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Chinese Zodiac
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 The traditional Chinese lunar calendar has been used in
China for over three millennia. It counts the years in sixty-year cycles,
utilizing combinations of two series of numbers known as the ten Heavenly Stems
and twelve Earthly Branches.
The Chinese zodiac consists of a twelve-year cycle, with each year
corresponding to one of the twelve Earthly Branches and represented by a
different animal. The year in which a person is born is equated with one of
these twelve "Animal Years." The Chinese terms for the twelve Animal Years of
the Chinese zodiac, shengxiao and shuxiang, may be translated as "birth-year
categories," indicating that people's characters are determined to some extent
by the year of their birth. The Chinese zodiac has always been very important to
the Chinese people, particularly the personal characteristics associated with
each of the Animal Years. Numerous legends and customs concerning the Animal
Years have arisen over the ages, informing the Chinese imagination and
exploration of the human condition. The Chinese zodiac is an ancient and
important component of China's folk culture, vividly reflecting the rich
psychology of the Chinese people.
The star signs of the Western zodiac are based on the month, rather than the
year, of one's birth, and are named after constellations, rather than animals.
It is believed that people's star signs may affect their character, behavior,
and destiny, much like the Animal Years of the Chinese zodiac. Of course, the
Chinese zodiac is calculated according to the traditional Chinese lunar
calendar, unlike the Western zodiac, which uses the solar
calendar.
 The Origins and Order of the Twelve Animal Years
The twelve years of the Chinese zodiac cycle are each named after a different
animal.2004 is the Year of the Monkey, jiashen (jia, the first Heavenly Stem,
combined with shen, the ninth Earthly Branch) according to the numbering of the
traditional Chinese lunar calendar. The Year of the Monkey ends on February 8,
2005, the last day of the year jiashen. The following day marks the beginning of
the year yiyou (yi, the second Heavenly Stem, combined with you, the tenth
Earthly Branch), the Year of the Rooster. The year of a person's birth
corresponds to one of the twelve Animals Years of the Chinese zodiac. When
Chinese people talk about birthdays, they generally ask each other what their
Animal Year is, rather than when they were born.
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