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This year is the Year of the Cat among the 60 zodiac signs created by the combination of 10 kan and 12 zodiac signs.

The first 10 gans are divided into the five elements of tree, fire, earth, gold, and water, respectively.

That's why it's called the Year of the Black Rabbit.

Rabbits are not only agile and clever, but also symbolize fertility and abundance.

From traditional relics to modern works, let's take a look at the meaning of the exhibitions celebrating the year of the rabbit.



This is reporter Lee Joo-sang.



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Rabbit, the 4th of the 12 zodiac signs, is due east, and the time is February of the lunar calendar, and the time is between 5 and 7 in the morning.



[Aran Oh/Curator, National Folk Museum of Korea: Jeong-dong is the direction where the sun rises, and from 5 to 7 in the morning is the time to start the day.

In the case of February of the lunar calendar, it is a period to prepare for a year of farming in a traditional agricultural society.] In



our traditional folktales, rabbits often appear in pairs of two rabbits.



This is because they are a symbol of fertility and abundance as they are good for couples and can breed up to dozens of them a year.



In real life, the rabbit's soft fur was used as brushes for classical scholars, and rabbit skin was used to make winter items.



Even in the 1950s and 1960s, rabbit meat intake was recommended, saying it was low in fat and high in protein.



Rabbits appearing throughout cultural heritage were the wishes of our ancestors to ward off bad energy and bring in good energy.



The rabbit wearing armor and holding a shield is believed to have served as a guardian of the tomb during the Unified Silla Period.



The couple in the shape of a rabbit on top of the blue waves looking down into the water is relieved after barely getting out of the dragon palace by demonstrating the wits of having left their livers on land.



Modern writers' interpretations are more realistic.



A clover, also known as a shamrock, and a rabbit looking for a four-leaf clover, a symbol of good luck, resembles a greedy human being.



The lively feeling of a rabbit that shrivels and bounces harmonizes with the strong life force of a dandelion and prays for a strong leap forward this year.



(Video editing: Choi Eun-jin, VJ: Oh Se-gwan)