That Chinese zodiac calendar, it’s a thing, you know? Folks talk about it all the time. They say it tells you things. Like what kinda person you are. It’s all about them animals. 12 of ’em.
They got this story, see? Some big shot god, Jade Emperor they call him, he had a race. All the animals in the world, he told ’em to come. Only 12 showed up. So them 12, they got a spot on this calendar thing.

Now, the order they finished, that’s how they go on the calendar. First one was that Rat. Always schemin’, that one. Then that big old Ox, slow and steady. Tiger came in third, all fierce and whatnot. Then that jumpy Rabbit.
After that, you got that fancy Dragon. Then the slithery Snake. Horse came next, always runnin’ around. Then that woolly Goat. And that cheeky Monkey, always playin’ tricks. Then that loudmouth Rooster, crowin’ all day. The Dog, loyal as can be, and finally that Pig. That’s all 12 of ’em, right there in that Chinese zodiac thing.
- Rat
- Ox
- Tiger
- Rabbit
- Dragon
- Snake
- Horse
- Goat
- Monkey
- Rooster
- Dog
- Pig
Each one’s got its own way, you know? Like that Rat, they say he’s quick and smart. The Ox, he’s strong and works hard. The Tiger, he’s brave and bossy. Each animal’s got somethin’ special, they say. It’s in their nature, this Chinese zodiac deal.
Now, what year you’re born in, that’s your animal. That’s what they say. But it ain’t so simple. See, their new year, it ain’t like ours. It jumps around. They go by the moon, not like us. One year it might start in January, next year maybe in February. So, this Chinese zodiac year stuff, it’s confusing, that’s for sure.
Take that Rat, for example. I seen a paper that said people born in 1948, they’re Rats. But it said February 10th, 1948 to January 28th, 1949. Like I said, it jumps around. The next year, 1949, they said that was the year of the Ox. January 29th, 1949 to February 16th, 1950. See? It don’t make no sense. All because of this whole lunar calendar deal and this Chinese zodiac.
They say the Rat is adaptable and optimistic. That means he can deal with anything and always looks on the bright side. Also, considerate. That’s nice. But it’s all hogwash, if you ask me. It’s just a bit of fun, this Chinese zodiac calendar.

They say there’s 12 of these animals cause there’s 12 moons in a year. Somethin’ about the seasons and all that. The old folks, they used to watch the sky, I guess. They seen things we don’t see no more. They made up these stories, and now we got this Chinese zodiac.
Every year, it’s a different animal. Goes around and around. Like a wheel. 12 years, then it starts all over again. Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. Then back to the Rat. It’s a whole cycle, this Chinese zodiac.
Now, I don’t know much about this stuff. But I hear folks talkin’. They say it’s important. They check their animal and see what the year’s gonna be like. Good luck, bad luck, all that stuff. It’s all in this Chinese zodiac calendar, they say.
Me, I don’t pay it no mind. I just live my life. But it’s interestin’, I guess. All these animals, all these stories. This whole Chinese zodiac business. It’s somethin’ to think about, anyway.
It’s all a bit silly, ain’t it? But people like it. They like to know what their animal is. They like to read about it. They think it tells ’em somethin’ about themselves. Maybe it does, maybe it don’t. But this Chinese zodiac, it ain’t goin’ nowhere. People been talkin’ about it for years, and they ain’t gonna stop now. It is what it is. Some people believe it. Some don’t. To each their own.