Hong Kong ( CNN ) The Lunar New Year is here and countries throughout Asia are celebrating . But should we be ushering in the Year of the Sheep , Goat or Ram ? It depends , says Isaac Yue , who teaches Chinese mythology at the University of Hong Kong . `` The Chinese character yang can be translated as all of these animals -- even the gazelle is called yang in Chinese , '' he says . A wander through Hong Kong 's streets and shopping malls yields few definitive clues . Store windows are decked out with cartoon-like sheep , cheeky goats and curly-horned rams in a marketing bonanza some say is bigger than Christmas in the West . `` I 'd be more inclined to translate it as goat for the simple reason if you look at the way the character yang is written , even in its ancient form , you can see that there is a pair of horns so it more closely resembles a goat than a sheep , '' says Yue . Both sheep and goats are raised in China , but the former are only found in the grasslands on the country 's northern fringes . Goats are more commonplace . The ram -- a male sheep -- is a third candidate , preferred by some who do n't like the meek , docile characteristics associated with the sheep . Other places are clear which zodiac animal they are celebrating . In Vietnam , where the celebration is known as Tet , they are ringing in the Year of the Goat . Money changers in the country say they have struck up an unlikely trade in Nepali and Ugandan banknotes -- both feature goats -- and they have been changing hands at several times the official exchange rate as people clamor for something more unusual to stuff inside their lucky envelopes . Whereas in Japan , people have been busy dressing up their pets in sheep outfits and sending sheep-themed New Year postcards to mark 2015 . In China , the annual mass migration for Spring Festival , as the celebration is often called there , is taking place , with 2.8 billion trips expected as the country heads home or on vacation for the festive period . Of course , the confusion over the choice of animal is unlikely to dampen the festivities , which stretch for two weeks or more , and few Chinese are troubled by the English speaking world 's sheep/goat distinction , at least according to China 's official news agency . `` I 've never thought about that question before . Do we have to tell them apart ? '' Chen Xufeng , an office clerk in Beijing , was quoted by Xinhua as saying . `` I 've seen more goats in zodiac images , but I prefer to buy a sheep mascot , as sheep are more fluffy and lovely , '' he says .
The Lunar New Year , which begins February 19 , is celebrated throughout Asia . But should we be ushering in the Year of the Sheep , Goat or Ram ? In ancient China and India, it was believed that a new year began with the birth of a baby goat ( called a'ram') from its mother's udder.