Chinese Zodiac

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. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian countries.

The Chinese calendar is a luno-solar calendar, which means that it is based on both the lunar and solar cycles. The Chinese year usually starts on a new moon between 21 January and 20 February, depending on the year. The Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival and is celebrated by people of Chinese descent all over the world. Each Chinese year is associated with one of 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, and the animal associated with the year changes every 12 years. 

The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are:

Rat       
Ox        
Tiger    
Rabbit  
Dragon 
Snake   
Horse
Goat     
Monkey 
Rooster 
Dog       
Pig 

The current Chinese year is the Year of the Ox, which began on February 12, 2021 and will end on January 31, 2022.

Each animal is associated with certain personality traits and is believed to influence the fortune of those born in that year. The order of the animals in the Chinese zodiac is said to have been determined by a race in ancient China where the Jade Emperor invited all the animals to compete. The 12 animals that finished the race in order were chosen to represent the 12 years in the Chinese calendar.