According to Chinese legend, one day, 12 beasts were discussing who should lead the cycle of the year. The gods were asked to choose and they held a contest: the first to reach the bank on the other side of the river, the rest of the animals would receive their year according to their goals.
All 12 animals gathered on the riverbank and jumped in. Unknown to the cow, the mouse jumped on his back. When the cow was about to land, the mouse jumped off the cow's back and won the race. A very lazy pig landed last. Therefore, the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the cow is the second, and the pig is the last.
The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle used for calculating years. They represent the notion of periodic time, not the Western notion of linear time. In the Chinese calendar, the beginning of the year is somewhere between late January and early February. The Chinese have adopted the Western calendar since 1911, but the lunar calendar is still used for celebrations such as the Lunar New Year. Many Chinese calendars print both sun dates and Chinese lunar months' dates.
A cultural by-product of the zodiac in Chinese folklore is the evolution of horoscopes around the zodiac, as monthly horoscopes were developed in the west for various moon signs, Pisces, Aries, etc. For example, Chinese horoscopes predict that people born in the year of the horse will be cheerful and popular and will love to compliment others. These horoscopes are interesting.
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