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My interest in Chinese Horoscope Animals has resurfaced as the Chinese New Year approaches, when the Year of the Tiger is due to give way to the Year of the Rabbit on 03 February 2011.

As with Western Astrology, the Chinese Horoscopes have 12 signs. However, instead of naming the months after their Zodiac signs, the Chinese name their years. Chinese years follow the lunar calendar, which is why the Chinese New Year always falls on a different date to the previous year but sometime between late January and early February.

These Chinese Astrological Signs always follow the same order and are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Each sign is either Yin or Yang and each year takes on one of the elements: water, wood, fire, metal or earth.

Chinese horoscopes are also similar to Western Astrology in as much as a person born under a specific sign is deemed to take on the qualities and characteristics of that sign. It is believed that the Chinese Astrological Signs have similarities to specific Western Zodiac signs as follows:

Rat = Sagittarius

Ox = Capricorn

Tiger = Aquarius

Rabbit = Pisces

Dragon = Aries

Snake = Taurus

Horse = Gemini

Sheep = Cancer

Monkey = Leo

Rooster = Virgo

Dog = Libra

Pig = Scorpio

The combination of Chinese Horoscope Animal plus the five elements means that the Chinese Zodiac has a cycle of 60 years. To give an example, 2010 is the Year of the Metal (or white) Tiger. The last Year of the Metal Tiger was in 1950. 2011 is the Year of the Metal Rabbit, the last being 1951.

2012 will be the Year of the Water Dragon and 2013 the Year of the Water Snake – each element lasts for two consecutive years.

You can find out more about the characteristics and qualities of the Chinese Horoscopes on my page Chinese Horoscope Animals.