Chinese zodiac


The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the Chinese calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. The zodiac is very important in traditional Chinese culture and exists as a reflection of Chinese philosophy and culture. Chinese folkways held that one's personality is related to the attributes of their zodiac animal. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Identifying this scheme as a "zodiac" reflects superficial similarities to the Western zodiac: both divide time cycles into twelve parts, label the majority of those parts with animals, and are used to ascribe a person's personality or events in their life to the person's particular relationship to the cycle. The 12 Chinese zodiac animals in a cycle are not only used to represent years in China but are also believed to influence people's personalities, careers, compatibility, marriages, and fortunes.
For the starting date of a zodiac year, there are two schools of thought in Chinese astrology: Chinese New Year or the start of spring.

History

There are theories that suggest the twelve animals were chosen for their symbolic traits, based on their revered status in traditional Chinese culture. The selection process varied regionally before being standardized in the Han Dynasty. This standardization connected these animals into a cyclical timekeeping system, which is seen as a way to reflect personality traits and the broader society.
The Chinese zodiac, as an essential part of Chinese culture, started to take shape during the Han Dynasty. This era formalizes a twelve-year cycle, where each year is associated with a specific animal, as part of a timekeeping system. This system, known as the zodiac cycle, combined the twelve Earthly Branches with the ten Heavenly Stems to create a total of a 60-year cycle. Each Earthly Branch was linked to an animal, and to the twelve zodiac signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
According to legend, the Jade Emperor held a contest to decide which animals would be lucky enough to be included in the calendar. The winner of the race – the rat – received the first year of the 12-year cycle, and so on.
However, historical research suggests that the Chinese zodiac emerged after the establishment of the "Gangi Chronicle Law", with each of the twelve animals directly assigned to one of the twelve Earthly Branches. In this system, a person's birth year determines their associated animal, which is linked to a specific Earthly Branch and serves both a chronological function and a means of categorizing individuals into symbolic groups, akin to a genus.
In the Eastern Han dynasty, Xu Shen said that the character si was the image of a snake, and the same was true for hai and shi. Since the twelve Earthly Branches of the zodiac were easily confused, people replaced them with animals and borrowed the ordinal symbols to match them with the Earthly Branches to form a chronological symbol system.
In "Totem and celestial combination theory", it is suggested that the zodiac is ancient animal totem worship combined with astronomical images in astronomy.

Signs

The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat. The following are the twelve zodiac signs in order, each with its associated characteristics. The belief that everyone and every animal has a role to play in society conforms to Confucian beliefs in a hierarchical society. Just as Confucian beliefs persist in parts of East and Southeast Asia today alongside more modern social views, so does zodiac use.
NumberEnglishAnimalEarthly branchYin/yangTrineFixed element
1Rat shǔ zǐYang1stWater
2Ox niú chǒuYin2ndEarth
3Tiger hǔ yínYang3rdWood
4Rabbit tù mǎoYin4thWood
5Dragon/ lóng chénYang1stEarth
6Snake shé sìYin2ndFire
7Horse/ mǎ wǔYang3rdFire
8Goat yáng wèiYin4thEarth
9Monkey hóu shēnYang1stMetal
10Rooster/ jī yǒuYin2ndMetal
11Dog gǒu xūYang3rdEarth
12Pig/ zhū hàiYin4thWater

In Chinese astrology the animal signs assigned by year represent self-presentation or perception by others. It is a common misconception that the animals assigned by year are the only signs, and many Western descriptions of Chinese astrology only reference this system. There are also animal signs assigned by month, by day, and hours. The Earth is all twelve signs, with five seasons.
Michel Ferlus notes that the Old Chinese names of the earthly branches are of Austroasiatic origin. Some of Ferlus's comparisons are given below, with Old Chinese reconstructions cited from Baxter & Sagart.
There is also a lexical correspondence with Austronesian:
The terms for the earthly branches are attested from Shang dynasty inscriptions and were likely also used before Shang times. Ferlus suggests that the terms were ancient pre-Shang borrowings from Austroasiatic languages spoken in the Yangtze River region.

