The Legend of the

Chinese Zodiac

Zodiac History
Legends and mythology are a big part of Chinese
culture, especially in relation to the Chinese
Zodiac.

Zodiac Calendar
Most Chinese Zodiac Calendar discussions focus
only on the 12 animals. According to legend,
these were the animals that appeared before
Buddha (or the Jade Emperor, depending on the
story) in response to an invitation. The 12 animals
of the Chinese Zodiac represent the order of each
animals arrival. The legends depicting each
animals journey differ slightly, but the order that
prevails is as follows: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon,
snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

Zodiac Calendar
Wood
Fire
Fire
Earth
Earth
Metal
Metal
Water
Water
Wood
Wood
Fire
Fire
Earth
Earth
Metal
Metal
Water

Pig
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Goat
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Pig
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit
Snake

Jan 31, 1995 Feb 18, 1996

Feb 19, 1996 Feb 6, 1997
Feb 7, 1997 Jan 27, 1998
Jan 28, 1998 Feb 15, 1999
Feb 16, 1999 Feb 4, 2000
Feb 5, 2000 Jan 23, 2001
Jan 24, 2001 Feb 11, 2002
Feb 12, 2002 Jan 31, 2003
Feb 1, 2003 Jan 21, 2004
Jan 22, 2004 Feb 8, 2005
Feb 9, 2005 Jan 28, 2006
Jan 29, 2006 Feb 17, 2007
Feb 18, 2007 Feb 6, 2008
Feb 7, 2008 Jan 25, 2009
Jan 26, 2009 Feb 13, 2010
Feb 14, 2010 Feb 2, 2011
Feb 3, 2011 Jan 22, 2012
Feb 10, 2013 Jan 30, 2014

Zodiac Animals
Most stories do seem to agree on one thing: the
animals that make up the signs, or the 12
equal parts of the Chinese Zodiac, were the
animals that appeared in response to an
invitation. As a reward for appearing, these 12
animals were included on the Chinese Zodiac.

The Rat
Occupying the 1st and most prominent position
on the Chinese Zodiac, the Rat symbolizes
such character traits as wit, imagination and
curiosity. Rats have keen observation skills and
with those skills theyre able to deduce much
about other people and other situations.
Overall, Rats are full of energy, talkative and
charming but they have a tendency to become
aggressive.

The Ox
Occupying the 2nd position on the Chinese
Zodiac, Oxen possess such character traits as
dependability, strength and determination.
Oxen are tolerant individuals who believe that
the road to success involves hard work and
scrupulous behavior; they dont believe in
taking shortcuts. They characterize those who
dont work hard as lazy individuals not worthy
of respect.

The Tiger
Occupying the 3rd position on the Chinese Zodiac,
the Tiger symbolizes such character traits as
bravery, competitiveness and unpredictability.
Tigers love to be challenged and will accept any
challenge if it means protecting a loved one or
protecting their honor. They dont worry about
the outcome because they know theyll always
land on their feet. Dont let their calm
appearance fool you though; Tigers will pounce
when they feel its necessary.

The Rabbit
Occupying the 4th position in the Chinese
Zodiac, the Rabbit symbolizes such character
traits as creativity, compassion, and sensitivity.
Rabbits are friendly, outgoing and prefer the
company of others. They also prefer to avoid
conflict. In confrontational situations, Rabbits
approach calmly and with consideration for
the other party. Rabbits believe strongly in
friends and family and lacking such bonds can
lead to emotional issues.

The Dragon
Occupying the 5th position in the Chinese Zodiac,
the Dragon is the mightiest of the signs. Dragons
symbolize such character traits as dominance and
ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own
rules and if left on their own, are usually
successful. Theyre driven, unafraid of challenges,
and willing to take risks. Theyre passionate in all
they do and they do things in grand fashion.
Unfortunately, this passion and enthusiasm can
leave Dragons feeling exhausted and interestingly,
unfulfilled.

