Chinese Zodiac Sign

A Chinese astrological sign is one of the 12 animals associated with the years of a traditional 12-year cycle. A person's sign is generally determined by their year of birth according to the Chinese calendar, with particular attention paid to the date of the Chinese New Year for those born in January or February.

Chinese astrology is a cultural and divinatory tradition; the characteristics or predictions associated with the signs are not based on scientifically established relationships.

To determine the Chinese zodiac sign, use the person's year of birth in the traditional Chinese calendar. In Chinese astrology, the Chinese zodiac sign can be determined by calculating the year modulo 12 (the remainder of the Euclidean division by 12).

The traditional Chinese calendar is lunisolar: its months follow the cycles of the Moon while remaining synchronized with the solar year. It should therefore not be considered a purely lunar calendar.

By comparison, traditional Western zodiac signs are associated with the apparent position of the Sun along the ecliptic, whereas the Chinese zodiac primarily associates an animal with each year of the traditional 12-year cycle.

The 12 Chinese zodiac animals, in cycle order, are: Rat, Ox (or Buffalo), Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

The cycle then starts again with the Rat and repeats every 12 years.

The elements follow a 10-year cycle, with each element associated with two consecutive years:

— Metal: years ending in 0 or 1

— Water: years ending in 2 or 3

— Wood: years ending in 4 or 5

— Fire: years ending in 6 or 7

— Earth: years ending in 8 or 9