Some of you may have heard of the Chinese zodiacs, and I assume that most of you have heard of the other zodiac signs, such as Leo and Virgo. But the Chinese Zodiacs are different, as they are represented by animals.

The Zodiac’s are:

Rat

Ox

Tiger

Rabbit

Dragon

Snake

Horse

Goat

Monkey

Rooster

Dog

Pig

As you know, the zodiac in astronomy goes by the months, whereas these zodiac animals go by the year.

Rat- 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032

Ox- 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033

Tiger- 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022

Rabbit- 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035

Dragon- 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036

Snake- 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037

Horse- 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038

Sheep/ Goat- 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039

Monkey- 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040

Chicken/rooster- 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041

Dog- 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042

Pig- 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043

Those are the years, and I put them in a specific order.

According to the myths, these twelve animals were chosen to do a race. The race was supposed to create a time measurement for people, and in order to win, the animals had to cross a rapid-current river. The list above shows the order from 1st to 12th, so the rat came in fast.

I’m sure all of you are wondering how the rat got there first when it’s so small. Good question. Here is the answer:

The rat and the cat teamed up to ask the ox if he could let them jump onto his back. The ox very happily agreed and carried them to the finish line. Then, when they were close to the finish line, the rat pushed the cat off and jumped to the finish line. The cat couldn’t swim, so that’s why the cat isn’t one of the Chinese zodiac signs.

Now that all these animals have personalities just like you, which one do you think matches you more? You can find out what animal you were by your date of birth.

Rat- sociable, curious, and intelligent

Ox- stubborn, cautious but hesitant, moody and quick-tempered, but can also be honest and diligent.

Tiger- They like to be in control of things. They are quick-tempered and emotionally intense when they are upset. They never give up when they are frustrated or when there is no hope left. When they aren't mad, they are very generous, warm-hearted, and humorous.

Rabbit- calm and peaceful; usually try to avoid fighting and arguing.

Dragon- charismatic, intelligent, confident, and powerful, and they are naturally lucky and gifted.

Snake: enigmatic, intelligent, wise.

Horse: animated, active, energetic.

Goat: calm, gentle, sympathetic.

Monkey: sharp, smart, curious.

Rooster: observant, hardworking, courageous.

Dog: lovely, honest, prudent.

Pig: compassionate, generous, and diligent.

They’ve all got negative and positive things, but they're all special. Find out your Chinese zodiac today!

Written by Eleanor Raven and proof-read by Lucidy Black