The Chinese Zodiac Animals

Unlike the horoscope used in the West,which is based on the months of the year. Chinese zodiac is based on a system of 12 years each of which is named after an animal.

This legend tells us how each year is named after an animal.

A long, long time ago, the emperor of the heavens held a race to decide how the years should be named, The rule is simple, all the animals took part in the competition to see what names the years should have and in which order they should come.

The race was held across the river, in the end it was the rat who won by tricking the ox into giving him a ride on his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox's back and won the race.

The other animals arrived in the following order: The rat came first then followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and lastly, the Pig. The cat came in thirteenth place, which is why it has never been honoured by having a year named after it.

Chinese zodiac signs are determined by the lunar year in which you were born. It is believe that the animal ruling your birth year has a profound influence on your personality and destiny. Chinese people say that your personality depends on the year you are born.

Let's see. . . Just look for The Year You Were Born And Find Out . . .

1924, 1936, 1948, 1960

1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

• Charming and quick-witted, rats love conversation and are good at solving problems.

1925, 1937, 1949, 1961

1973, 1985, 1997, 2009

• Stubborn and reliable, Ox types will work at something until it is completely finished.

1926, 1938, 1950, 1962

1974, 1986, 1998, 2010

• Brave, self-confident and forceful, Tigers have excellent leadership qualities

1927, 1939, 1951, 1963

1975, 1987, 1999, 2011

• Kind and considerate, Hares love to help people and have a natural gift for healing.

1928, 1940, 1952, 1964

1976, 1988, 2000, 2012

• Brilliant and imaginative, Dragons are usually one step ahead of everyone else.

1929, 1941, 1953, 1965

1977, 1989, 2001, 2013

• Quiet, elegant and clever, Snakes have a reputation for wisdom and good sense.

1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014

• Helpful and trustworthy, Horses love people and have boundless amounts of energy.

1931, 1943, 1955, 1967

1979, 1991, 2003, 2015

• Thoughtful and artistic, Rams will do well at anything that requires a lot of patience.

1932, 1944, 1956, 1968

1980, 1992, 2004, 2016

• Lively and unpredictable, the mischievous Monkey is always causing trouble.

1933, 1945, 1957, 1969

1981, 1993, 2005, 2017

• Stylis and flamboyant, Roosters are perfectionists who live life to the full.

1934, 1946, 1958, 1970

1982, 1994, 2006, 2018

• Friendly, funny and loyal, people born in the year of the Dog make perfect friends.

1935, 1947, 1959, 1971

1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

• Easy-going happy and warm-hearted, Pigs love a quiet, comfortable life.

What comes to your mind about the characteristics that your year of birth says, do they resemble any truth, does it apply to your friends?

One good thing about knowing the zodiac signs is, it serve a useful social function for finding out people's ages. Instead of asking directly how old a person is, people often ask what is his or her Chinese zodiac sign. This would place that person's age within a cycle of 12 years and with a bit of common sense, we can deduce the exact age.