Chinese New Year is February 5th and people all over the world gather to celebrate. This is a time for friends and family to gather and preparations are made weeks in advance. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also gather together to celebrate and enjoy this time of family togetherness. Some visit the burial sites of ancestors and others tell stories about them.
Each year is represented by a different animal from the Chinese zodiac. This year is the year of the pig. So if you were born in 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, or 2019, then congrats! You were born in the year of the pig. Now before you complain about narrowly missing being born in the year of the dog, read up on some awesome pig facts.
Pigs value cleanliness, which is next to godliness
Pigs don’t have sweat glands, so they roll around in the mud to cool down and avoid sunburns. This has given pigs a dirty rep for being messy and gross. However, pigs are actually super clean animals. They have been known to avoid food that has been dropped on the ground and enjoy baths. House pigs, when given enough room to roam, won’t use the bathroom inside the house.
So basically, we should all aspire to be as clean as pigs. Besides having a nice physical space to live in, cleanliness invites the Holy Ghost into our lives.
Pigs are so smart they can play video games
No, you read that right. Pigs can play video games—and they can do it better than chimps, dogs, and 3-year-old children. They can also find their way through a maze, find food with mirrors, and comprehend a simple symbolic language. Pigs have also been trained to be service animals, though they are not officially recognized as service animals.
Next time you see a Sunbeam in the hallway, just know that a pig is probably smarter than that child. Cleaner too.
Pigs are social and playful
Pigs love to see each other and play all day! Pigs have even been shown to enjoy a variety in play, finding new toys and games to enjoy with others. They play well with other pigs and even people. Since most pigs are pretty big and sturdy, they play well with children and those who may lack the fine motor coordination to be soft. You still have to find the right pig for the job, but they can make excellent playmates!
Next time you have to fill-in in the nursery, take a note from piglets and bring out a variety of toys for the toddlers.
Pigs are great moms
Mama pigs take their job very seriously. They find a nice, safe, and secluded place to have their babies. Mama pigs love their little piglets very much and get stressed when they are away from them for too long. After the piglets are two weeks old, their mom takes them out and teaches them all the survival skills they will need, just like a human mother.
President Monson once said, “One cannot remember mother and forget God.” Now when you think of moms, you can remember pigs too!
Pigs are heroic!
There are numerous accounts of pigs saving their furry and human friends. Lucky the pig saved her humans when their trailer home caught on fire. Dumplin prevented a robbery. There are also accounts of pigs finding help for humans that have suffered a medical emergency. So while we may not have a real life Spider-Pig, we do have heroic porkers out there.
Live the pig life
So all of you people born in the year of the pig, celebrate! Besides being associated with good fortune and wealth, pigs are just plain awesome. Celebrate the year of the pig by being cleaner, smarter, nicer, and heroic.
Also, take some time to learn about your ancestors. Family history is a worthy endeavor any time of the year, but sometimes we need a little excuse. One idea to try is finding ancestors that share a zodiac sign with you. If you want to know your animal, check out this zodiac calendar.
How are you celebrating the year of the pig?