Chinese calendar

Years

Within the Four Pillars, the year is the pillar representing information about the person's family background and society or relationship with their grandparents. The person's age can also be easily deduced from their sign, the current sign of the year, and the person's generational disposition. For example, a person born a Tiger is 12, 24, 36, years old in the year of the Tiger ; in the year of the Rabbit, that person is one year older.
The following table shows the 60-year cycle matched up to the Gregorian calendar for 1924–2043. The sexagenary cycle begins at lichun about February 4 according to some astrological sources.
YearYearAssociated
animal		Yin/yangAssociated
element		Heavenly
stem		Earthly
branch
1924–19831984–2043Associated
animal		Yin/yangAssociated
element		Heavenly
stem		Earthly
branch
1Feb 05 1924 – Jan 23 1925Feb 02 1984 – Feb 19 1985RatYangWood甲子
2Jan 24 1925 – Feb 12 1926Feb 20 1985 – Feb 08 1986OxYinWood乙丑
3Feb 13 1926 – Feb 01 1927Feb 09 1986 – Jan 28 1987TigerYangFire丙寅
4Feb 02 1927 – Jan 22 1928Jan 29 1987 – Feb 16 1988RabbitYinFire丁卯
5Jan 23 1928 – Feb 09 1929Feb 17 1988 – Feb 05 1989DragonYangEarth戊辰
6Feb 10 1929 – Jan 29 1930Feb 06 1989 – Jan 26 1990SnakeYinEarth己巳
7Jan 30 1930 – Feb 16 1931Jan 27 1990 – Feb 14 1991HorseYangMetal庚午
8Feb 17 1931 – Feb 05 1932Feb 15 1991 – Feb 03 1992GoatYinMetal辛未
9Feb 06 1932 – Jan 25 1933Feb 04 1992 – Jan 22 1993MonkeyYangWater壬申
10Jan 26 1933 – Feb 13 1934Jan 23 1993 – Feb 09 1994RoosterYinWater癸酉
11Feb 14 1934 – Feb 03 1935Feb 10 1994 – Jan 30 1995DogYangWood甲戌
12Feb 04 1935 – Jan 23 1936Jan 31 1995 – Feb 18 1996PigYinWood乙亥
13Jan 24 1936 – Feb 10 1937Feb 19 1996 – Feb 06 1997RatYangFire丙子
14Feb 11 1937 – Jan 30 1938Feb 07 1997 – Jan 27 1998OxYinFire丁丑
15Jan 31 1938 – Feb 18 1939Jan 28 1998 – Feb 15 1999TigerYangEarth戊寅
16Feb 19 1939 – Feb 07 1940Feb 16 1999 – Feb 04 2000RabbitYinEarth己卯
17Feb 08 1940 – Jan 26 1941Feb 05 2000 – Jan 23 2001DragonYangMetal庚辰
18Jan 27 1941 – Feb 14 1942Jan 24 2001 – Feb 11 2002SnakeYinMetal辛巳
19Feb 15 1942 – Feb 04 1943Feb 12 2002 – Jan 31 2003HorseYangWater壬午
20Feb 05 1943 – Jan 24 1944Feb 01 2003 – Jan 21 2004GoatYinWater癸未
21Jan 25 1944 – Feb 12 1945Jan 22 2004 – Feb 08 2005MonkeyYangWood甲申
22Feb 13 1945 – Feb 01 1946Feb 09 2005 – Jan 28 2006RoosterYinWood乙酉
23Feb 02 1946 – Jan 21 1947Jan 29 2006 – Feb 17 2007DogYangFire丙戌
24Jan 22 1947 – Feb 09 1948Feb 18 2007 – Feb 06 2008PigYinFire丁亥
25Feb 10 1948 – Jan 28 1949Feb 07 2008 – Jan 25 2009RatYangEarth戊子
26Jan 29 1949 – Feb 16 1950Jan 26 2009 – Feb 13 2010OxYinEarth己丑
27Feb 17 1950 – Feb 05 1951Feb 14 2010 – Feb 02 2011TigerYangMetal庚寅
28Feb 06 1951 – Jan 26 1952Feb 03 2011 – Jan 22 2012RabbitYinMetal辛卯
29Jan 27 1952 – Feb 13 1953Jan 23 2012 – Feb 09 2013DragonYangWater壬辰
30Feb 14 1953 – Feb 02 1954Feb 10 2013 – Jan 30 2014SnakeYinWater癸巳
31Feb 03 1954 – Jan 23 1955Jan 31 2014 – Feb 18 2015HorseYangWood甲午
32Jan 24 1955 – Feb 11 1956Feb 19 2015 – Feb 07 2016GoatYinWood乙未
33Feb 12 1956 – Jan 30 1957Feb 08 2016 – Jan 27 2017MonkeyYangFire丙申
34Jan 31 1957 – Feb 17 1958Jan 28 2017 – Feb 15 2018RoosterYinFire丁酉
35Feb 18 1958 – Feb 07 1959Feb 16 2018 – Feb 04 2019DogYangEarth戊戌
36Feb 08 1959 – Jan 27 1960Feb 05 2019 – Jan 24 2020PigYinEarth己亥
37Jan 28 1960 – Feb 14 1961Jan 25 2020 – Feb 11 2021RatYangMetal庚子
38Feb 15 1961 – Feb 04 1962Feb 12 2021 – Jan 31 2022OxYinMetal辛丑
39Feb 05 1962 – Jan 24 1963Feb 01 2022 – Jan 21 2023TigerYangWater壬寅
40Jan 25 1963 – Feb 12 1964Jan 22 2023 – Feb 09 2024RabbitYinWater癸卯
41Feb 13 1964 – Feb 01 1965Feb 10 2024 – Jan 28 2025DragonYangWood甲辰
42Feb 02 1965 – Jan 20 1966Jan 29 2025 – Feb 16 2026SnakeYinWood乙巳
43Jan 21 1966 – Feb 08 1967Feb 17 2026 – Feb 05 2027HorseYangFire丙午
44Feb 09 1967 – Jan 29 1968Feb 06 2027 – Jan 25 2028GoatYinFire丁未
45Jan 30 1968 – Feb 16 1969Jan 26 2028 – Feb 12 2029MonkeyYangEarth戊申
46Feb 17 1969 – Feb 05 1970Feb 13 2029 – Feb 02 2030RoosterYinEarth己酉
47Feb 06 1970 – Jan 26 1971Feb 03 2030 – Jan 22 2031DogYangMetal庚戌
48Jan 27 1971 – Feb 14 1972Jan 23 2031 – Feb 10 2032PigYinMetal辛亥
49Feb 15 1972 – Feb 02 1973Feb 11 2032 – Jan 30 2033RatYangWater壬子
50Feb 03 1973 – Jan 22 1974Jan 31 2033 – Feb 18 2034OxYinWater癸丑
51Jan 23 1974 – Feb 10 1975Feb 19 2034 – Feb 07 2035TigerYangWood甲寅
52Feb 11 1975 – Jan 30 1976Feb 08 2035 – Jan 27 2036RabbitYinWood乙卯
53Jan 31 1976 – Feb 17 1977Jan 28 2036 – Feb 14 2037DragonYangFire丙辰
54Feb 18 1977 – Feb 06 1978Feb 15 2037 – Feb 03 2038SnakeYinFire丁巳
55Feb 07 1978 – Jan 27 1979Feb 04 2038 – Jan 23 2039HorseYangEarth戊午
56Jan 28 1979 – Feb 15 1980Jan 24 2039 – Feb 11 2040GoatYinEarth己未
57Feb 16 1980 – Feb 04 1981Feb 12 2040 – Jan 31 2041MonkeyYangMetal庚申
58Feb 05 1981 – Jan 24 1982Feb 01 2041 – Jan 21 2042RoosterYinMetal辛酉
59Jan 25 1982 – Feb 12 1983Jan 22 2042 – Feb 09 2043DogYangWater壬戌
60Feb 13 1983 – Feb 01 1984Feb 10 2043 – Jan 29 2044PigYinWater癸亥

