Cock-a-doodle-do! The Year of the Rooster is coming

China celebrates the Year of the Rooster in 2017 when the Lunar New Year begins on January 28.

The rooster is the 10^th animal in the Chinese zodiac. There are 12 animals in the zodiac with each one celebrated every 12 years. The next Year of the Rooster will be 2029; the last one was 2005. The number of days in a lunar new year varies, and is not the traditional 365 days on western calendars. The Year of the Rooster ends on February 15, 2018.

This is a special Year of the Rooster, one that happens only every 60 years. Lunar New years are based on elements: gold, wood, earth, water and fire. This is the year of the Fire Rooster. The last year of the Fire Rooster was 1957.  Fire Roosters are considered responsible workers, good timekeepers and trustworthy.

In general, roosters are considered hardworking, self-confident and talented.  They’re honest, outspoken and talkative. They like to be the center of attention.

Gold is a lucky color for roosters, but red, a traditional good luck color in China, is not. This year is considered an unlucky year for roosters, but they are expected to be lucky in the second, fifth and 11^th months on the lunar calendar.

Famous roosters include Barry Bostwick, Cate Blanchett, Brittney Spears, Caroline Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt and Serena Williams.