Did you know that February 14 was a momentous day? Yes, of course, it was Valentine’s Day. But it was also the start of the Chinese New Year. The Chinese name the years using a Zodiac cycle of 12 animal signs that include the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The year that is just beginning, 2010, is known as the "Year of the Tiger".
The year 2010 is also expected to become known as the “Year of the Poken.” We introduced you to the Poken social networking gadget toward the end of last year, when they began to come to America in large numbers from their native Switzerland. Poken has been making a splash at celebrity events such as this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Pretty soon you’ll be seeing them with influential people everywhere you go. If you don’t have a Poken, you’ll be left out of the fun.
Fear not. It’s really easy to get your own Poken and you don’t have to be a celebrity to afford one... or an entire collection. They’re less than $20 each. For that, you get your choice of PokenSPARK characters, a secure online portal where you can create your own virtual business cards and review your contacts, and your entree into the worldwide Poken community. Considering the importance of tigers this year, the Poken Tiger might just be your lucky Poken.
Were you born in the Year of the Tiger? If so, you are smart, instinctive, generally well liked, with lots of charisma and a strong desire to climb the ladder of success. Of course, you were born in one of these tiger years: 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, or 2010. Even if you weren’t born in the Year of the Tiger, a tiger talisman can still be your lucky charm... especially if it is a Poken Tiger.
Another way you can honor the tiger this year is to support efforts that protect the mere 3,500 tigers still in the wild. Yes, their numbers have dwindled from more than 100,000 just a century ago to near extinction today. Only 50 of the South China or Amoy tiger remain. There still is time to save the world’s last tigers before we lose them completely. Learn more about Tigers Under Threat and consider donating help save this magnificent species.