What’s your Chinese Astrological Animal?

You probably know your sign in Western astrology (I’m a Sagittarius), but do you know which is your Chinese Zodiac sign?The Chinese Zodiac uses your birth year to determine your primary astrological animal. Over the course of a 12 year-cycle, each year is represented by one of the animals the Buddha called to himself before he died, in the order in which they showed up.

So the clever Rat is the first animal in the cycle because he showed up first!

Find your birth year on the chart below to discover your animal and learn about its characteristics.The Chinese astrological animals have unique traits that don’t always conform to our Western view, so don’t take anything for granted about your sign!

Note that the Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle, so if your birthday falls in late January or early February you may be influenced by the animal of the year before.

This year, the Year Of The Snake begins on February 10, 2013 and ends on January 30, 2014. (Find out exact yearly dates here).

I’m a Snake, so this is “my” year.

Which animal are you?

The Rat: 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008: Charming, clever, sociable and generous.

The Ox: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009: Conservative, calm and dependable; a loyal friend.

The Tiger: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010: Sensitive, honest, flexible and a bit unpredictable.

The Rabbit:1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011: Diplomatic, easygoing, elegant and affectionate.The Dragon: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012: Strong, full of energy, fiery and decisive.

The Snake:1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013: Graceful, amusing, intelligent and romantic.The Horse: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014: Hard-working, cheerful, independent and perceptive.

The Sheep:1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015: Sincere, sympathetic, creative and determined.The Monkey: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016: Inventive, inquisitive, intellectual and witty.

The Rooster: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017: Practical, a perfectionist, fun and sometimes extravagant.The Dog: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018: Loyal, straightforward, honest, a good listener.

The Pig: 1923, 1935, 1947,1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019: Thoughtful, scrupulous, companionable, a good host.

Do you see a reflection of yourself in your animal?