in social and political activism on both a global and community level, which reflects the Dog’s virtue of being swift with due diligence for right and wrong. After a turbulent 2017, year of the Rooster, 2018 could only benefit from some perspective. Speaking of perspective, man’s best friend is literally larger than life on Chris Cline’s Instagram (@christophercline) where the photographer photoshops his one- hundred-pound Labradoodle, Juji, to a whopping height of 7ft. The account has amassed a following of 116k with spoken celebrity fans such as Ashton Kutcher, Adam Levine, and Lil Wayne. Together this Instagram star and his human go on car rides to the moon, explore the great outdoors, and visit far off corners of the world. Christopher Cline’s photos are grounded in both realism and fantasy, which have a way of bringing out your inner child, similar to the magic of holiday celebrations and rituals.

Chinese New Year is celebrated by one fifth of the world’s population and varies each year because it is based on the Lunar Calendar. The festivities last for up to two weeks, which are marked by an explosion of sound and light with firecrackers, bell ringing, along with people watching the traditional lion dances. On New Year’s Eve, families will gather for a reunion dinner and will then sweep away the bad fortune in the house. The holiday is celebrated around the world, but the main festivities are in China and other Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Korea. It is thought that the year of your birth, coupled with the year of your animal, reveal and determine personality traits. The 12 animals of the Asian zodiac are divided into two groups, Yin and Yang, based on the odd and even number of hooves, feet, toes, or claws. The zodiac is also a part of the clock and is used to tell time.

2018 will be the first year of the Earth Dog, since 1958. The zodiac signs also rotate in the elements of: earth, fire, wind, water, and air. The element of Earth is supposed to soften and bring out the gentile nature of the Dog. People born in years 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, and 2018 will fall under the year of the Dog. However, people typically have a harder time during the year of their sign, so people like Kate Middleton, Nicki Minaj, Saoirse Ronan, and Donald Trump should tread with caution. Other Notable Dogs include: Winston Churchill, Madonna, Mother Teresa, Bill Clinton, and Elvis. If you don’t know your sign, you check here.

If it is accurate to say that we can date Confucius’ year of birth, the ancient philosopher is also said to fall under the sign, famously saying “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” Astrologers speculate that 2018 could mean a year for great political action with people fighting for causes they believe in on both a political and local level. The Dog will see cooler heads prevail with emotions removed from problem solving. In the meantime, be sure to smile and scroll and scroll and smile as you look at Christopher Cline’s images of him and Juji. We all need a bit of escapism for perspective every now and then.