Chinese Zodiac

The Chinese Zodiac is a 12 year cycle. Each year of the 12 year cycle is named after one the original 12 animals. Each animal has a different personality and different characteristics. The animal is believed to be the main factor in each person's life that gives them their traits, success, and happiness in their lifetime.
Scholars say that the Zodiac was brought from India, Hotan, and Sogdiana from the Buddhist people. They followed the path of the Silk Road. It was brought during the Qin dynasty.
The Chinese zodiac refers to a pure calendrical cycle; there are no equivalent constellations like those of the occidental zodiac. In imperial times there were astrologers who watched the sky for heavenly omens that would predict the future of the state, but this was a quite different practice of divination from the popular present-day methods.


The twelve zodiac animal signs are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig in that order. The legend had it that the rat was given the task to invite the animals to report to the heaven to be selected for the zodiac signs. The cat was a good friend of the rat, but the rat forgot to invite him. So the cat vowed to be the rat's natural enemy for ages to come.
There is also a cycle of the five Chinese element on top of the cycle of animals. So the year sign can be a gold dragon, a wood rooster etc. In ancient match-making practice in China, couples were brought together according to their compatible signs. For example, it is believed that dog and dog don't get along, but dog and pig do; a water dog supports a wood pig but dominates a fire pig in their relationship because water benefits wood, but controls fire according to the Chinese five elements' interaction.
Since the Chinese zodiac follows the Chinese lunar calendar, so the switch over date for each sign is according to the Chinese new year, not January 1 of the western calendar. The Chinese zodiac signs are used by cultures other than Chinese also. For example, some Japanese people use them. Also the United States Postal Service issues Chinese Zodiac postal stamps each year to honor this Chinese heritage. However, those who don't use the Chinese lunar calendar, such as the Japanese, usually just assume the signs switch over on Jan 1 of each year.
However, those who are serious about the fortune telling aspect of their signs can consult the table below. It makes a difference especially for those who were born in January or Febuary which is often the end of the previous year according to the lunar calendar.
Chinese Zodiac for the past century:

