Happy Chinese New Year which is January 25th, 2020 (China Highlights)
Here comes a new Lunar Year, and it seems that it’s going to be dynamic! According to Chinese astrology, 2020 is the year of the Metal Rat, meaning that people with Metal or Water as characteristic elements will have a great year. However, let’s not forget that Metal and Water are in opposition: duality strikes again, even if the only thing we ever see is the bright side of the Moon, there’s the hidden, dark side that completes it.
Oldest Lunar Calendar on Earth (NASA)
The Western World as we know it uses the Gregorian Calendar, which is based on the sun’s movements, while the Chinese use a lunar calendar (lunisolar, to be exact) – based on the movement of the moon. The Chinese New Year, although occurring in the Winter, is also called the Spring Festival, marking the end of the coldest part of a year, and celebrating a new beginning of a life cycle, the beginning of Spring. This holiday is believed to have originated during the Shang Dynasty (1600 to 1100 B.C.), a celebration during which people offered sacrifices to gods and ancestors to welcome the arrival of the Spring.
Phases of Moon (Pexels)
Lunar calendars are primordial calendars: even the calendar we use commonly today (Gregorian) evolved out of a lunar calendar system, and traces of the ancient lunation cycles are present to this day, all over the world: Chinese New Year, Ramadan, Diwali, Rosh Hashanah and Easter all revolve around phases of the Moon. The actual word calendar derives from the Latin word calendarium – meaning register and structure – things ancient Latins really took pleasure in, but even pre-Julius Caesar Romans oriented their lives to a solely lunar calendar! The fact is that in historical terms adoption of the Gregorian calendar model occurred only recently, with Russia accepting it in 1919 and China in 1949. But, the traditional Chinese Year is always calculated in accordance with the moon, this being the reason why its exact date varies from year to year: new moon sets the date and new beginnings!
Spring Festival (Pexels)
It’s Year of The Rat, Metal Rat by heavenly branches, so besides wearing red – the color of wealth, prosperity, happiness and wealth to ward off evil spirits and bad luck, let’s take a closer look at befitting perfumes to celebrate in style:
Spirit of Water, Neil Morris Fragrances, Neil Morris (Vault Collection)
A memory of happy days spent at a lake, resting near still water and observing flowering meadows: Neil gives us a tender white floral, not overly aquatic at all. Spirit of Water shines softly like dew on fresh-green tree leaves, murmurs like a clear, shallow creek on a bright, Spring day. This is an uplifting aqueous floral, very subtle in the opening. As the fragrance warms up on your skin, you start noticing tender, white jasmine flowers. Streaks of warm haziness that roll in like a spring breeze provide very gentle sweetness and skin close tenderness. Freshwater, open-air, and soft rays of sunshine touch your skin and hair, and you can feel the scent your body radiates. The flow is slow and relaxing: nothing overshadows the feeling of a bright, new day immersed in musky florals and a very light touch of almost milky sweet, vanilla tainted Tonka. Stillness, calmness, and fluidity. Drink the water, remember the source“ is an ancient Chinese saying reminding us to be grateful for all our blessings, and not to forget where our happiness comes from.
Notes: Wisteria, Water Lilly, Jasmine, Poppy, Clean Musk, Tonka Bean
Fou d’Opium, DSH Perfumes, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz (2015)
Yang to Water’s Yin, metal in the Chinese New Year of the Rat signifies persistence, strength, and determination. Since it is also considered to enhance your appreciation of luxury, good things in life, and strength, instead of reaching for a contemporary aldehyde-centered fragrance (which would be a logical choice if we’re talking „metal“), I decided to choose something exactly opposite to expected, „metal“ notes, stressing the element of luxury: YSL Opium was inspired by China after all and Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Fou d’Opium is a statement of love – for Opium! Well, dear vintage Opium lovers: Fou d’Opium is not an identical recreation of THE Opium – this is an homage to the masterpiece. Fou d’Opium is sensual, leaning toward animalic, spiced-up and glowing, openly exhibiting its heart made of exuberant florals after the initial aldehydes sparkle and attraction. YSL Opium, 1977’s edition fans should rejoice because this is a fine tribute. If you’ve never been drawn to the original, vintage version, this fresher, lighter on florals and spices, urban&carefree, a bit tamer reinterpretation might be exactly your kind of – Opium. An obsession, without a scandal. Persistence and strength.
Notes: Aldehydes, Ambergris, Australian sandalwood, Bergamot, Brazilian Vetiver, Bulgarian rose absolute, Bulgarian rose otto, Carnation, Castoreum, Centifolia rose absolute, Cinnamon bark, Citrus oil, Civet, Clove bud, East Indian patchouli, Egyptian neroli, Gradiflorum jasmine, Incense, Muguet, Orris concrete, Peach, Pimento berry, Plum, Siam benzoin, Spices, Tolu balsam, Vanilla absolute, Ylang-ylang.
MyLo, (My Laboratorio Olfattivo), Laboratorio Olfattivo, Luca Maffei 2016
White is the color of the metal as an element, and MyLo with notes of white flowers is fresh and sparkling in the opening. White, as white Lilly and sharp jasmine follow, becomes a not overly sweet, waxy and iris-powdery white floral that in time turns ambery-musky. This kind of white is not cold or stripped of emotions, various white flowers blend and display a whole variety of shades of white: light, bitter, spicy, warm, indolic, sweet, and woody – quite a different white Lilly interpretation than usual ones. The powdery orris cloud of whiteness is lovely, and the overall composition of different „white flowers“ notes and accords is smooth and addictive, while lilac and jasmine form a quite carnal duo all the way to the drydown, which is – white, again, with musks and white amber.
Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Yellow Mandarin, Pink Peppercorn, White Lily, Jasmine, Iris, Rose, Benzoin, Vanilla, White Amber, Musk.
May you achieve success, happiness, prosperity, and smell wonderfull in the New Chinese Year of The Rat “Gong hei fat choy”
Elena Cvjetkovic, Senior Contributor and Author of The Plum Girl
Disclaimer: samples were graciously gifted to me by brands, opinons – as always – of my own.
Thanks to the generosity of Neil Morris and Dawn Spencer Hurwitz we have a draw for two readers as follows: your choice of a 1oz bottle of Neil Morris Fragrances Spirit of Water for one registered reader anywhere in the world or a 10 ml VDP of Fou d’ Opium for a reader anywhere in the world. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoy most about Chinese New Year, what you learned from Elena’s overview of Chines New Year 2020, which of the two perfumes we are offering as a draw you would choose and where you live. Draw closes on Chinese New Year 2020, January 25, 2020
Photos: Elena Cvjetkovic, Pexels, China Highlights, NASA, DSH Perfumes, Neil Morris Fragrances, Laboratorio Olfattivo
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