What is the legend of the Chinese zodiac?
What is the legend of the Chinese zodiac?
Long ago, in China, the Jade Emperor decided there should be a way of measuring time. On his birthday he told the animals that there was to be a swimming race. The first twelve animals across the fast flowing river would be the winners and they would each have a year of the zodiac named after them.
Who is the 12th winner in the zodiac race?
Pig
Just before the closing of the Great Race, a huge squealing burst forth from the river. Pig had gotten hungry and stopped for snack and a little nap. Pig’s appetite had made him late, but he did arrive before the close of competition. So, Pig became the 12th Animal of the Chinese Zodiac.
Why is the Chinese zodiac 12?
Long, long ago, there was no Chinese zodiac. The Jade Emperor wanted to select 12 animals to be his guards. He sent an immortal being into man’s world to spread the message that the earlier one went through the Heavenly Gate, the better the rank one would have.
Is there a Japanese zodiac?
The Japanese 12 zodiac animals in order are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. Japan’s zodiac signs were directly derived from China’s. The only difference is that the last animal is the Boar in Japan but the Pig in China.
What animal came first in the race?
At last, the ox and rat arrived first. The ox was happy thinking that he would be the first sign of the years, but the rat had already slid in front, and became the first lucky animal of the Chinese zodiac. That’s how did the rat win the race.
How was the Chinese zodiac created?
It was formed from two components: the Celestial Stem and the Terrestrial Branch. Each of the 12 animals stands for a year in a 12-year cycle, a day in the a 12-day cycle, and for every two hours in a 24-hour day. These were used to name each year along with the animal signs, but now they mainly just use the dates.
Is your zodiac year unlucky?
Why is a Zodiac Year an Unlucky Year? According to Chinese astrology, people in their zodiac year are believed to offend Tai Sui, the God of Age, and incur his curse. It is believed to bring nothing but bad luck.
What are the Egyptian zodiac signs?
- Hapi (January 1–7, June 19–28, September 1–7, November 18–26)
- Amun-Ra (January 8–21, February 1–11)
- Mut (January 22–31, Sept 8–22)
- Geb (February 12–29, August.
- Osiris (March 1–10, November 27-December 18)
- 6. Isis (March 11–31, October 18–29, December 19–31)
- Thoth (April 1–19, November 8–17)
How did the 12 animal zodiac signs get their names?
But there are a lot of stories being thrown about regarding how the 12 animal ended up being the zodiac signs when there are thousands of animal species all around the world. The story of origins mostly point to the legend about a race between the animals. There are various versions of the story being told by different people.
What are the 12 Chinese zodiac signs in order?
The Chinese Zodiac Story — The Zodiac Rankings Race. There are 12 Chinese zodiac signs, in the following order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
What is the legend of the 12 years?
The legend begins with the ruler of heaven wanting to give each of the 12 years a common label so that people would be better able to identify with them. Then the brilliant idea of using common animal names to go with each year came to mind.
How did the pig become the 12th zodiac sign?
The pig was already swimming at this point. Along the way, the compassionate pinky picked up the drenched cat who was totally exhausted from keeping afloat in the water. It was too weak to finish the race and the pig became the 12th zodiac sign. And of course, they tweeted their celebratory photo.
