The symbols that make up the Chinese Zodiac calendar are images of various animals. The Chinese have been using this 12 year cycle for dating the years since ancient times. Unlike the western linear idea of time the Chinese lunar calendar represents a cyclical concept of time.
Since the Chinese calendar is based on the cycles of the moon it is known as a lunar calendar and works absolutely opposite to that of the western solar calendar. On comparing the Chinese New Year to the western one we find that it begins somewhere close to the end of January and beginning of February.
The present day China even now stick to the lunar calendar for its traditional events and festivities though officially it had adopted the western calendar by 1911. To give an example the Chinese New Year is still celebrated as per the lunar calendar. The calendars which are printed in China today show both lunar and solar dates.
The Chinese followed the idea of accepted folk tradition of representing each year physically with some animal. A particular animal will represent a particular year. Thus twelve years show twelve different animals with their own characteristics. As the calendar is cyclic the same animals keep coming back once in every twelve years.
The animals that represented the years took on the meaning that is similar to the concept of monthly or daily horoscopes in the west. The only difference was that the Chinese zodiac symbols determined were for the entire year. Hence people born in the year of a particular animal were believed to have the characteristics associated with that animal.
You may take the personality traits which the Chinese zodiac symbols depict seriously or not seriously but they do have another part to play.
The other role which the Chinese calendar performs is to show the age of a person. By knowing the animal sign of an individual you can calculate the age applying basic math and common sense.
As the Chinese legend goes once there was a fight between twelve animals to enforce some control over the cycle of years. Finally it was decided that there would be a race of the animals in which the animal to reach the opposite bank of the river would lead and the rest would follow as they finish. Thus the practice of representing each year with one animal sign came into being.
In the race the Ox took the lead and the rat rode on the Ox's back. As the Ox almost reached the opposite bank, the rat being crafty jumped off the Ox's back on the bank and got the first place. So the rat leads the cycle of year till today with the ox being the second. The last is the pig to depict the last month. - 30294
Since the Chinese calendar is based on the cycles of the moon it is known as a lunar calendar and works absolutely opposite to that of the western solar calendar. On comparing the Chinese New Year to the western one we find that it begins somewhere close to the end of January and beginning of February.
The present day China even now stick to the lunar calendar for its traditional events and festivities though officially it had adopted the western calendar by 1911. To give an example the Chinese New Year is still celebrated as per the lunar calendar. The calendars which are printed in China today show both lunar and solar dates.
The Chinese followed the idea of accepted folk tradition of representing each year physically with some animal. A particular animal will represent a particular year. Thus twelve years show twelve different animals with their own characteristics. As the calendar is cyclic the same animals keep coming back once in every twelve years.
The animals that represented the years took on the meaning that is similar to the concept of monthly or daily horoscopes in the west. The only difference was that the Chinese zodiac symbols determined were for the entire year. Hence people born in the year of a particular animal were believed to have the characteristics associated with that animal.
You may take the personality traits which the Chinese zodiac symbols depict seriously or not seriously but they do have another part to play.
The other role which the Chinese calendar performs is to show the age of a person. By knowing the animal sign of an individual you can calculate the age applying basic math and common sense.
As the Chinese legend goes once there was a fight between twelve animals to enforce some control over the cycle of years. Finally it was decided that there would be a race of the animals in which the animal to reach the opposite bank of the river would lead and the rest would follow as they finish. Thus the practice of representing each year with one animal sign came into being.
In the race the Ox took the lead and the rat rode on the Ox's back. As the Ox almost reached the opposite bank, the rat being crafty jumped off the Ox's back on the bank and got the first place. So the rat leads the cycle of year till today with the ox being the second. The last is the pig to depict the last month. - 30294
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zodiac symbols from China are varied and interesting in their meaning. To read more on Chinese New Year symbols follow the hyperlinks.
