WELCOME TO AN ENTERTAINMENT SITE FOR SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCERS!
Enjoy this curated selection of theme-related dances for celebrations and holidays, or find a dance associated with a special calendar day, or EVEN your own birthday!
Feb 17
The Year of the Firehorse
Frost and Fire
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice."
~ Fire and Ice, Robert Frost 1920
Kick up your heels if you’re shivering in the northern hemisphere for the Year of the Fire Horse! If you’re battling cold and frosty weather and disturbed by general unrest in the world, take refuge in dance classes — a place of community, music, and beautiful movement.
This three couple straightforward reel begins with a double figure of eight which could be considered a lucky figure on this day. In Chinese culture, the number 8 is the luckiest number — and when it’s doubled, 88, the meaning becomes amplified: “double prosperity” or “fortune upon fortune.”
The Year of the Fire Horse is expected to be a lively, unpredictable one, and a bit of extra luck can't hurt!
In Chinese astrology, the Horse already represents speed, independence, and strong will — but when paired with the Fire element, those traits intensify dramatically. Fire is the most volatile of the five elements, so a Fire Horse year is traditionally seen as turbulent, a time when events tend to escalate quickly rather than unfold gradually. It’s considered a time when bold decisions, social upheavals, and sudden changes become more common, as people and societies are less patient and more inclined to act.
So fasten your seatbelts and ghillies ... it's going to be a bumpy year! 🧡 ❤️ 💛 🇨🇳 🐎 🔥
Frost and Fire
THE FIRE HORSE (丙午 – Bing-Wu) IN CHINESE ASTROLOGY
In traditional Chinese astrology each year combines:
one of 12 zodiac animals
one of five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water)
a yin or yang polarity
The Horse itself is already a yang Fire sign — energetic, fast, independent, impulsive.
When the element is also Fire, the energy doubles.
Fire × Fire × Yang = maximum intensity
This is why the Fire Horse year has a reputation for acceleration rather than simple bad luck.
It is traditionally described as a year when events move faster than society can comfortably absorb.
TRADITIONAL MEANINGS
Fire Horse years are associated with:
sudden political movements
social unrest or reform waves
market booms and crashes
dramatic leadership changes
accidents, explosions, and literal fires
bold inventions and cultural shifts
Not unlucky — unstable and catalytic
History tends to speed up rather than decline slowly.
THE 60-YEAR CYCLE
The Chinese calendar repeats every 60 years when animal and element cycles realign.
Fire Horse years:
1846
1906
1966
2026
next: 2086
1846 (pre-revolution atmosphere)
growing unrest across Europe
pressures building toward the 1848 revolutions
social systems approaching breaking points
1906 (shock year)
San Francisco earthquake and fires
industrial disasters
rapid urban and technological change
This year reinforced the idea that Fire Horse brings sudden breaks rather than gradual decline.
1966 (the most famous example)
Political and cultural upheaval:
Cultural Revolution begins in China
worldwide youth protest movements
authority structures challenged globally
Technological and social shock:
Vietnam War escalation
intense ideological polarization
counterculture explosion
Click the Firehorse below to find out what year in Chinese Astrology you are associated with ...
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
