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In the Chinese zodiac, twelve animals are used to denote the year
of a person's birth: rat, ox, tiger,
rabbit, dragon, snake, horse,
sheep, monkey, rooster,
dog and pig. This is called a person's shengxiao
(sheng means the year of birth, xiao means resemblance) or shuxiang.
Since ancient times, Chinese have denominated years using combinations of 10
Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches to form sixty-year cycles. The 10
Heavenly Stems are: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu,
Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren and Gui. The 12
Earthly Branches are: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen,
Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu
and Hai. This year, February 9 is the first day of Yiyou,
which is the twenty-second year of the sixty-year cycle.
As well as being associated with each year, the same twelve animals and Earthly
Branches are assigned to each month and to a two-hour period of the day. Their
origin is variously explained by a number of stories and theories.
One legend is that the order of animals is the result of squabbles that
followed Emperor Xuanyuan's summoning them to be his imperial bodyguards. The
rat tricked the cat out of going, and ever since they have been enemies. The
rat also managed to drive the elephant away by climbing into his trunk. Of the
other animals, the ox took the lead, but the rat jumped onto its back, hitching
a ride into first place. The pig, busy complaining about this, came last. Since
the tiger and dragon refused to accept the result, the Emperor compensated them
with the titles "King of the Mountain" and "King of the Ocean," and placed them
immediately after the rat and ox. But the rabbit would not accept this either,
so raced and won against the dragon for fourth place. The dissatisfied dog bit
the rabbit, and was punished with penultimate place. The other animals filled
the other positions in the order in which they arrived.
The use of 12 animal symbols is not unique to the Hans in China. Many minority
ethnic groups have their own series with minor differences. For example,
Mongolians use tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster,
dog, pig, rat and ox; the Dai people use rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake,
horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and elephant; and the Li people use rooster,
dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep and monkey. Some
believe that the Han inherited their twelve from northern tribes in ancient
times. Another possibility is that exchange between different cultures
cultivated the various sequences of twelve.
Shengxiao are held to be of great significance by many Chinese, and
people tell numerous stories and follow rich and colorful customs associated
with the Earthly Branches:
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Rat (1924
– 1936 – 1948 – 1960 – 1972 – 1984 – 1996 – 2008 – 2020 – 2032)
Zi means seed, fruit, root and inheritance. It represents due north,
the eleventh Chinese lunar month, when many animals begin to hibernate, and 11
PM to 1 AM, when the rat is most active.
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Ox (1925
– 1937 – 1949 – 1961 – 1973 – 1985 – 1997 – 2009 – 2021 – 2033)
Chou corresponds to the ox. The shape of its Chinese character is like
threads coming together to form a strong rope, so represents things being
connected. It denotes the twelfth lunar month, known in some places as Muyue or
"month of harmony." In northern China, it is freezing winter, when people
gather round the fire and wait for spring. It also stands for 1 PM to 3 PM,
when the ox is chewing the cud, and even the grass and trees are thought to be
asleep.
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Tiger
(1926 – 1938 – 1950 – 1962 – 1974 – 1986 – 1998 – 2010 – 2022 – 2034)
Yin is associated with northeast by east and 3 AM to 5 AM, when the
tiger is most ferocious. In the Chinese lunar calendar it represents month one,
the time trees begin to sprout.
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Rabbit
(1927 – 1939 – 1951 – 1963 – 1975 – 1987 – 1999 – 2011 – 2023 – 2035)
Mao represents due east and 5 AM to 7 AM, when the moon, the home of
the legendary jade rabbit, still hangs in the sky. It also denotes the second
lunar month, a time of reawakening and new life. The rabbit's relatively meek
temperament makes it an appropriate symbol for the sun just coming up over the
horizon.
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Dragon
(1928 – 1940 – 1952 – 1964 – 1976 – 1988 – 2000 – 2012 – 2024 – 2036)
Chen symbolizes southeast by south and 7 AM to 9 AM, believed to be
the best time for the magic dragon to generate rain and when the sun
strengthens and everything is about to wake up. The dragon is the only
mythological animal in the system, and was considered one of the "four sacred
animals" along with the phoenix, kylin and tortoise. It was imagined to have a
horse's head, snake's body and chicken's claws, with 81 scales on its back. It
could fly and swim, and appear and disappear mysteriously. In the Chinese lunar
calendar, it represents month three.
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Snake
(1929 – 1941 – 1953 – 1965 – 1977 – 1989 – 2001 – 2013 – 2025 – 2037)
Si represents south by east and 9 AM to 11 AM, when the snake is most
lively. It is associated with the fourth lunar month, when green abounds and
seedlings begin to grow.
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Horse
(1930 – 1942 – 1954 – 1966 – 1978 – 1990 – 2002 – 2014 – 2026 – 2038)
Wu stands for due south and the time around noon, when the sun is most
severe. It is believed that 11 AM to 1 PM is when horses travel best. It also
signifies the fifth lunar month, when farmers till the land and everything is
full of vigor.
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Sheep
(1931 – 1943 – 1955 – 1967 – 1979 – 1991 – 2003 – 2015 – 2027 – 2039)
Wei represents the sixth lunar month and the height of summer. It also
stands for 1 PM to 3 PM, when it is said that if a sheep eats a patch of grass
it will grow more luxuriously, and for the direction of southwest by south. The
sheep represents love, happiness and perseverance of spirit.
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Monkey
(1932 – 1944 – 1956 – 1968 – 1980 – 1992 – 2004 – 2016 – 2028 – 2040)
Shen's character in Chinese looks like two hands grasping a stick and,
with one addition, becomes another shen meaning to stretch, with the
implication of using one's mind to the full and with flexibility. 3 PM to 5 PM
is believed to be when monkeys play.
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Rooster
(1933 – 1945 – 1957 – 1969 – 1981 – 1993 – 2005 – 2017 – 2029 – 2041)
You represents the eighth lunar month in early autumn and 5 PM to 7
PM, when the sun sets and the rooster returns home - an animal considered by
many to be associated with prophecy. You also symbolizes due west.
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Dog
(1934 – 1946 – 1958– 1970 – 1982 – 1994 – 2006 – 2018 – 2030 – 2042)
Xu, associated with the dog, represents northwest by west, 7 PM to 9
PM, when the dog is said to watch the night, and the ninth lunar month, when
grass and trees start to wither but the weather is pleasant.
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Pig
(1935 – 1947 – 1959 – 1971 – 1983 – 1995 – 2007 – 2019 – 2031 – 2043)
Hai represents month ten in the Chinese lunar calendar, when
everything begins to stagnate. It also represents 9 PM to 11 PM, when all is
silent apart from the pig's snores.
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