The Chinese Zodiac

Everyone at some point in their life sat down at the table of a Chinese restaurant, and while waiting for the waiter to arrive, looked down and read the placement full of animals and words. The Chinese zodiac has always been an interesting subject of debate, just as fortune telling and astrology have been. However, what makes the Chinese zodiac characters different than those of the Western zodiac? How did the Chinese zodiac come into existence?

The origin of the Chinese zodiac is not entirely known, although there are some legends that trace the zodiac creation to the time of Yellow Emperor in the year 2600 B.C. Other artifacts that include the zodiac animals appear during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) and the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.). Unlike the western zodiac, which revolves around constellations in astrology, the original purpose of the Chinese zodiac was to organize the Chinese Lunar New Year, and build an understandable calendar around those dates. According to the calendar, there are 10 heavenly stems, and 12 earthly branches. When combined in certain patterns, they indicate dates and times. Each branch and stem are meant to form a complete cycle that takes 60 years.

There are several legends that explain the origins of the specific animals of the Chinese zodiac. One legend explains how Buddha was planning on restoring order to the world with the help of the animals. However, only 12 animals showed to help him. He gave each animal a year of the zodiac according to the order in which they arrived. Other legends depict a race across a riverbank between the animals to decide who would rule the first cycle. Again, their placement in the race corresponds with their zodiac year. These legends also characterize the animals and explain the characteristics of each and how they are passed down to those who have their year. For example, during the race across the riverbank, the ox was in the lead throughout the race. However, the rat jumped on his back and ended up being the first across the river, and the first of the zodiac cycle. The rat is associated with the characteristics of being meticulous, charming, yet manipulative and selfish.

In Chinese culture, the zodiac is used as a means of asking someone's age, because asking directly is considered rude. It should also be noted that the Chinese zodiac does not begin until the Chinese New Year, which does not mean January 1, like most westerners believe. Usually, the New Year is in late January or the beginning of February. The order of the Chinese zodiac goes as follows: rat, ox, rabbit, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesesuperstitions/a/Chinesezodiac.htm

http://www.danwei.org/china_information/chinese_astrology_chinese_zodi.php

http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_chinaway/2003-11/19/content_44290.htm