Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash
Have you ever picked up a newspaper or flipped through a magazine till the end to read your horoscope? In Western culture many people like to look into their constellation sign, Libra, Gemini, Leo, Scorpio, just to name a few. Many people attribute their personalities to these signs. In the Chinese culture there is a similar concept, the Chinese Zodiac.
The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, features twelve animal signs in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. It is a repeating cycle of twelve years, each year is represented by an animal and its reputed attributes. The Chinese zodiac year is based on the Chinese lunar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar used in Western cultures. The Chinese new year, day one of the lunar year, falls between the period from January 21 to February 20. Year 2021 is the year of the Ox!
“It is believed that people born in a certain animal year have attributes of that animal.”
Most Chinese people use the lunar new year as the start of the zodiac year. But if you want professional fortune telling, Chinese astrologers use the “Start of Spring” or the solar new year as the beginning of the zodiac year. It is believed that people born in a certain animal year have attributes of that animal. Each Chinese zodiac animal has personality traits assigned to it by the ancient chinese. An important use of the Chinese zodiac is to determine if two people are compatible, in a romantic relationship or any kind of relationship. Not so far from how Western culture uses the horoscope!
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