16/02/2026
It's the Year of the Fire Horse. Or so the Chinese say. I do know the 12-year zodiac cycle, but not so much the elements, and I do not have the intellectual curiosity to find out.
The Chinese believe that someone who is born in a morning of the year of the Horse is a hardworking person. My mum always cites her one single data point as irrefutable proof - her father, who worked diligently until his very last day, and passed peacefully in his afternoon nap.
Well, we all know that anecdotal evidence is terrible science. So are the annual zodiac banners that bloom across every shopping mall and street corner this time of year. The fortunes are written vaguely enough to fit almost any outcome, and if it so happens the events don't align, there's always an asterisk and a disclaimer - results may vary.
Still, I understand the appeal. Life is uncertain, just as the flames of the Fire Horse flicker and dance in the night air. We grasp at even the frailest threads of certainty, because it makes the future a little less scary. And that is why to this day, people are still paying for those banners with vaguely written predictions and asterisks.
If you follow our "slice of life" account at , you'll know that Jojo is currently undergoing physiotherapy for her luxating patella, and Bear is scheduled to see the orthopedic surgeon for an assessment. These two buggers were born in 2021, the year of the Ox. According to a quick search: " the Ox enjoys outstanding success luck, featuring high energy and significant progress in long-term goals".
Let's just say this is one prediction that I hope comes true.
Happy Chinese New Year, however it looks for you, wherever you are.
