As the Chinese lunar New Year Day or Spring Festival approaches, which falls on February 19 this year, all kinds of sheep-themed products are filling the store shelves across the country. The reason: Yang Nian, the Year of the Sheep under the Chinese zodiac, is coming.

Traders are cashing in on the holiday mood. "Business is great! As the Spring Festival comes closer, more and more customers are coming to buy sheep mascots," said Zhang Qing, owner of a stand at a small wholesale market in downtown Beijing, joyfully displaying a pile of stuffed toy sheep. "I am selling more than 100 items a day."

In addition to stuffed toys, other popular sheep-themed items are pendants and decorations to hang on doors.

"I want to get some sheep items for my family and friends. I hope they will bring us good luck in the new year," said Li Yan, a girl choosing gifts at the stand.

This year is also the Year of the Goat as Chinese use the same word for both goat and sheep. Since the character yang also means auspicious, many people regard sheep and goats as symbols of good luck.

The character yang plays an important role in Chinese language and history. Chinese forefathers used to associate the sheep with good things, which is evident from Chinese idioms. For example, san yang kai tai, meaning "three rams bring bliss," has a positive and harmonious connotation. It symbolizes a good beginning, followed by a happy end.

Yang is also used to form other phrases meaning "beauty," "luck" and "kindness." Chinese started to rear goats or yang for their meat and the character da - meaning "big" - written under yang gives you mei, which means "beauty" or "goodness." To ancient Chinese, a big sheep or goat was more than good when food, especially meat, was in short supply.

It was said that sheep and goats were scarce in the southeastern region while fish was rare in the northwestern inland region of China. If these two delicacies come together, yang on the right, and yu (fish) on the left, you get a new character xian, which means "fresh," or "delicacy."

One of China's biggest cities, Guangzhou, has the yang as its symbol. According to legend, five gods descended from heaven, entered the city riding on goats and left six ears of millet for the locals to make them immune from famine. Then they flew away but the goats remained, turned into stone sculptures which still stand in the city center. Guangzhou is called the "City of Goats" even today.

 As per Chinese tradition, every lunar year corresponds to a particular animal. There is a 12-year cycle, starting with the mouse and then progressing to the ox, then the tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat/sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and finally, the pig. 

People born in a particular year have the "animal sign" or shuxiang of their birth year. Babies born in 2015 and people born in previous "sheep years" - such as 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967, 1955, etc. - share the sign of the sheep. They are said to be most compatible with those born in the year of the rabbits, pigs and horses.

In traditional Chinese belief, people who share the same shuxiang also share similar characteristics, temperament and even good or bad fortune. People born in the Year of the Sheep have many positive personality traits. They are often artistic, sensitive, elegant and charming. They attract friends and admirers who protect them. Typically, people with the sheep sign, while not very ambitious, are passionate about activities that harness their talents. They tend to be close to nature, greatly enjoy working in gardens and make successful careers in creative pursuits.