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There are twelve Chinese Signs and one particular animal represents
each. The animal’s characteristics are revealed in each sign and are
shown as Eastern eyes visualize them. Many people in the West feel that
the Chinese zodiacal signs may seem insulting because of the animals
they have chosen. For instance, the rat is thought of in the West as a
scavenger that is very dirty and destructive. Also, they see the pig as
something that is slovenly and filthy. These animals, however, are held
in high respect in Eastern Cultures. What they value in the rat is the
ability to accrue items that are valuable. They honor the pig as they
think pigs have superior intelligence and great tenacity.
The Chinese signs are similar to the Sun signs in that they can relate
to another sign in a unique way. The Chinese animal signs are used for
dating the years and are on a 12-year cycle. They are not on the Western
linear concept of time but rather a cyclical concept of time. Based on
the cycles of the moon, the Chinese Lunar calendar is made in a
different way than the Western solar calendar. According to the Chinese
calendar, somewhere between late January and early February is their
beginning of the year. Although the Chinese have since adopted the
Western Calendar they still use the lunar calendar for their festive
occasions, one being the Chinese New Year. Many of the Chinese calendars
are printed with both the lunar dates as well as the solar dates.
The Western means of dating form the birth of Jesus Christ and that
means that 1977 is 1,977 years since the birth of Christ. This is a
representation of linear perception of time running in a straight line
from the past to the present and then to the future. Back in traditional
China, the methods used for dating were cyclical, meaning that something
is repeated over and over again following a pattern. The Chinese method
of recording years is a cyclical method and is the twelve animal signs.
Each and every year has an animal name associated with it and keeps
repeating on a twelve-year basis. They are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit,
Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and the Boar. These
signs will repeat every twelve years.
Very similar to the monthly horoscopes in the West, the Chinese
developed a horoscope that would apply to anyone born in a certain year
according to the animal sign that it was born under. At this point in
time, the Chinese people do not regard these seriously but rather as
amusing. They also use the animal signs as a social function such as
asking people’s ages. Being polite, they do not come out and ask a
person’s age but rather ask what is their animal sign. This places the
cycle within 12 years and with a little figuring can compute the age of
the person.
The legend behind the signs is that one-day all of the twelve animals
argued as to who would be the one to head the cycle of years. When the
gods were asked to make the decision they created a contest to see who
was able to reach an opposite bank of a river first would be the one to
lead and the rest would have a number comparable to the order in which
they finished.
According to the legend, all of the twelve animals gathered along the
riverbank and jumped in. Without the ox knowing, the rat had jumped on
his back. When they neared the opposite bank, the rat jumped off the
ox’s back and swam to shore ahead of everyone else to win the race. This
is why the rat is first, the ox is second and the lazy pig came in last. |
