Des Moines Register
02-13-07
Oink! 2 cultures celebrate Year of the Pig
Chinese New Year honors all the wonders of Iowa's top snit-throwing farm
animal.
By MIKE KILEN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Put down your pork chop for a minute.
Today's lesson: pigs.
The reason: Iowa is the U.S. hog capital, ranked No. 1 with 17.2 million in
residence - also known as "inventory" - an all-time high.
On Sunday, the Chinese New Year will be celebrated, ushering in the Year of the
Pig.
What it all means: On one hand, we have an ancient culture honoring the Year of
the Pig and on the other modern Iowa, the epicenter of swine production.
Intersection of two worlds: Weiguo Cai, 29, a native of China and graduate
student in animal science at Iowa State University, studies pigs.
"They function similar to the human population," he says. "They have all kinds of
moods. They know angry."
Yet they are beloved snit-throwers. He says China has more pigs than any place
in the world, and the Year of the Pig is considered a "lucky year."
Chinese legend: The lunar calendar is cyclical, and 12 animals were used to
name each of the 12 years in a Zodiac chart.
The cycle repeats at the last symbol, which is the pig.
Why is the pig last?
Because 12 animals had a race, organized by the gods, to see who went first.
The pig was lazy and finished last, according to the Chinese Cultural Center in
San Francisco.
What it all means: The Year of the Pig belongs to those born in 2007, 1995,
1983, 1971, 1959, 1947, 1935 and 1923, and so forth.
The Chinese predict characteristics of people born under each animal sign much
the way Americans read a horoscope.
For most, it's in fun. People born in the Year of the Pig are really quite great and
don't roll in mud.
They boast fortitude and honesty. They don't make as many friends, but they are
loyal and dear to the few who run in their confinement circles.
The mud slander: Pigs don't really like mud all that much. It's an able substitute.
They use it to cool off because they don't have sweat glands.
Given the option between a sloppy pile of mud and a crystal clear spring of
water, they will choose the latter, says Colin Johnson, Iowa State University
Extension specialist.
Pig celebrities: Arnold Ziffel in the 1960s sitcom "Green Acres" was constantly
threatened with brutal slaughter, what with his constant oinking around the farm
house.
But "Babe" in the movie of that name had a sweeter side, as did Wilbur in
"Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White.
Pig worship: Kan Wang of Ames, a native of China, said pigs mean prosperity and she's not just talking about money.
Piggy banks in China, she said, are for "storage of happiness," not coins.
On a rainy, depressing day, you go to your piggy bank and pull out stuff in your
piggy bank that makes you happy.
Once a staple hanging in the cellar to ward off hunger or called the "mortgage
lifter," the pig found a home on 104,000 of the 158,000 farm operations in Iowa in
1965.
As of 2006, only 8,700 of 88,600 operations housed hogs. Many hogs are raised
in large indoor confinements these days.
Pig happiness: Which leads to their general state of mind.
There are those who think an outdoor pig is a happy pig.
Pigs have a huge body, head shaped like a scoop shovel and four little pointed
legs, perfect for rooting for food underground, according to Paul Willis. His Niman
Ranch pork company markets pigs raised in the swine equivalent of minimum
security - able to play ball out in the yard as long as they don't make a run for it.
Pig smarts: Read enough on the pig and you'd think about calling them next time
your computer freezes and the info tech department is at lunch - again.
One Web site for vegetarians, goveg.com, said pigs are smarter than your 3year-old and your dog.
Others rank them behind only humans, apes, dolphins and whales.
Hogs literally smirk at the dim-witted cow.
Willis said they not only recognize their litter mates and friendly folk but when
they get out of the fence they come back in the same spot of their escape, as
predictably smart as IT telling you to reboot.
Pig food: The smart, friendly pig is also very good with barbecue sauce.
The Chinese, says Wang, enjoy every last snout and hoof of the pig with nary an
apology.
These Yorkshire or Landraces and Durocs and Hampshires (popular pig breeds
in Iowa) make fine bacon, roasts, chops, sausage, hot dogs and, most popular,
ham sandwiches.
How in the world gelatin is made of them shouldn't be printed in a family
publication.
"The modern pig is quite lean," said Johnson, busting another fatso stereotype.
"To many readers, our pork may be too lean."
The market hog on your plate lived a short life (six months) but packed on an
average of 265 pounds. Be sure that he helped feed many.
Even the snouts and feet are used and are popular in Mexico and China.
In China: It's your year, pig. And every 60 years there is an added mystical
bonus.
This is the year of the golden pig. The 12 animals are rotated through five
elements - gold, wood, water, fire and earth. Gold and pig match up this year,
and Chinese hospitals are expecting an increase in births as a result, according
to the Shanghai Daily. Golden pigs are expected to lead comfortable and happy
lives, while their animal symbol will be served with rice.