Compatibility

As the Chinese zodiac is derived according to the ancient Five Elements Theory, every Chinese sign is associated with five elements with relations, among those elements, of interpolation, interaction, over-action, and counter-action—believed to be the common law of motions and changes of creatures in the universe. Different people born under each animal sign supposedly have different personalities, and practitioners of Chinese astrology consult such traditional details and compatibilities to offer putative guidance in life or for love and marriage. A common way to explore zodiac compatibility is with a chart showing how each zodiac sign interacts other signs. For example, constellations that are considered compatible with each other may have similar values and interests, while incompatible constellations may have conflicting personalities and ways of communicating.
SignBest match. 4 Trines.Best match. Six Harmonies.Average match.Super bad. Six Offending Groups.Harmful. Six Harming Groups.Punishment Groups. More harmful than harming and offending.
RatDragon, MonkeyOxPig, Tiger, Dog, Snake, Rooster, RatHorseGoatRabbit
OxSnake, RoosterRatMonkey, Dog, Rabbit, Tiger, Dragon, Pig, OxGoatHorse-
TigerHorse, DogPigRabbit, Dragon, Rooster, Rat, Goat, Ox, TigerMonkeySnake-
RabbitGoat, PigDogTiger, Monkey, Rabbit, Ox, Horse, SnakeRoosterDragonRat
DragonRat, MonkeyRoosterTiger, Snake, Horse, Goat, Pig, OxDogRabbitDragon
SnakeOx, RoosterMonkeyHorse, Dragon, Goat, Dog, Rabbit, Rat, SnakePigTiger-
HorseTiger, DogGoatSnake, Rabbit, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, MonkeyRatOxHorse
GoatRabbit, PigHorseSnake, Goat, Dragon, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, TigerOxRat-
MonkeyRat, DragonSnakeMonkey, Dog, Ox, Goat, Rabbit, Rooster, HorseTigerPig-
RoosterOx, SnakeDragonHorse, Goat, Pig, Tiger, Monkey, RatRabbitDogRooster
DogTiger, HorseRabbitMonkey, Pig, Rat, Ox, Snake, Goat, DogDragonRooster-
PigRabbit, GoatTigerRat, Rooster, Dog, Dragon, Horse, OxSnakeMonkeyPig

