Chinese New Year is on the way!

Imagine tomorrow is the Chinese New Year, Spring Festival (Chūn jié 春节), 27th of this month! This year is the year of the Rooster (jī nián 鸡年). If you were born in the year 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, then you are a Rooster. Very interesting.

Each year, the Chinese calendar assigns an animal from a rotating zodiac of 12 animals. The 12 animals cycle through rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. 2016 was the Year of the Monkey.

Here are some of the world's most famous Roosters: Beyoncé, Bob Marley, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears.

Personality: People born in a year of the Rooster are very observant, hardworking, resourceful, courageous, and talented. Roosters are very confident in themselves. Roosters are always active, amusing, and popular within a crowd.

Roosters are talkative, outspoken, frank, open, honest, and loyal individuals. They like to be the center of attention and always appear attractive and beautiful.

People born in a year of the Rooster are typically healthy people. They are active and enjoy sports and don't get sick very often because they tend to fight illness well. Roosters are a little sensitive, and they feel stressed and moody at times.

Who am I? I was born in 1968 and I'm a Monkey, the Monkey King? OK, this is Wenqiang "William" Zhang, a Mandarin teacher at Sisters High School, Sisters, U.S.

These days the students are very excited because they have the opportunity to learn Chinese New Year culture and traditions, calligraphy and how to cook dumplings. It's good for students to learn different languages and become open-minded and international.

Let's pick up some Chinese greetings: Happy New Year! (Xīn nián kuài lè 新年快乐), May you have a prosperous New Year! (Gōng xǐ fā cái 恭禧发财).

Let's wake up early and work hard like Roosters. Our future is always bright and promising. Let's send our best wishes to the children, parents, relatives, friends and our nation for the coming new year. We hope the world we are living in and the communities we are staying with are peaceful and harmonious. We hope Sisters and brothers are always lovely, healthy and

wealthy.