His anger at the rat has lasted through the ages, and they are still mortal enemies. The poor cat finally dragged himself over to the other side, but it was too late. The dog was late because he had stopped for a wash in the river, and the pig had been sleeping, so took 12th place. The sheep, monkey, and rooster arrived together on a raft, taking eighth, ninth, and 10th places respectively. The horse galloped effortlessly across the river, but was pipped to sixth place by the wily snake who was hiding on his hoof. The dragon was hot on the rabbit’s heels, and only came in fifth because he stopped to make rain and then help the rabbit with a gust of wind. The strong tiger came next, followed by agile rabbit who hopped from stone to stone and floating log. Thus, the ox was the second creature to reach the opposite shore. Hating water, the cat managed to get out and scurried away to dry off. A kind old soul, the ox agreed, but just as they set off, the rat pushed the cat into the river. The pair enlisted the help of the ox, who was resting nearby, and asked him to ferry them across the river. The rat put the word out across the kingdom, and the first creature to appear on the riverbank was the cat. The animals would then have a year named after them in the order they got to the other side. To settle the dispute, the Jade Emperor (the ruler of heaven) commanded the animals to have a race across a river. One legend tells that the 12 animals that now make up the Chinese zodiac were once having an argument about which order they should appear in the new animal-based calendar.

You might not have thought it, but there’s actually a number of different legends that claim to explain the order of the 12 animals. To think I was just a month and a bit away from being a fearsome, fire-breathing dragon… *sighs* So, according to the Chinese calendar, I’m a rabbit. Each animal has different personality traits, and these traits are also said to apply to the different years too, as well as to the people born in those years.įor example, I was born in 1988. After the year of the Pig has ended, the cycle starts again from the beginning (the Rat). They are (in order): Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (aka Ram), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The Chinese zodiac is made up of 12 animals. The 2023 Chinese New Years day is January 22, 2023. But why are the animals in the order they’re in? Well, gather round and I’ll tell you… You could even grab some travel insurance and head to China to see it yourself. Or, if you’ve got a Chinatown nearby you, just round the corner. You might have seen lots of colourful costumes, dancing dragons and fireworks on the news. Visit Chinese Zodiac New Year for a fun and entertaining 3 1/2 minute video based on this story.Happy new year! No, this isn’t a post that we forgot to publish early last month I’m talking about the Chinese New Year, which was yesterday. The 12 animals and the order of arrival are: 1- Rat, 2- Ox, 3- Tiger, 4- Rabbit, 5- Dragon, 6- Snake, 7- Horse, 8- Goat, 9- Monkey, 10- Rooster, 11- Dog and 12- Pig. Grateful for their efforts, Buddah commended them for their strengths for arriving so quickly, and named each year of the Zodiac calendar after them, arranged according to the order of their arrival. Honest Rooster, independent Dog and considerate Pig came in last. Monkey had fallen well behind, taking a nap in the forest but he caught up by jumping between trees and stones, to become ninth. Next, Horse and Goat arrived they were very kind and modest and each let the other go first, eventually ranking seventh and eighth. Good-looking Dragon and wise Snakeĭragon swooped in for fifth and Snake was slithered in to claim sixth place. But Tiger was faster – Rabbit had to cross the river by hopping on stepping stones which slowed him down. Tiger and Rabbit came third and fourth because both are fast and competitive. After crossing the river, Ox raced towards the Heavenly Gate but suddenly, Rat jumped ahead of him. The diligent Ox didn’t mind and simply continued.

After waiting some time, Rat noticed Ox about to cross the river and swiftly jumped into Ox’s ear. On his way to the gate, he encountered a swift running river.

The next day, the animals set off towards the Heavenly Gate. Early risers: quick-witted Rat and diligent Ox They were all excited and each had plans to be the first one to arrive. The first 12 animals that arrived to the Heavenly Gate could be given a place in the Zodiac Calendar. According to Chinese astrology compatibility, the animal signs that are four years apart from each other are believed to be compatible but are incompatible if they are six years apart. There are many legends and versions how this came about, and this one is based on the Great Race, which is a favourite for many.Ĭhinese legend said that the Heavenly Buddah (or Emperor), asked all the animals to participate in a Great Race on his birthday. The Chinese Zodiac is a cycle of 12 years, where each year is represented by one of the twelve animals.

Lunar new year animals by year