The Year of the Tiger

The Year of the Tiger begins next week as many celebrate the Chinese New Year (which is also known as the Lunar New Year.) It is one of those special celebrations dependent on the second new moon, following winter solstice. In much of the world this festival is the marker of the end of winter and the beginning of spring. This seasonal shift is not close to being true in Alaska—but because we constantly need things to celebrate (at this time of year,) there is some real symbology to discuss regarding the Year of the Tiger and our Palmer Community.

Strongest and Smartest—In animal symbolism, the tiger is one of the strongest and smartest of animals. They are very competitive and ambitious—it would be a big reach to say that these two adjectives (competitive and ambitious) appropriately describe Palmer. So I dug a little deeper. Tigers are also known for being generous and courageous. Now that starts to sound like the Palmer we all enjoy. Generosity and courage are easy to find in our community.

Symbolic Winds and Storms— If you do some research you will find that both wind and storms are symbolic of both the roar and rage of the tiger! Tigers show their physical scars and so does our valley. In fact tumult has been frequent and bountiful in January. The prediction for the Year of the Tiger is risk-taking, adventure and big changes. As Alaskans we know the value in preparations addressing rapid changes and possible disruptions.

Most Important Analogy—The tiger symbolizes power and grace. The tiger is aware and grounded in the present. And the tiger presents a majestic presence. And most interestingly the tiger is linked to the mountain spirit and this fits perfectly. Of course what instantly comes to mind are our precious mountains which surround our town. Our mountains symbolize power and grace and constantly present a majestic presence. Just as the tiger sits still, presiding over his kingdom, so too, majestic Pioneer Peak sits solid, watching how we humans navigate our lives and challenging paths. If you squint your eyes a little you can see the tiger in our mountain range. The topography of the valleys and ridges become the tiger stripes. One ear is the peak itself. I painted a quick version for this for this column’s art. Our own white tiger—magnificent, watchful, intuitive and serene. Get ready for the Tiger!

Selected events This Week in Palmer: There is some nice ice skating right now along with skiing at Hatcher Pass and the Government Peak Recreation Area. Puddles are especially fun right now. Wednesday is Kayti Heller is live at Palmer Alehouse Upstairs Lounge. Thursday night is Cribbage at 203 Kombucha. On Friday is the Ice Maze at the fairgrounds. And on Friday is the 4th Annual Women, Wine & Wellness at the Palmer Train Depot at 6pm; Saturday is a Gumbo Cook-off at Church on the Rock. There is hockey this weekend in Palmer at the MTA Arena. There is a Pitching Clinic Softball at Palmer Junior Middle on Sunday at 1; On Tuesday is the Valley Real Estate Forum at the Valley Annex. Tuesday is also Senior Discount Day at Freddy’s. Groundhog Day is Wednesday. Stay safe Palmer peeps and see you next week!

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Her “Palmer Buzz 2022 Community Calendar” is available at the Palmer shops. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222