Chinese Zodiac Animals

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The Chinese Zodiac follows a twelve-year cycle, based on the Chinese lunar calendar, and the Eastern practice of measuring time in cycles. Along with acupuncture, feng shui, and tai chi, it has its origins in the philosophy of Taoism and the concept of yin and yang, the two primary opposing forces of creation.

The twelve divisions of the zodiac, in ancient Chinese culture, were all named after animals. The animal signs in zodiac order are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

Unlike the western zodiac, which follows the path of the sun through the signs, in the Chinese zodiac, a sign's influence lasts for a whole lunar year. The nature of a year becomes coloured by the qualities of the sign that rules over it, and also the general qualities of people born during that time.

There is also an additional cycle involving the five Chinese elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water in their yin and yang forms, which lasts for five rounds of the zodiac. This produces a combined sixty-year cycle. The years are then known as the year of the Water Tiger, Water Rabbit, Earth Ox, etc., the element influencing the qualities of the animal sign. The current sixty-year cycle began on the new moon of the 2nd February 1984, with the year of the Wood Rat.

The Chinese celebrate each new animal year for fifteen days, celebrations ending at around the time of the first full moon of the new year.

You can discover your animal sign and its personality traits with our Chinese zodiac calculator. Just enter your date of birth in the box above.

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