Chinese Zodiac Explained

Debby Peng grew up in the lower mainland and moved to the Northern BC six years ago for work. She has had the opportunity to explore many nooks and crannies along highway 16 and on the way met interesting people and enjoyed many amazing experiences. She often reflects upon her Chinese heritage as her up bring has shaped her perspective and outlook on life. Her speech tonight is entitled, “Chinese Zodiac Explained”.

Chinese Zodiac Explained. 

I was recently in a Chinese restaurant on Hwy 16 in my travels and I came across a paper placemat that was familiar.  I found that it was a diagram of the Chinese Zodiac, , or 生肖, as we say in Mandarin. You may have seen the same before. Don’t underestimate it, this is a piece ancient Chinese knowledge and wisdom that dates back thousands of years. And as the Chinese Zodiac influences about a quarter of the world’s population, which would be close to 2 billion people from China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, and Thailand, you’d be wise to know a little more about it too.

As it turns out, the Chinese Zodiac has nothing to do with the constellations. In contrast to the Western concept of time in a linear format, traditional Chinese calendar is cyclical and based on the cycles of the moon (lunar calendar). Each year is labelled with an animal. Growing up, my bedtime stories were of the animals in the Chinese Zodiac list: 鼠、牛、虎、兔、dragon、蛇、馬、羊、猴、雞、犬、猪. As the legend goes, Yu Di, the Jade Emperor held a great race requiring the animals cross a wide river. The first place was taken by the rat, who won the race through guile and trickery: it caught a ride on the back of the ox and jumped out at the last moment. The snake, apparently also a little sneaky, hid on the hoof of a horse in order to cross a river. When they got to the other side, the snake’s sudden appearance gave the horse a fright and caused it to leap back, allowing the snake to beat it in the contest. The sheep, monkey, and rooster were collaborative and helped each other across on a raft. The dragon, however, proved to be honorable and altruistic. The dragon as the only mystical creature would have won the race as it could fly, but it had stopped to help create rain for the farmland. Lastly, the pig, who was said to have got hungry, played in the mud and fell asleep on the way, and rounding off the competition. Thus was the order of the animals that form the zodiac. As each of these animals held unique characteristics, the Chinese believe that the animal ruling your birth year has a profound influence on your personality, fortune, and destiny.

So do you know what is your zodiac sign? Be careful how you answer, because, if you tell me that you are a pig, I would immediately know that you are either 24, 36, 48 or 60 years old. Asking for one’s zodiac sign is a discreet way of asking for one’s age. But that’s not the only purpose, the Chinese believe that certain combination of animals are especially compatibilities and hold the key to harmony, love and marriage. For example, as the rabbit, my best match is to a pig or goat - any of you a pig or goat that is single? – While with roosters, my worst enemies there would be nothing by calamity. The Zodiac has real world implications. Consider that the dragon is a particular lucky sign and some parents time their pregnancy to give birth to a dragon baby. In Taiwan for example, the year 2000 saw what the economists called the “Dragon Surge”, which brought 200,000 more babies than the year prior. These babies may face increased competition for school admission, marriage and employment opportunities in their lifetime. You see, the zodiac continues to have strong cultural relevance in today’s day and age.

2019 is the year of the pig. Pig are known to be fun, honest, and thoughtful. Chinese If you were born in the year of the pig, you know how to enjoy life. New Year this year is on Feb 5^th. And I wish everyone a prosperous Chinese New Year filled with good health and good fortune.