Origin stories

Many stories and fables explain the beginning of the zodiac. Since the Han dynasty, the twelve Earthly Branches have been used to record the time of day. However, for entertainment and convenience, they were replaced by the twelve animals, and a mnemonic refers to the behavior of the animals:
Earthly Branches may refer to a double-hour period. In the latter case it is the center of the period; for instance, 馬 mǎ means noon as well as a period from 11:00 to 13:00.
AnimalName of the periodPeriodThis is the time when...
Rat子時 Zǐshí23:00 to 00:59Rats are most active in seeking food. Rats also have a different number of digits on front and hind legs, thus earning Rat the symbol of "turn over" or "new start"
Ox丑時 Chǒushí01:00 to 02:59Oxen begin to chew the cud slowly and comfortably
Tiger寅時 Yínshí03:00 to 04:59Tigers hunt their prey more and show their ferocity
Rabbit卯時 Mǎoshí05:00 to 06:59The Jade Rabbit is busy pounding herbal medicine on the Moon according to the tale
Dragon辰時 Chénshí07:00 to 08:59Dragons are hovering in the sky to give rain
Snake巳時 Sìshí09:00 to 10:59Snakes are leaving their caves
Horse午時 Wǔshí11:00 to 12:59The sun is high overhead and while other animals are lying down for a rest, horses are still standing
Goat未時 Wéishí13:00 to 14:59Goats eat grass and urinate frequently
Monkey申時 Shēnshí15:00 to 16:59Monkeys are lively
Rooster酉時 Yǒushí17:00 to 18:59Roosters begin to get back to their coops
Dog戌時 Xūshí19:00 to 20:59Dogs carry out their duty of guarding the houses
Pig亥時 Hàishí21:00 to 22:59Pigs are sleeping sweetly

Great Race

An ancient folktale called "The Great Race" tells of the Jade Emperor's decree that the years on the calendar would be named for each animal in the order they reached him. To get there, the animals would have to cross a river.

Variations

Another version of the folktale tells that the Rat deceived the Ox into letting it jump on its back by promising the Ox that it could hear the Rat sing, before jumping off at the finish line and finishing first. Another variant says that the Rat cheated the Cat out its place at the finish line, by hiding on the back of the Dog, who was too focused to notice that he had a stow-away. The Cat tried to attack the rat in retaliation, but hurt the Dog by accident. This is said to account for the antagonistic dynamic between cats and rats, beyond normal predator and prey behavior, and also why dogs and cats fight.
In Chinese mythology, a story tells that the cat was tricked by the Rat so it could not go to the banquet. This is why the Cat is ultimately not part of the Chinese zodiac.
In Buddhist legend Gautama Buddha summoned all animals of the Earth to come before him before his departure from this Earth, but only twelve animals came to bid him farewell. To reward these animals, he named a year after each of them in the order they had arrived.
The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were developed in the early stages of Chinese civilization, so therefore it is difficult to investigate its real origins. Most historians agree that the Cat is not included, as cats had not yet been introduced to China from India with the arrival of Buddhism. However until recently, the Vietnamese moved away from their traditional texts and literature and, unlike all other countries who follow the Sino lunar calendar, include the Cat instead of the Rabbit as a zodiac animal. The most common explanation is that cats are worshipped by farmers in East Asia, believing that cats' luck and prosperity protects their crops. Another popular cultural reason is that the ancient word for rabbit sounds like cat.

Adaptations

The Chinese zodiac signs are also used by cultures other than Chinese. For example, they usually appear on Korean New Year and Japanese New Year's cards and stamps. The United States Postal Service and several other countries' postal services issue a "Year of the ____" postage stamp each year to honor this Chinese heritage.
The zodiac is widely used in commercial culture, for example, in the Chinese New Year market, and popular zodiac-related products, such as crafts, toys, books, accessories, and paintings and Chinese lunar coins. The coins depict zodiac animals, inspired the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins, as well as varieties from Australia, South Korea, and Mongolia.
The Chinese zodiac is also used in some Asian countries that were under the cultural influence of China. However, some of the animals in the zodiac may differ by country.

