January 25th kicks off the start of another Chinese Lunar New Year! We now begin the year of the Metal Rat.
Many people know about the 12 Chinese zodiac animals (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig), but not too many people know much about the elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) associated with each year. As the 12 animals repeat in a cycle every 12 years, so do the elements - every 5 years. And, this year (2020) happens to be one of the Metal Rat.
Here's a fun, little math problem for you to figure out:
If 2020 begins the Year of the Rat, what year will it be the next time that we celebrate the Year of the Rat? And, as this is a Metal Rat year, what year will the next Metal Rat be?
Hint: This is an LCM problem.
Wishing you all a prosperous 2020!
