五谷丰登、六畜兴旺 | wǔgǔ fēngdēng, liùchù xīngwàng

This week’s phrase from Xi Jinping’s New Years speech harkens back to China’s agricultural past to convey the good life. 五谷丰登 describes a plentiful harvest of five crops: millet, beans, hemp, wheat, and rice.  六畜兴旺 describes six essential farm animals:  “the cow can plow the field, the horse can bear weight, the sheep can provide a sacrifice, the chicken can announce the morning, the dog can guard against the night, and the pig can serve as a feast.”  Added together, 5 crops + 6 animals = security and abundance for your family in the new year. 

MEANING

Have a bumper harvest and may your domestic animals thrive  

ORIGINAL

在中国传统文化中，猪是六畜之首，猪年意味着风调雨顺、五谷丰登、六畜兴旺。天道酬勤。勤劳勇敢的中国老百姓，日子一定会越过越红火！我们伟大的祖国，前程一定会越来越远大！

SOURCE

https://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/leaders/2019-02/03/c_1124084002.htm