Get Ready for 2020, the Chinese Year of the White Metal Rat

According to Chinese astrology, the Rat years are known as years of transformation. Many people might face some important changes, both in their personal lives and in their careers.

2020 is the Chinese year of the White Metal Rat, it starts from 25 January and ends on 11 February 2021.

The Rat is the first in the rotation of the 12 zodiac signs, so it marks the beginning of a new 12-year cycle.

Check out our photo gallery to learn something new about rats as symbols of the year. 

1/18

© Sputnik / Vitaliy Belousov

/

Go to the mediabank

Father Frost, who came from the town of Veliky Ustyug, holds a vase with a white rat in it, a symbol of the year 2020.

2/18

© Depositphotos.com / Igorr1

Kitchen pilferers

3/18

© AFP 2023 / Mauricio Duenas

A rat stands atop a police hat during a search of explosives practice on September 9, 2008, in Bogota. Colombian police is developing an investigation with rats to prevent land mines buried during the conflict.

4/18

© Sputnik / Sergey Pyatakov

/

Go to the mediabank

Sculpture 'Little Rat 'Boozer', 'Aristocrat Rat' and tea set 'Little Rat 'Thief' at the gallery of contemporary porcelain in Moscow

5/18

© Depositphotos.com / Bazil

White rat near a Christmas tree

6/18

© Photo : Pixabay / Simon Steinberger

The rat temple in India

7/18

© Sputnik / Alexei Danichev

/

Go to the mediabank

Marina, the wife of Russian zoologist Yevgeny Rybaltovsky, holds a Gambian rat 'Gambi'

8/18

© Photo : Pixabay / Falco

An image of a rat on the pavement - dedicated to the legend about a rat-catcher of Hamelin

9/18

© Depositphotos.com / Igorr1

Rats in the kitchen

10/18

© AFP 2023 / Sam Panthaky

Indian shop owner, Sonu Sharma, 26, nicknamed the Ratman, has over 50 rats. He adopted four white rats over a year ago since then they multiplied and he has kept many as pets.

11/18

© AFP 2023 / Stringer

A hamster performs tricks on 4 February 2008 in Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province.

12/18

© Sputnik / Alexey Kudenko

/

Go to the mediabank

Rat nicknamed Pukhlyash (Plumpy) sits under a Christmas tree in a zoo shop in Moscow

13/18

© Sputnik / Vladimir Astapkovich

/

Go to the mediabank

New Year presents and souvenirs at TSUM shopping mall in Moscow

14/18

© AFP 2023 / Nicolas Delaunay

A rat gets out of its cage in the premises of the Dutch police in Rotterdam. Since the end of 2011, the Dutch police trains rats to recognise the smell of gunpowder and drugs

15/18

© Depositphotos.com / Хxxenium7

The mouse sits next to the cat. A small kitten fell asleep. Rat's eating. Rodent and predator together.

16/18

© Sputnik / Vladimir Astapkovich

/

Go to the mediabank

A porcelain mouse statuette at TSUM shopping mall in Moscow

17/18

© Depositphotos.com / Elena_Barinova

A New Year present for a rat

18/18

© Photo : Pixabay / level17-design

A rat lies in a plastic house