Some body asked me that "Why choose animals? Why not the year of good, or gentleness or humor or something else like that?". So I post this article to give her some knowledge about Chinese astrology though I'm a Christian and not a Chinese. But we know already that most Asian people adopt this tradition and I can agree with their interpretations.
The rotating cycle of twelve animal signs was a folk method for naming the years in traditional China. The animal signs for one another in an established order, and are repeated every twelve years. The year 1998 was a Tiger year too and now it's back after 12 years (2010) .
The Chinese believe the animal ruling the year in which a person is born has a profound influence on personality, saying: "This is the animal that hides in your heart".
Your sign is determined by the year in which you were born. The zodiac of twelve animal sign represents twelve different types of personality.
The following are the Twelve Chinese Animal signs in order and their characteristics:
To know which one is yours, look up the year of your birth below and look at the qualities of that animal to see how much of it agrees with you:
RAT - the sign of charm Rat: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
People born in the Year of the Rat are famous for cheerfulness and kindness. They are generous with those they love. Rat people love to gossip. That can cost them many friendships if they are not careful. Rats are intelligent, charming, ambitious – and often successful in business. They are adventurous and deep thinking. They are quick to spot potential and put their creative, clever ideas into effect. At times they may appear stubborn, selfish and greedy, as they approach things wholeheartedly.
They are energetic and great organizers, so if you want something done call in a Rat. They are suited to careers in shopkeeping, sales, buying and selling, accountancy , as a writer, critic or publicist. Rats shine in managerial positions. In partnership, Rats are faithful if their partner provides the security and love they need.
Rats get along well with Dragons and Monkeys.
OX/BULL/COW - the sign of tenacityOx: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009
People born under Ox year are patient, quiet yet inspire confidence in others. They are steady, honest, gentle, hard work and reliable. They are eccentric and temperamental. They speak little but when they do they are quite articulate. Mentally and physically alert, they are generally easy going but can be stubborn and they hate to fail and opposed.
Ox people are easy going and have a great deal of self-assurance that helps help them to be successful. Ox people have thoughtful responses. Ox people love deeply and share their strength with those they love. They prefer a truthful, loyal and committed partner.
They work well in careers to do with the earth, visual arts, farming, estate management, cooking, religion and medicine. They are often very skilled with their hands.
They are compatible with Snake, Rooster and Rat people.
TIGER - the sign of courageTiger: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010
Tiger people are brave, powerful, very sensitive, loyal, intelligent, competent, and stubborn. Tigers make great friends. Tiger people tend not to respect their elders and that can get them in a lot of trouble. They are sometimes indecisive and have poor judgment.
They are compatible with Horses, Dragons and Dogs.
RABBIT/HARE - the sign of prudenceRabbit: 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011
Rabbit people are lucky, happy, independent, affectionate, bright, ambitious, and trustworthy. They are sensitive to beauty and aim for peace in life. Rabbit people have little interest in learning to appear smart. They simply like to know how things work. They have excellent taste, clever at business and often make the correct choices that make them financially lucky. The Rabbit is considered the luckiest of the Chinese Zodiac animals. They are fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind.
You are most compatible with the Goat , the dog and the Pig. Your opposite is the Rooster.
DRAGON - the sign of good fortuneDragon: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000
Dragon people are honest and sensitive, full of strength and energy, short tempered and stubborn, but loyal, . They are also brave and they inspire confidence and trusts in others, and protective. They are powerful, wealthy and wise.They are the most eccentric of any in the Eastern Zodiac. They never borrow many, they are very straight forwarded and tend to be soft hearted which sometimes gives others an advantage over them. That is their weakness.
The Dragon was a symbol of Imperial power in ancient China; and Chinese consider it a great honor to be born in the Year of the Dragon. This belief is so strong that every time the Year of the Dragon comes around, there is a mini Baby Boom in this year.
They are compatible with Rats, Snakes, Monkeys and Roosters
SNAKE/SERPENT - the sign of wisdomSnake: 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
Snake people are wise and focused.They are emotionally and spiritually deep.They trust their own judgment. Snake people cannot help but do their best because they hate to fail at anything. Appealing calm on the surface, they are intense and passionate creatures. They are vain and inclined towards physical beauty.
Befriend the Rooster and the Ox but not the Pig.
HORSE - the sign of eleganceHorse: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002
Horse people are popular, very attractive, cheerful, quick witted, wise, talented, very good with their hands and shy. For some reason, horse people have a great deal of trouble believing they are loved, when in fact, horse people are easy to like and love. They are perceptive, sometimes showy and impatient, although they sometimes talk way too much for their own good. They very independent and don't listen to others advice.
You get along with Tigers and Dogs but never with Rats.
GOAT/SHEEP/RAM - the sign of artRam (Black or Gray Sheep): 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
Sheep people are creative, elegant, wise, gentle, and compassionate. They can be bossy, but that's because they're worried things will not get done correctly. This character trait often makes money for them. They highly accomplished in the arts. On the surface they appear better off than those born in other Zodiac sign but often are pessimistic and often puzzled about life. They very spiritual yet timid.Goats are tender and sympathetic, sometimes shy.
The Ox is trouble. Rabbits and Pigs are OK.
MONKEY - the sign of fantasyMonkey: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
Monkey people are quick, funny, nosey, clever, witty, and successful. They have wonderful memories and are well informed about everything.
They remarkably inventive, original in thinking and can solve the most difficult problem with ease. They sometimes impatient and must do things immediately and if they cannot, they become discouraged and give up easily. They tend to chatter. This does drive friends away sometimes.
