2007: Auspicious Year for Newborns?

Among young couples in Korea, there is a rapidly spreading rumor that 2007, the Year of the Pig, is actually the Year of the Golden Pig, which comes around only every 600 years. In East Asia, every year has a meaning of one of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Accordingly, next year is the year of fire. The rumor says that since next year is the year of fire, next year can be viewed as “The Year of Red (the color of fire) Pig” and if you take into account yin and yang and the five elements, it is actually the Year of the Golden Pig.

Obstetricians, maternity hospitals, and postpartum care centers across the country are receiving a growing number of phone calls from expectant mothers. Manager Lee Chang-sun of D obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Ilsan, Gyeonggi province, said, “The number of pregnant women who either visit doctors or receive counseling has increased about 20 percent from the same period last year.”

One source of Y maternity hospital in Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi province also said, “Usually seven to eight month-pregnant women come to visit doctors, and this month, there are 1.5 times more expecting mothers visiting doctors or receiving counseling.”

Demographics Professor Jeon Gwang-hee of Chungnam National University forecasted, “Korea’s fertility rate is expected to rise considerably in 2007 thanks to the rumor that 2007 is the Year of the Golden Pig and 2006 is a ‘twin spring year,’ which is considered a good time for marriage.

On Internet portal sites, already four to five online communities of expecting parents waiting for the Year of the Golden Pig have been created, including “mothers of the golden pig” and a “community for mothers of babies born in 2007; the Year of the Pig.”

On their end, companies are already engaged in fierce marketing and promotion strategies of their products incorporating the year of the golden pig.

Manufacturers have made various new products in the shape of the golden pig including accessories for mobile phones, storage boxes, and calendars. One clothing company made 15,000 baby clothes items with a printed pig picture on them, which will hit the market starting in December.

Some mass media sources have reported when exactly babies of pregnant celebrities are due, and one hotel launched a baby shower package product in October.

The Rumor about the Year of the Golden Pig Completely Groundless?

However, scholars and folklorists think that the seemingly plausible rumor about the Year of the Golden Pig is simply absurd.

Scholars studying destiny of people in light of the time, date and year of birth state that 2007 can be regarded as the “Year of the Red Pig”; however, thinking 2007 as the Year of the Golden Pig that comes around once every 600 years is seen as a “groundless exaggeration.” They have also pointed out that historically, the year that has the meaning of both fire and pig, which is called a Jeonghae year, has not had much significance in Korean folk-belief and tradition.

Director Ju Kang-hyun of the Korean Folklore Research Institute said, “In Korean folklore customs, there was a tradition regarding a pig as the symbol of birth and fortune and respecting it, but there has not been a time when people placed importance on a red pig or a golden pig. In short, the rumor is just preposterous.”

Philosophy Professor Song In-chang of Dajeon University said, “People born in the Year of the Pig tend to easily make a fortune, but at the same time, they also tend to have an unfortunate destiny of wandering and being unable to stay in one place throughout their lives. Since the theory of relating people’s destiny with time of birth places so much importance on incompatibility or win-win relationships among different elements and factors, there cannot be a year that guarantees nothing but luck to the people.”

In fact, among the 50 wealthiest men according to Forbes.com, there was only one man born in the year of both pig and fire, which was 1947. He is Stefan Persson, the president of H&M, the famous Swedish garment company (ranked 32nd on the list).

Why Now?-

The rumor of a golden pig year can be traced back to China. In China, the year of Jeonghae is indeed called the Year of the Golden Pig. There is a folk belief that children born in the Jeonghae year are blessed with good luck for financial wealth. It has been reported many times recently that for this reason, the number of pregnant women in China is currently surging. Lee Uk-yeon, a Chinese culture professor of Sogang University, said, “In China, the belief in the Jeonghae year was found only in folklore, but recently a pregnancy boom is actually emerging, especially in the southern part of China. However, even within China, there is criticism that a Jeonghae year has the meaning of fire, not gold, therefore it does not fit into the theory.”

There are many speculations about why the Year of the Golden Pig has appeared out of nowhere in Korea.

Folklore Professor Kim Myeong-ja of Andong University suspected, “The Year of the Golden Pig, already commercialized in China, seems to have been be spread in Korea by industries related to child birth.” Another analysis is that the concept has naturally found its way into Korea thanks to advanced Internet and telecommunications technology and a growing number of Chinese students studying in Korea. Other analysis that the Korean government has come up with this rumor intentionally after trying to find ways to raise Korea’s low fertility rate, draws a mixed response.

Professor Jeon Gwang-hee said, “Whatever the reason for giving birth to babies, it would be good new for the country as a whole if the low fertility rate rises. However, if many people give birth to babies next year, the children born next year would not be all that happy because they will have a higher possibility of facing fiercer competition to get into universities and to find jobs, compared to children born in other years.”