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Chinese Zodiac & Calendar
A concept of time
In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of time is cyclical and the years are dated using the Chinese zodiac. Each year in the Chinese calendar is represented by one of the animal signs of the zodiac – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. The twelve animal signs form a rotating 12-year cycle – the same sign reappears every 12 years. (Knowing a person’s sign, you can work out that person’s age with a little common sense.)
The graphic shows the twelve zodiac signs arranged in a wheel, consistent with the cyclical concept of time, in a traditional Chinese paper-cut art design.
Chinese lunar calendar
Believed to have been invented in the 2600s BC, the Chinese calendar is a lunar calendar based on the cycles of the moon. The beginning of the Chinese New Year falls somewhere between late January and mid-February and varies from year to year. For example, in 2009, the Chinese New Year – year of the Ox – started on January 26.
While the Western Gregorian calendar was adopted in China in 1912 and is used for business and most practical matters of daily life, the Chinese calendar still serves as the basis for dating holidays and for choosing auspicious dates for events such as weddings and business openings.
In China, the Western and Chinese calendars coexist happily - calendars in China are printed according to the Gregorian years, but most have Chinese lunar dates printed next to the Western dates.
Similar to horoscopes in the West, horoscopes have developed in Chinese folklore around the signs of the Chinese zodiac. The lunar year in which a person is born and its animal sign are thought to influence one's temperament and personality. The predictions are amusing and fun, but not taken seriously.