Well, howdy there! Let’s yak a bit about this 1888 Chinese zodiac thing, whatever that is. I heard some folks talkin’ ‘bout it down at the market, so I figured I’d do some pokin’ around myself.
Now, they say 1888 was the year of the Rat. Imagine that, a whole year named after a little critter! Them rats, they’re everywhere, ain’t they? Always scurrying around, getting into things. But I reckon in this here Chinese thingamajig, the rat means somethin’ special.

From what I gathered, this here Chinese zodiac runs on a twelve-year cycle. That’s a long spell, I tell ya. Each year gets its own animal. Let me see if I can remember ‘em all… there’s the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon – now that one sounds fancy! – the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and last but not least, the Pig. Whew, that’s a whole barnyard full of critters!
- Rat
- Ox
- Tiger
- Rabbit
- Dragon
- Snake
- Horse
- Goat
- Monkey
- Rooster
- Dog
- Pig
So, if you was born in 1888, or maybe twelve years later in 1900, or another twelve years after that, you’d be a Rat, I guess. Seems kinda funny, bein’ called a Rat, but hey, to each their own. They say some of these animals is luckier than others. I heard tell that the Dragon, the Rat, the Pig, and the Monkey are the lucky ones. Well, good for them Rats, I suppose!
Now, figuring out your animal ain’t always so straightforward, see? It all depends on this here Chinese calendar, which is different from the one we use. Their calendar goes by the moon, not the sun. And the new year don’t start on January 1st like ours does. It changes every year, sometime in January or February. So, if you was born in them months, you gotta be extra careful figuring out your animal. You might need to look at one of them charts or somethin’.
I even heard they got lucky colors and things tied to each animal. Imagine that! A lucky color! I wonder what the Rat’s lucky color is? Maybe it’s gray, like a rat, ha! But seriously, it’s kinda interestin’ how they got all this stuff figured out. They been doin’ this for ages, these Chinese folks. Their astrology, they call it, is one of the oldest in the world. Older than me, that’s for sure!
So, why all the fuss about these animals, you ask? Well, they say it tells you somethin’ about your personality, your luck, and maybe even your future. Kinda like readin’ tea leaves, I reckon, but with animals. If you’re a Rat, maybe you’re quick-witted and resourceful, like them little critters sneakin’ around. If you’re an Ox, maybe you’re strong and steady. And if you’re a Dragon… well, you’re probably pretty special, seein’ as how that’s a fancy animal and all.
They got these calculators, too, or so I hear. You just punch in your birth year, and it spits out your animal. Ain’t technology somethin’? Makes things a whole lot easier than tryin’ to figure it out on your own, that’s for sure. You can find out what your animal is and what your lucky color is too. Makes it simple for an old woman like me to understand all this newfangled stuff.

Anyways, this 1888 Chinese zodiac thing is kinda complicated, but it’s also kinda neat. It’s a different way of lookin’ at things, see? And who knows, maybe there’s somethin’ to it. Maybe them animals really do tell us somethin’ about ourselves. Or maybe it’s just a fun way to pass the time, thinkin’ about rats and dragons and such. Either way, it’s got me thinkin’, that’s for sure. And if anyone asks, I can tell ‘em I know a thing or two about the year of the Rat, even if I ain’t no scholar.
So next time you see a rat, don’t go screamin’ and jumpin’ on a chair. Just remember, it might be someone’s lucky animal. And if it’s your lucky animal, well, maybe go buy a lottery ticket or something – who knows? Maybe you’ll win youself a new rocking chair.
Now I’m plum tuckered out from all this thinkin’ and talkin’. Time for a cup of tea and maybe a little nap. But if you want to learn more about this Chinese zodiac stuff, you just go on and poke around yourself. There’s plenty more to learn, I guarantee ya that.