Asian

The Korean zodiac includes the Sheep instead of the Goat, although the Chinese source of the loanword yang may refer to any goat-antelope.
The Japanese zodiac includes the Sheep instead of the Goat, and the Wild boar instead of the Pig. Since 1873, the Japanese have celebrated the Japanese New Year on 1 January as per the Gregorian calendar.
The Filipino zodiac includes the Ram/Sheep instead of the Goat, for the Filipino-Chinese source of the loanword tupa may refer to any goat-antelope.
The Vietnamese zodiac varies from the Chinese zodiac with the second animal being the Water Buffalo instead of the Ox, and the fourth animal being the Cat instead of the Rabbit.
The Cambodian zodiac is exactly identical to that of the Chinese although the dragon is interchangeable with the Neak Cambodian sea snake. Sheep and Goat are interchangeable as well. The Cambodian New Year is celebrated in April, rather than in January or February as it is in China and most countries.
The Cham zodiac uses the same order as the Chinese zodiac, but replaces the Monkey with the turtle.
Similarly the Malay zodiac replaces the Rabbit with the mousedeer and the Pig with the tortoise. The Dragon is normally equated with the nāga but it is sometimes called Big Snake while the Snake sign is called Second Snake. This is also recorded in a 19th-century manuscript compiled by John Leyden.
The Thai zodiac includes a nāga in place of the Dragon and begins, not at the Chinese New Year, but either on the first day of the fifth month in the Thai lunar calendar, or during the Songkran New Year festival, depending on the purpose of the use.
Historically, Lan Na also replaces pig with elephant. While modern Thai have returned to pig, its name is still กุน, retaining the actual word for elephant in the zodiac.
The Gurung zodiac in Nepal includes a Cow instead of an Ox, a Cat instead of Rabbit, an Eagle instead of a Dragon, a Bird instead of a Rooster, and a Deer instead of a Pig.
The Bulgar calendar used from the 2nd century and that has been only partially reconstructed uses a similar sixty-year cycle of twelve animal-named years groups.
The Old Mongol calendar uses the Mouse, the Ox, the Leopard, the Hare, the Crocodile, the Serpent, the Horse, the Sheep, the Monkey, the Hen, the Dog and the Hog.
The Tibetan calendar replaces the Rooster with the bird.
The Volga Bulgars, Kazars and other Turkic peoples replaced some animals by local fauna: Leopard, Fish or Crocodile, Hedgehog, Elephant, and Camel.
In the Persian version of the Eastern zodiac brought by Mongols during the Middle Ages, the Chinese word lóng and Mongol word lū was translated as nahang meaning "water beast", and may refer to any dangerous aquatic animal both mythical and real. In the 20th century the term nahang is used almost exclusively as meaning Whale, thus switching the Loong for the Whale in the Persian variant.
In the traditional Kazakh version of the twelve-year animal cycle, the Dragon is replaced by a snail, and the Tiger appears as a leopard.
In the Kyrgyz version of the Chinese zodiac the words for the Dragon, Monkey and Tiger are only found in Chinese zodiac names, other animal names include Mouse, Cow, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Chicken, Dog and Wild boar.
In the Turkish version of zodiac, the animals are almost the same, but it replaces Tiger with Leopard, Dragon with Fish and Goat with Sheep. Remarkably, the practise of zodiac persisted since the Ottoman Empire, including the presence of Pig despite contradicting Islamic rule.

English translation

Due to confusion with synonyms during translation, some of the animals depicted by the English words did not exist in ancient China. For example:
  • The term Rat can be translated as Mouse, as there are no distinctive words for the two genera in Chinese. However, Rat is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms.
  • The term Ox, a castrated Bull, can be translated interchangeably with other terms related to Cattle and Buffalo. However, Ox is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms.
  • The term Rabbit can be translated as Hare, as 卯 do not distinguish between the two genera of leporids. As hares are native to China and most of Asia and rabbits are not, this would be more accurate. However, in colloquial English Rabbit can encompass hares as well.
  • The term Snake can be translated as Serpent, which refers to a large species of snake and has the same behavior, although this term is rarely used.
  • The term Goat can be translated interchangeably with other terms related to Sheep. However, Goat is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms.
  • The term Rooster can be translated interchangeably with Chicken, as well as the female Hen. However, Rooster is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms in English-speaking countries.

    Discussions on Specific Years

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    General Information on Chinese Astrology

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