Chinese Zodiac History
Background and Concept
The Chinese animal signs are a 12-year cycle used for dating the years. They
represent a cyclical concept of time, rather than the Western linear concept
of time. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and
is constructed in a different fashion than the Western solar calendar. In the
Chinese calendar, the beginning of the year falls somewhere between late January
and early February. The Chinese have adopted the Western calendar since 1911,
but the lunar calendar is still used for festive occasions such as the Chinese
New Year. Many Chinese calendars will print both the solar dates and the Chinese
lunar dates.
The Chinese Lunar New Year is the longest chronological record in history,
dating from 2600BC, when the Emperor Huang Ti introduced the first cycle of
the zodiac. Like the Western calendar, The Chinese Lunar Calendar is a yearly
one, with the start of the lunar year being based on the cycles of the moon.
Therefore, because of this cyclical dating, the beginning of the year can fall
anywhere between late January and the middle of February. This year, 2003,
falls on February 12th. A complete cycle takes 60 years and is made up of five
cycles of 12 years each.
Legend
According to one Chinese legend, the twelve animals quarreled one day as to
who was to head the cycle of years. The gods were asked to decide and they
held a contest: whoever was to reach the opposite bank of the river would be
first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their
finish.
All the twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to
the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore,
the rat jumped off the ox's back, and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy,
ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the
ox second, and the pig last.
Another legend has it that the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to come
to him before he departed from earth. Only twelve came to bid him farewell
and as a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived.
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."
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