| Chinese Zodiac Years |
|
The Chinese zodiac is based on 12 animals. These animals each represent a year on a 12-year cycle, and those born in those years are given the sign of the animal. Each year and sign has the attributes of the animal that represents it. The cycle begins with the Year of the Rat, and continues with Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The Chinese zodiac years is a doctrine that dates back more than 2,000 years and still is used today in matchmaking, usually with surprisingly good results. The Chinese zodiac years are actually in a 60 year cycle, thanks to the addition of the 5 elements of earth, metal, wood, fire, and water. These elements are based on planets (Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury.) To truly understand the zodiac years, you have to understand the combination of all the signs and animals. This gives much more meaning to a person’s personality than simply saying they are loyal and loving like the Pig. They may have the attributes of the element they were born under, as well as a secondary animal. Another thing you have to understand is that the Chinese zodiac year doesn’t begin until the Chinese New Year. The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle, so it varies from year to year. Many Westerners get this confused because the Western New Year begins always on January 1st. For example, someone might think he was a Sheep because he was born January 13, 2003. In reality, the Chinese New Year didn’t begin until February 1, 2003, so he was actually born in the Year of the Horse. This confusion can easily happen if one forgets that the Chinese New Year is based on lunar cycles and isn’t a fixed date. |