The 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac

Influencing personality, career, compatibility, marriage, and fortune.

The Chinese Zodiac is a traditional classification system that assigns an animal and its attributes each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle.

In order, they are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each animal gets the spotlight for a full year before passing the baton to the next in line. 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, followed by the Snake in 2025.

The Zodiac is deeply intertwined with Chinese philosophy and culture. It influences personality, career, compatibility, marriage, and fortune. This ancient system has existed over 2,000 years, spreading its influence across East Asia.

How did these animals make the cut? One tale says the Jade Emperor, a VIP in Chinese mythology, held a race to decide which animals would join the zodiac. The first 12 to cross a river won a spot. The rat hitched a sneaky ride on the ox’s back, jumping off at the last second to claim first place. In another version, Buddha called all the animals to bid him farewell. Only these 12 showed up, earning them a place of honor.