Chinese Zodiac Signs

The Chinese Zodiac is a twelve year calendar cycle based on the Chinese calendar, consisting of twelve different animals, each with its own personality and traits. Each year, one of the twelve animals is named in each of the calendar cycle and once all twelve animals have been named, it will reset, indicating a new cycle. The individual born on a specific year will tally with the traits and personalities of that certain year’s animal and what others perceive the individual as. To find out  the animal assigned to your birth year check out How to Find your Chinese Zodiac Animal. The twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac in order are:

The Rat tends to be viewed as hardworking, charming and systematic but they can also be manipulative, ruthless and shrewd.

The Ox, like the creature, is calm, patient and a natural born leader. However, the Ox is also known for being absolutely stubborn and being very demanding.

The Tiger is a powerful, passionate and daring creature. Individuals born in the year of the Tiger are also known for their humanitarian deeds. The downfall of the Tiger is that he can be reckless and aggressive, and at times, unpredictable to others.

The Rabbit is a mild mannered creature known for their amiable and tender personality, being able to connect with others easily. This comes at a price, rabbits in time can be superficial and opportunistic, taking advantage of the connection they have over others.

The Dragon like its mythical counterpart is fiery, passionate and ambitious. Those born in the year of the Dragon aims ahead in their life but this can be seen as being arrogant and tactless to others.

The Snake is sensual, graceful and full of mysticism but others view those who were born in the year of the Snake as being bad at communication with a hedonistic point of view.

The Horse is expectedly the cheerful, popular and flexible animal of the bunch. Though at times, those born in the year of the Horse can be immature and rude to others.

The Ram tends to over-worry and be overly-sensitive over many matters but Rams are also seen by others as a righteous, gentle and creative bunch with lots of artistic talent.

The Monkey, like the creature in the wild, is very innovative, seeks out solutions to problems and motivates others with its sociability but they can be seen as a cunning, deceptive and manipulative lot.

The Rooster is always alert, is a perfectionist in his/her ways and tends to be neat and meticulous about everything but they are also known as being too abrasive to others and can be overly critical on their selves and others.

The Dog is an intelligent creature. Those born in the year of the Dog are usually amicable and sociable, good at communicating with others. Dogs, however, can get cynical and be very stubborn in their beliefs.

The Pig is a peace-loving, loyal and passionate creature. They are also seen as calm and sincere but their sincerity is usually taken advantage of as they are also known to be gullible and over-reliant on others.

It’s up to you to find out which animal corresponds to the year you were born in and ask your friends if you behave like any of the traits mentioned above. If it is indeed true, maybe you can change your habits to remove the negative traits!

You may be interested in the predictions for Chinese Horoscope 2012 the Year of the Dragon