Lesson 50 : [Baby Businesses Bent on Milking the Golden Pig]

[MTM 운영진]

[Baby Businesses Bent on Milking the Golden Pig]

The year 2007 is the Year of the Pig, and word is that you can make a fortune in the year. Our pig-raising ancestors believed it brought luck if pigs showed up in their dream. Traders believed it would boost their business to hang a picture of nursing sow on their wall. Opening their shops on the first pig day of the year will help them make profits throughout the year. In short, pigs are symbols of luck and wealth.

2007 is especially special in that it is a “Red Pig Year”, which comes only every 60 years. Red, after all, is also the color of prosperity. Industries related to childbirth and baby goods have fueled the belief that babies born in 2007 will be wealthy, as will the businesses if their bet pays off. Much the same is true for the wedding industry, which already had a bumper year in lunar 2006 because it encompasses two spring solstices.

Businesses claim that 2007 is a Golden Pig Year, which comes but once every 600 years. However that may be, Korea is sure to experience a mini baby boom, in a small sign of hope for the country’s dismal birthrate.

A dream of pig means wealth or luck in the life of local Koreans. As many other Asian people Koreans hail the year of pig as a prosperous year among other 12 animal gods on the Chinese Zodiac. Korean people are excited about the coming of the year of pig as the year 2007 is not ordinary one but a very special year of pig, "the Year of the Golden Pig," which comes every 600 years.

A person born this year is likely to be a good parent. He may be easy to anger, but he is intelligent, honest, courageous, completes projects, gallant, and sincere. People born in these years are honest and straightforward. They can be relied on to see things through. They tend to be popular and make lasting friendship and are good neighbors.

The year 2007 is the "Year of the Pig," according to the Chinese zodiac. But it's not an ordinary pig year, which comes every 12 years it is believed to be the "Year of the Golden Pig," which comes every 600 years, according to fortunetellers. They say babies born in the golden pig year will have comfortable and wealthy lives.

In line with the myth, signs point to a baby boom this year. Obstetrics and gynecology clinics are counseling more about pregnancy and related industries are eagerly promoting baby products. Those believing the golden pig year say the special year comes every 600 years when calculating its frequency using a combination of the Chinese zodiac and yin and yang theory. But most fortunetellers or folklorists say they cannot find any grounding for the year of the golden pig.

Folklore Prof. Joo Young-Ha at the Academy of Korean Studies also said, "If the year 2007 is the golden pig year occurring once in 600 years, similar records should have been written in the 'Taejong Sillok,'" annals for King Taejong who ruled the Choson Kingdom 600 years ago. But there aren't any, so I guess the term `golden pig year has been recently made. Some believe the myth is ploy to boost the ever-decreasing birthrate.

■ Vocabulary
(Find out the meaning of words below.)

-Ancestors:
-ex) the camera obscura, ancestor of the cinema.

-Traders:
- ex) Quoted her £600 as a trade-in.

-Profits:
- ex) Did you make a profit?

-Prosperity:
-ex) the period or climax of the most success, power, prosperity, popularity, etc

-Encompasses:
-ex) a name that encompasses the three racing events of DOWNHILL, SLALOM and GIANT SLALOM. Compare NORDIC sense 3

-Dismal:
-ex) He finished a dismal thirteenth.

■ Discussion Questions

1. Do you know the “sign” of the year you were born?
2. Do you know the “sign” of others in your family?
3. Is the “sign” of a person import!ant in marriage?
4. Is the “sign” import!ant for your child and its future?
5. What industries are the first to benefit from the “Year of the Pig”?
6. If there is a Korean birth boom in 2007, what other business areas will benefit?

7. Do you believe in the use of astrological signs?

8. If you read about your “sign” how many descriptions are true?
9. Do you think this year will be prosperous for you?
10. Do you have any neighbors that are born in a Pig Year? Are they good neighbors?
11. Do you know of the other zodiac for birth signs?
12. Which do you believe?
13. If there is no record of a ?Golden Pig? year 600 years ago, do you believe this year is really a ?Golden Pig? year or just a Pig Year?
14. Have you seen ?Pig Year? signs or advertisements?
15. Have you received any ?Pig Year? gifts from businesses?
16. Do you believe that if there is a baby boom that it could cause problems later?