The Chinese New Year is the most important of all traditional Chinese holidays, marking the end of the winter season. Every year, one of 12 different animals will correspond with the new year, each yielding certain information about individuals who are born in that year. For example, people born in the year of the pig are said to exhibit strength, chivalry and kindness. The Chinese celebrate the new year and its corresponding animal by adorning certain ceramic and plastic ornaments with painting and decorations.
Take a plastic or ceramic pig as the foundation for your project. The Chinese typically depict the pig as boarlike, with tusks and rough fur, and so your pig should resemble this kind of rendering.
Paint the pig a solid color, keeping in mind that colors have certain meanings in Chinese culture. For example, red typically signifies vibrancy, upward mobility, propriety and creativity, which would make it a good color for a pig because the symbolism of red complements the personality traits of a person born in the year of the pig. Black symbolizes stability, knowledge and trust, making it a good color as well.
Decorate the base color of the pig with additional colorful marks. These marks should take into account the symbolism of the colors in Chinese culture, and they should add some liveliness to the pig. Be sure to leave enough room for other decorations.
Adorn the pig with additional Chinese symbols or images. You can add the Chinese character for pig, which can be found at this website: chinese-symbols.com/chinese-zodiac.html. In addition, you could add other characters with uplifting meanings or draw pictures of smaller pigs. You can also draw nine dots on the pig; nine is a special number in the Chinese culture that represents prosperity and wealth.
Tie ribbon or tinsel around the pig's neck, belly or feet. This will be a good finishing touch and make the pig a good centerpiece for display.
