The Many Faces of the Rooster

The Rooster is traditionally considered to be a favorable sign. His crow is a sign of the break of dawn and the beginning of a new start, chasing away the ghosts and evil spirits of the night. The only creature of the Chinese zodiac with wings and, per se, is regarded as the messenger that attaches the two worlds of heaven and earth.

He has five virtues: knowledge, military expertise, courage, benevolence and credibility. His crest, `Kwan', means coronet, and stands for pen, the symbol of knowledge, while his claw represents the sword of military skills. When confronted by an enemy, the courageous Rooster fights till the end without retreat. He shares it to show his compassion when he finds food and he shows his reliability by never failing to show off on time.

Nearly every place with a country ambiance will not exist without an image of a rooster. Whether it comes as a basket, a statue, a wall hanging, a bookend or any decorative item, this avian has become a staple of any country-inspired interior design. There is much more going on at the back of it while most people would be grateful for it because of its rustic and homey charm. In fact, there are many stories and traditions associated with this animal than most would be aware of.

In the Bible, the rooster crowed three times when Peter, the apostle, denied Jesus. It stands for infidelity that signified the beginning of the Passion of Christ but in modern times. The animal, often seen on weather vanes atop Churches, is also a traditional reminder for people to follow the good direction and to be eternally watchful of evil forces. Walk to Emmaus, the international Catholic indoctrination group, has adopted its colorful image as a sign of their group's tribute to God's colorful creations because of the depth of the rooster's roots in the Christian faith.

For the Chinese, the rooster is a symbol of good fortune and is one of the twelve zodiac signs. They believe that the world is filled with positive and negative energies or Yin and Yang and the only way for people to live harmoniously is to maintain these two forces in perfect balance. The rooster is considered to be a positive energy which has the ability to influence the energies of the world in a positive way in general. Chinese believe the animal is a sign of fidelity as well as moral fortitude and honesty while for Christians it represents Peter's infidelity.

There are a lot of other explanations of the rooster as it is used by a variety of organizations and even nations all over the world. While the Greeks thought it was how the gods declared their making of a new day, people who dream of it are said to be reminded of life passing by. Some say it is highly esteemed by the animal kingdom, including lions, while in Italy, it is highly revered for having saved an entire village from their enemies when it crowed unceasingly and awakened everyone.

We can simply purchase different sorts of rooster-inspired decor and it has never been easier to find them nowadays. Of course, the Internet has played a major role in keeping the grand traditions behind this lowly animal alive. We can find a variety of stores devoted to rooster products which a lot now believe are far more than their financial value on the Internet.

Whatever course you may decide to follow in employing rooster themes in your home decor, be assured that you will have no problem in finding his image. Owing to the long history of rooster decor in the United States, there are frequently items at garage sales and flea markets and even antique shops.