Chinese Zodiac (生肖 shēngxiào) is based on a twelve year cycle, with each year of the lunar calendar associated with one of the 12 animal signs. 2019 is Year of the Brown Earth Pig starting from Feb. 5, 2019 and ending on Jan. 24, 2020.
The 12 Chinese zodiac animals used to represent years, 2020 is the Year of the Rat. Zodiac signs play an integral part in Chinese culture, and can be used to determine your fortune for the year, marriage compatibility, career fit, best times to have a baby, and so much more.
The general consensus is that the zodiacs originally had something to do with the worship of animals. A zodiac system has existed in Chinese culture since the Qin dynasty, more than 2,000 years ago.
Over time the zodiacs became more and more integrated into everyday life, with different meanings and characteristics assigned to each animal. This in turn gave rise to various compatibilities (and incompatibilities) between each zodiac, and play a major role in marriage and career decisions, fortune-telling and more!
In order, they are: rat (鼠—shǔ), ox (牛—niú), tiger (虎—hǔ), rabbit (兔—tù), dragon (龙—lóng), snake (蛇—shé), horse (马—mǎ), goat (羊—yang), monkey (猴—hóu), rooster (鸡—jī), dog (狗—gǒu), and pig (猪—zhū).
The zodiac cycle repeats every 12 years, making it easy to figure out whether it’s your year- just check if your age is a multiple of 12! Here are the 12 zodiac animals in order with accompanying years:
| ZODIAC ANIMAL | CHARACTER | RECENT YEARS | Personality Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | 鼠 (shǔ) | 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 | Quick-witted, resourceful, versatile, kind |
| Ox | 牛 (niú) | 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 | Diligent, dependable, strong, determined |
| Tiger | 虎 (hǔ) | 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 | Brave, confident, competitive |
| Rabbit | 兔 (tù) | 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 | Quiet, elegant, kind, responsible |
| Dragon | 龙 (lóng) | 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 | Confident, intelligent, enthusiastic |
| Snake | 蛇 (shé) | 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 | Enigmatic, intelligent, wise |
| Horse | 马 (mǎ) | 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 | Animated, active, energetic |
| Goat | 羊 (yang) | 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 | Calm, gentle, sympathetic |
| Monkey | 猴 (hóu) | 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 | Sharp, smart, curiosity |
| Rooster | 鸡 (jī) | 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 | Observant, hardworking, courageous |
| Dog | 狗 (gǒu) | 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 | Lovely, honest, prudent |
| Pig | 猪 (zhū) | 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 | Compassionate, generous, diligent |
Maybe you think your zodiac year (本命年—ben ming nian) will be lucky. It’s your year after all. However, it’s the total opposite.
It’s seen as a hurdle you have jump over. The way to protect yourself from evil spirits and bad fortune is to wear red underwear every day for the entire year. Even in modern times, it’s still treated as a real concern.
In some places, married men even have to be accompanied by their wives when they go out at night during their year!