Chinese Zodiac - 2018 Year of the Dog

Do you know there are 12 Zodiac animals in the Chinese Zodiac? Well, I did since I was told as a child but I never knew the order they are in ... here you go...

The Chinese zodiac is a classification scheme that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle

2018 is the year of the Male Earth Dog. The colour brown is associated to the colour of earth, hence 2018 is also also known as the year of the brown dog.

The Dog is the eleventh zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party.

Early Risers: Quick - Witted Rat and Diligent Ox:

The animals set off towards the party. Rat got up very early. On his way to the gate, he encountered a river which he couldn't cross. After waiting a long time, Rat noticed Ox about to cross the river and swiftly jumped into Ox.The diligent Ox did not mind at all and simply continued. After crossing the river, the Rat jumped off the Ox and dashed to the party. Rat won first in best dressed and Ox was second.

Competitive and Fast: Tiger and Rabbit:

Tiger and Rabbit came third and fourth because both are fast and competitive, but Tiger was faster. (Rabbit got across the river by hopping on stepping stones and a floating log.)

Good-looking Dragon and Crafty Snake:

Good-looking Dragon was fifth and was immediately noticed by the Jade Emperor, who said Dragon's son could be sixth. But Dragon's son didn't come with him that day. Just then, Snake came forward and said Dragon was his adoptive father; so Snake ranked sixth

Kind and Modest Horse and Goat:

Horse and Goat arrived. They were very kind and modest and each let the other go first. The Jade Emperor saw how polite they were and ranked them seventh and eighth.

Jumping Monkey:

Monkey had fallen well behind. But he jumped between trees and stones, and caught up to be ninth. Last were Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

Rooster, Dog and Pig were in another country, helping to defeat evil spirits. Upon completion of their task, they set off to the party together. They arrive at the same time, the Jade Emperor went by the order they met. Thus Dog became eleventh.

In the terms of yin and yang (阴阳—yīn yáng), the Dog is yang.

In China, it is still popular to name dogs Wàng Cái (旺财). It means “prosperous wealth” and comes from dogs’ barking sounds (旺旺—wàng wàng).

Here's wishing everyone a 旺旺—wàng wàng year of the Dog!

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