The Snake
Occupying the 6th position in the Chinese
Zodiac, the Snake symbolizes such character
traits as intelligence, gracefulness and
materialism. When it comes to decisionmaking, Snakes are extremely analytical and
as a result, they dont jump into situations.
They are effective at getting the things they
want, even if it means they have to scheme
and plot along the way.

The Horse
Occupying the 7th position on the Chinese
Zodiac, the Horse symbolizes such character
traits as strength, energy, and an outgoing
nature. Extremely animated, Horses thrive
when theyre the center of attention. Always
in search of a good time, Horses keep the
crowds happy with their humor and their wit.

The Goat (Ram)

Occupying the 8th position in the Chinese Zodiac,
the Goat (or Sheep) symbolizes such character
traits as creativity, intelligence, dependability, and
calmness. Comfortable being alone to ponder the
workings of their inner minds, Goats enjoy being
part of a group, but prefer the sidelines rather
than the center. Their nurturing personality
makes Goats excellent care-givers. Theyre quite
and reserved because they spend much time
absorbed in their thoughts.

The Monkey
Occupying the 9th position on the Chinese
Zodiac, the Monkey possesses such character
traits as curiosity, mischievousness, and
cleverness. Forever playful, Monkeys are the
masters of practical jokes. Even though their
intentions are always good, this desire to be a
prankster has a tendency to create ill will and
hurt feelings.

The Rooster
Occupying the 10th position in the Chinese
Zodiac, the Rooster symbolizes such character
traits as confidence, pompousness and
motivation. Those born under the Chinese
Zodiac sign of the Rooster are loyal,
trustworthy individuals who are blunt when it
comes to offering their opinions. Their
bluntness stems not from being mean but
from being honest; a trait which Roosters
expect from others.

The Dog
Occupying the 11th position in the Chinese
Zodiac, the Dog symbolizes character traits
such as loyalty, compatibility and kindness.
Dogs frequently offer kind words and useful
advice, always listening and lending a shoulder
when necessary. Dogs often become deeply
involved in others lives and are sometimes
perceived as nosy. Ensuring others are happy
is more important to the Dog than wealth,
money or success.

The Pig
Occupying the last position in the Chinese
Zodiac, the 12th, the Pig symbolizes such
character traits as diligence, compassion, and
generosity. Pigs enjoy life and because they
are entertaining, others enjoy their company.
Pigs are giving souls and reap much
enjoyment when theyre helping others, but
sometimes they give too much. Honesty is
what Pigs give and its what they expect to
receive in return.

Zodiac Elements
Much of Chinese philosophy is built around the
belief in the five elements and their abilities to
interact with and create relationships between
natural phenomena. The five elements have
been part of Chinese culture almost from the
beginning. Interestingly, few people outside
the Asian world understand the importance of
the five elements, especially how each relates
to the workings of the Chinese Zodiac.

Zodiac Elements
The five elements of wood, fire, Earth, metal
and water are associated with five major
planets in the Solar System: Jupiter, Mars,
Saturn, Venus and Mercury respectively.

Zodiac Elements
The five elements are naturally-occurring
phenomena and theyre believed to have both
a generating and an overcoming influence on
one another.

Zodiac Elements
For example, wood generates fire, water
generates wood, water overcomes fire, fire
overcomes metal, etc.

Works Cited
"Chinese Zodiac Calendar." Chinese Zodiac - Chinese Astrology from
ChineseZodiac.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.chinesezodiac.com/calendar.
Wu, Shelly. Chinese astrology: exploring the eastern zodiac. Franklin Lakes, NJ: New
Page Books, 2005. Print.
Young, Ed.. Cat and Rat: the legend of the Chinese zodiac. New York: H. Holt, 1995.
Print.

Clip art
Micros Soft PowerPoint ClipArt
Sheon original
Zakowski, Igor. Chinese Zodiac Clip Art. http://www.123rf.com/photo_12938489_cartoonillustration-of-dragon-chinese-horoscope-sign.html