Learn All About the Animals of the Chinese Zodiac—Which One Are You?
January 22, 2023 marks the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit.
With Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) quickly approaching, some may wonder why this coming year is the Year of the Rabbit, why each year is represented by an animal and the story behind it all.
The origin of the Chinese Zodiac is laid out in a mythological story. It is said that the Jade Emperor organized a race and invited all the world's creatures to participate. Only 12 showed up so the Jade Emperor awarded them all a year being dedicated to each one in a cycle. The race would determine in what order they would be placed.
Of the 12 animals—ox, rabbit, pig, tiger, snake, rat, monkey, horse, sheep, rooster, dog and a dragon—guess who won? One might assume the dragon or the tiger or even the horse would speed to the finish line, but like the story of the tortoise and the hare, it's not the one you'd expect. The rat won the race with its wily and cunning ways.
One of the final obstacles the animals had to traverse in the race was a river. As the ox made its way through familiar territory, the rat who was tired and knew he'd never make it across the river without help, convinced the kind ox to let him sit atop his head. The ox agreed but once they were across, the rat—now rested—jumped off the ox's head and made haste toward the finish line!
The race continued for the rest with the tiger who could have easily won the race but was swept up in a current on the river. The dragon also could have won but the oft-maligned mythical creature had stopped to help a nearby village and when he returned to the race, he saw the rabbit was struggling and blew it back on its way and the dragon was content to come in place after him.
Next were the horse and the snake. The horse galloped toward the finish line, the snake startled it long enough to finish the race before him. Meanwhile, the sheep, monkey and rooster worked together to make a raft to cross the river and finished the race in that order.
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As for the final two creatures—the dog and the pig—the dog was more distracted by the splashing sounds of the river than with the task at hand of finishing the race. He eventually made it across but placed next to last. The pig, as you can imagine, had a big meal and decided to take a nap (and who doesn't love a good nap?!). When the pig finally woke from his slumber he was quite a ways behind—so much so the Jade Emperor almost gave up on him, but he made it across and was placed last in the cycle.
With each animal come particular traits. What animal are you? Do you recognize some of your Chinese Zodiac animals' traits in you? If your birth year isn't listed, keep adding 12 to your birth year until it shows up in the list below.
Chinese New Year Animals
Rat (Born in 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020)
Those born in the Year of the Rat are said to be charming and persuasive with smarts and a quick wit.
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Ox (Born in 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021)
Oxen traits include being kind and conservative as well as benevolent and patient.
Tiger (Born in 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022)
Tigers are said to be courageous and intense and wield authority well.
Rabbit (Born in 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023)
Rabbit people tend to be popular individuals while also being compassionate and sincere.
Dragon (Born in 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012)
Those with the warm heart of a dragon are said to be charismatic and fearless.
Related: Six Chinese New Year Traditions for Good Luck in the Coming Year
Snake (Born in 1965, 1977. 1989, 2001, 2013)
Snakes are said to be generous and smart and can be charming but introverted.
Horse (Born in 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014)
People born in the year of the horse tend to be beautiful and enjoy traveling with boundless amounts of energy.
Sheep (Born in 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015)
Born in a Sheep year? These people tend to be shy, kind, peace-loving individuals.
Monkey (Born in 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016)
Know someone who is energetic and fun? They were probably born in the Year of the Monkey!
Rooster (Born in 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017)
Roosters are independent, practical people and are also hard-working individuals.
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Dog (Born in 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)
Were you born in the Year of the Dog? You're likely to have traits of patience and diligence. You are also likely to be faithful and kind as well.
Pig (Born in 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019)
Those born in a pig year tend to be brutally honest. They also enjoy a good meal and luxuriate in many indulgences but they're also smart and loving.
Looking to wish someone a "Happy New Year" in Mandarin? Say the phrase, "Shing Nyan Kwai Lo". Alternatively, you can say, "Gong Xi Fa Tsai" which wishes a person prosperity and can be used throughout the year when you want to wish someone well.
