2026: Year of the Horse

Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快乐 Xīnnián kuàilè! 

Grab your saddle and put on your riding boots – it’s time to stampede into the Year of the Horse. 

I've read that we can expect 2026 to be a good year.

And today, which is CNY's Eve, I had McDonald's Double Filet-O-Fish, the classic fast-food sandwich featuring two crispy, Alaskan Pollock fish patties, a slice of American cheese, and tartar sauce served on a fluffy bun. And of course, being a Malaysian, smearing generous dollops of chili sauce onto it. 

(To top it, I enjoyed a free fish prosperity burger on Mekdi).

I selected the fish sandwich because in Chinese New Year, fish symbolizes abundance, prosperity, and a surplus of wealth for the coming year. Due to the homophonic nature of the Chinese language, the word for fish, yu (鱼), sounds the same as the word for surplus or abundance (yu, 余), hence, my choice! 😁😁😁

I sense 2026 is gonna be exciting because it is a fire horse year! In Chinese culture, horses were considered critical for winning battles, giving rise to the saying “mǎ dào chéng gōng” – ”upon the arrival of a horse, the success is secured”. Therefore, the Year of the Fire Horse will represent action, speed and momentum. And success.

For sure, I could certainly do with some fire horse energy myself. 

This aside, may all of us prosper in the Year of the Fire Horse! 🔥🔥🔥🐴🐴🐴