Thier friends are the Dragon and the Rat but not the Tiger.
ROOSTER/COCK - the sign of candorRooster: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005
Rooster people are early risers, proud, alert, deep thinkers and good speakers. They like to stay close to home. If you can break through their natural suspicion, they make wonderful friends. They are very devoted and like to keep busy but are deeply disappointed with personal failures. They can be eccentric resulting in troubled with others. They always think they are right and usually are. Being loners, they sometimes give the onward impression of being adventurous but actually timid. They can be selfish and too outspoken, but are always interesting and can be extremely Brave.
You will be fine with Snakes, Dragons and Oxen, but Rabbits are trouble.
DOG - the sign of loyaltyDog: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
People born in the year of Dog possess the best traits of human nature. Dog people are great leaders, loyal and sincere friends, quick to learn, eager to please, always try to do their best and are honest . They prefer to be with people they know and like. They are very trustworthy because they can keep secrets. Dog people cannot stand injustice. They always have money but care very little for wealth. They are easy to criticize other and are noted for their sharp tongues.
Their friends are the Tiger, Rabbit and the Horse. Watch out for Dragons.
PIG/BOAR - the sign of honestyPig: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
People who are born in the Year of the Pig are intelligent, sincere, brave, popular, and treat all people with great kindness. Gallant and always give their best effort.They have few friends but the relationships they do have are life long. Pig people are often late and often forgetful. They are quick tempered but yet hate to argue.
They get along with Rabbits and Goats but must avoid other Pigs.
The folk legend of how those animals got their orders:
Act I - A Demand for Respect
One day the Four Celestial Generals came to see Emperor Sakra (the King of Heavens in Buddhism, some Chinese called him Jade Emperor) and reported, "Your Majesty, there is a group of animals protesting outside the Heavenly Gate demanding respect."
"What is going on?" asked Emperor Sakra. "Bring their representatives in. I like to hear what they say."
"Yes, your Majesty" replied the Celestial Generals and soon they returned with a mouse, an ox and a monkey."
"Your Majesty." said the animal representatives. "We demand respect from human beings."
"Why?"
"Because we animals provide human beings with food, milk, clothing, transportation, work and recreation. We plow their fields, pull their carts, watch their houses, sing to them and give them companionship. Therefore, we demand recognition and respect from human beings."
"OK. Your request is granted" said the King of Heavens. "The Lord Buddha is the teacher of all sentient beings in the Universe. Now he is sick and you should all visit Him. I now give the decree that the first ten animals that go to see Him on the coming New Year Day will be named the animals of the consecutive years. Now, you go to tell everyone in the Animal Kingdom."
So off they went. The mouse would inform all the household animals, the ox, all the farm animals and the monkey, all the animals in the wild, that the Lord Buddha was sick and everyone would visit Him to pay tribute, right on midnight of the coming New Year Eve.
Act II - The Mouse Cheated the Cat
Time had come on New Year Eve. The cat came home from a big New Year Eve party and was very tired. He asked the mouse, "I am very tired. I like to sleep for a while before I go to see the Lord Buddha. Can I trust you to wake me up so that we can go together?"
"Sure" said the mouse. "Trust me. Otherwise, I would not tell you of this big occasion at all."
Then the cat went to his bed and soon was sound asleep. It was now a few moments away from midnight and the mouse thought, "If I go by myself, I will have one less competitor." So off he went without bothering waking up the cat.
Act III - At the Temple
As everybody was waiting outside the Temple, the Celestial Generals arrived to make sure everything was in order and to act as referees. They would report back to Emperor Sakra the result of this competition. Buddha's senior student Ananda was responsible for recording the winning animals. When everybody was ready, one of the Celestial Generals shouted out the order in military fashion, "ARE YOU READY? NOW!! GO!!"
Off everybody went in the race. The ox was a very strong animal because he used to plow the land for human beings, so he was leading all the way. "How can I win the race? I am no match for the ox. I have to do some trick." thought the mouse. And he jumped onto the ox and climbed all the way to the horn.
When the ox arrived, the mouse jumped down and immediately paid tribute to the Buddha. Ananda had no choice but to give the mouse a first, followed by the ox. Soon, all the other eight animals arrived in the following order: tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey and rooster. And Ananda wrote down all the ten animals in his report."STOP!!" shouted the Celestial Generals " We have ten animals already!"
But Ananda wrote in such a hurry and excitement that he put down DOG instead of STOP in his hand writing.
"We have enough animals! Would you stop writing PLEASE?!" shouted the Celestial Generals. But, in an excitement, Ananda put down PIG instead of PLEASE. Seeing this, the Celestial Generals rushed over to Ananda and took the report from him.
When daylight arrived, the Celestial Generals took the report and returned to the Heavenly Palace. "Oh Well" said Emperor Sakra, on reading the report. "Since there are twelve animals paying tribute to the Lord Buddha. I will decree that all of them will be named animals of each year from now onwards." And from then onward, each of the the twelve animals is designated for each year in the Buddhist calendar.
Act IV - The Mouse Deserves Punishment for his Cheating
Back home the cat asked the mouse, "When are we going to see the Lord Buddha?"
"You slept like a log." replied the mouse. "Everyone went, and I am the winner!"
On hearing this, the cat was furious. "You cheater!" He jumped upon the mouse and killed him. From then onwards, all the cats in the world will try to catch and kill the mouse whenever possible.
Thank you soooo much to the Google images that I used.