1900 1.31 - 1901 2.18: Metal rat
1901 2.19 - 1902 2.7: Metal ox
1902 2.8 - 1903 1.28: Water tiger
1903 1.29 - 1904 2.15: Water rabbit
1904 2.16 - 1905 2.3: Wood dragon
1905 2.4 - 1906 1.24: Wood snake
1906 1.25 - 1907 2.12: Fire horse
1907 2.13 - 1908 2.1: Fire goat
1908 2.2 - 1909 1.21: Earth monkey
1909 1.22 - 19010 2.9: Earth rooster
1910 2.10 - 1911 1.29: Metal dog
1911 1.30 - 1912 2.17: Metal pig
1912 2.18 - 1913 2.5: Water rat
1913 2.6 - 1914 1.25: Water ox
1914 1.26 - 1915 2.13: Wood tiger
1915 2.14 - 1916 2.2: Wood rabbit
1916 2.3 - 1917 1.22: Fire dragon
1917 1.23 - 1918 2.10: Fire snake
1918 2.11 - 1919 1.31: Earth horse
1919 2.1 - 1920 2.19: Earth goat
1920 2.20 - 1921 2.7: Metal monkey
1921 2.8 - 1922 1.27: Metal rooster
1922 1.28 - 1923 2.15: Water dog
1923 2.16 - 1924 2.4: Water pig
1924 2.5 - 1925 1.24: Wood rat
1925 1.25 - 1926 2.12: Wood ox
1926 2.13 - 1927 2.1: Fire tiger
1927 2.2 - 1928 1.22: Fire rabbit
1928 1.23 - 1929 2.9: Earth dragon
1929 2.10 - 1930 1.29: Earth snake
1930 1.30 - 1931 2.16: Metal horse
1931 2.17 - 1932 2.5: Metal goat
1932 2.6 - 1933 1.25: Water monkey
1933 1.26 - 1934 2.13: Water rooster
1934 2.14 - 1935 2.3: Wood dog
1935 2.4 - 1936 1.23: Wood pig
1936 1.24 - 1937 2.10: Fire rat
1937 2.11 - 1938 1.30: Fire ox
1938 1.31 - 1939 2.18: Earth tiger
1939 2.19 - 1940 2.7: Earth rabbit
1940 2.8 - 1941 1.26: Metal dragon
1941 1.27 - 1942 2.14: Metal snake
1942 2.15 - 1943 2.4: Water horse
1943 2.5 - 1944 1.24: Water goat
1944 1.25 - 1945 2.12: Wood monkey
1945 2.13 - 1946 2.1: Wood rooster
1946 2.2 - 1947 1.21: Fire dog
1947 1.22 - 1948 2.9: Fire pig
1948 2.10 - 1949 1.28: Earth rat
1949 1.29 - 1950 2.16: Earth ox
1950 2.17 - 1951 2.5: Metal tiger
1951 2.6 - 1952 1.26: Metal rabbit
1952 1.27 - 1953 2.13: Water dragon
1953 2.14 - 1954 2.2: Water snake
1954 2.3 - 1955 1.23: Wood horse
1955 1.24 - 1956 2.11: Wood goat
1956 2.12 - 1957 1.30: Fire monkey
1957 1.31 - 1958 2.17: Fire rooster
1958 2.18 - 1959 2.7: Earth dog
1959 2.8 - 1960 1.27: Earth pig
1960 1.28 - 1961 2.14: Metal rat
1961 2.15 - 1962 2.4: Metal ox
1962 2.5 - 1963 1.24: Water tiger
1963 1.25 - 1964 2.12: Water rabbit
1964 2.13 - 1965 2.1: Wood dragon
1965 2.2 1966 1.20: Wood snake
1966 1.21 - 1967 2.8: Fire horse
1967 2.9 - 1968 1.29: Fire goat
1968 1.30 - 1969 2.16: Earth monkey
1969 2.17 - 1970 2.5: Earth rooster
1970 2.6 - 1971 1.26: Metal dog
1971 1.27 - 1972 2.14: Metal pig
1972 2.15 - 1973 2.2: Water rat
1973 2.3 - 1974 1.22: Water ox
1974 1.23 - 1975 2.10: Wood tiger
1975 2.11 - 1976 1.30: Wood rabbit
1976 1.31 - 1977 2.17: Fire dragon
1977 2.18 1978 2.6: Fire snake
1978 2.7 - 1979 1.27: Earth horse
1979 1.28 - 1980 2.15: Earth goat
1980 2.16 - 1981 2.4: Metal monkey
1981 2.5 - 1982 1.24: Metal rooster
1982 1.25 - 1983 2.12: Water dog
1983 2.13 1984 2.1: Water pig
1984 2.2 - 1985 2.19: Wood rat
1985 2.20 - 1986 2.8: Wood ox
1986 2.9 - 1987 1.28: Fire tiger
1987 1.29 - 1988 2.16: Fire rabbit
1988 2.17 1989 2.5: Earth dragon
1989 2.6 - 1990 1.26: Earth snake
1990 1.27 - 1991 2.14: Metal horse
1991 2.15 - 1992 2.3: Metal goat
1992 2.4 - 1993 1.22: Water monkey
1993 1.23 - 1994 2.9: Water rooster
1994 2.10 - 1995 1.30: Wood dog
1995 1.31 - 1996 2.18: Wood pig
1996 2.19 - 1997 2.6: Fire rat
1997 2.7 - 1998 1.27: Fire ox
1998 1.28 - 1999 2.15: Earth tiger
1999 2.16 - 2000 2.4: Earth rabbit
2000 2.5 - 2001 1.23: Metal dragon
2001 1.24 - 2002 2.11: Metal snake