Monkey, Rat, Tiger... What's Your (Chinese Zodiac) Sign?

Julie Wolf | Jan 25, 2022 10:07 am | 3 comments | 735 reads

Most of us have been asked, “So what’s your sign?” If they’re cute you quip back oh I’m a Taurus, or a Sag – aka Sagittarius. However, if they’re not to your liking…well, generally you roll your eyes and go back to your drink. But if you want to throw them for a loop respond with I’m a rat, or monkey, or tiger! The Chinese have their own Zodiac system called 生肖 shengxiao.

Similar to its Western counterpart there are 12 signs – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig – but unlike the West, the signs correspond to years not months, nor are they associated with constellations.

The popular story goes that the Jade Emperor invited all of the animals to participate in a race celebrating his birthday. The first 12 animals to cross the finish line would each be assigned the honor of a rotating year in the new calendar. The last part of the race required them to cross the river and the clever rat convinced the ox to carry him across, but at the last minute jumped off the ox’s nose to land on the river bank first. This awarded him the first position in the calendar cycle. The ox came in second while the tiger – 2022 is a tiger year – placed third. As with most stories passed through the generations, the details have altered slightly over time but the general idea remains the same.

As we head into 2022’s Year of the Tiger I decided to investigate the supposed characteristics of each sign. Read on to find out what you and your little one are according to ancient Chinese tradition.

Rat Babies

Birth years: 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020

Rats are said to be ambitious, charming, and good at earning and saving money. They can be very loyal friends and clever employees but are also said to be tricksters and strategists who won’t directly lie to you, though they might not tell you the whole story if it serves their own interests.

Ox Babies

Birth years: 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021

Ox natives are said to be incredibly patient, steadfast, and hard working. But they can also be stubborn and a little materialistic. Loyal friends and thoughtful partners they are said to be choosy about who they give their time and energy to.

Tiger Babies

Birth years: 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022

Supposedly the most confident of the signs, tigers are smart, quick-witted, and highly magnetic personalities. But they can also come across as arrogant and selfish according to traditional wisdom.

There's more to this story! This article was originally posted on our sister site, Jingkids International.

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READ: Prepare for a Peaceful Year Ahead with a Plate of Dumplings from Sister Man's

Images: Canva

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Re: Monkey, Rat, Tiger... What's Your (Chinese Zodiac) Sign?
Posted Jan 26, 2022 7:57pm by BauLuo
(Reply to a previous comment)
Giovanni Martini]</p> <p>[quote=BauLuo wrote:

"Remissness"? It sounds like the reptile house at the zoo. Too many serpentine syllibants there. Might I suggest a more elegant synonym? "Remissicissitude," or perhaps "remissition," or---for a Teutonic touch, "Remissigkeit"?

I miss my Swiss miss and my Swiss miss misses me. Repeat 20 times with ass to mirror with other hand held mirror (in hand of course) videotaping for instank upload to tiktok. Wear a kilt and a pink bum floss. Instant fame for twenty seconds, which if yer smart and quick about things may lead to a prime role on an early morning news program on NBC, thereafter, verilly, a shot at the presidency, or at least competing against Joe Biden and Justin Turdeau on Jeopardy.

I am Doktor Aethelwise Snapdragoon.

Re: Monkey, Rat, Tiger... What's Your (Chinese Zodiac) Sign?
Posted Jan 26, 2022 7:36am by BauLuo

There is a bit of remissness here Miss Julie. I think it always important to distinguish 是 from 属。 Whilst in English it may make perfect sense to say ` I am a Cancer' (indeed, viz Justin Trudeau) or ` I am a Scorpio' and etc. the same does not hold using Chinese, wherein the more specific word 属 should be used. Which meaning is `I am according to the classification of such and such'. Which, in my case is a Dragon of the Wood variety. I found it somewhat interesting that shy Chinese interlocuters, afraid of uttering the words `How old are you?` , would query me about my Chinese astrological animal, thus to suss this out.

Now, 是 is sun 日 over 正， and 属 is corpse over the mighty Quin. 尸上寓 （that by the way is not the correct hanzi, but my computer clearly is not well ennabled.) Many times I can understand the concepts instantiated in hanzi; other times obscure. Of course concepts are endless, whilst sounds are limited. Thus I have come to believe that representation of language via representation of sounds is a good deal more effecient than representations of concepts. Goddamn Phoenicians!!

I am Doktor Aethelwise Snapdragoon.

Re: Monkey, Rat, Tiger... What's Your (Chinese Zodiac) Sign?
Posted Jan 25, 2022 10:28pm by BauLuo
(Reply to a previous comment)
Giovanni Martini wrote:

"...if you want to throw them for a loop respond with I’m a rat, or monkey, or tiger!" (unquote)

Ya can't have a bevy of assassins. Unlessun they was all female. 'Bevy' as a descriptor meaning ` a bunch of' but only when describing a bunch a females. Or Justin Trudeau and pals, which is much the same. Eg. `when I was down in Khartoum, me and my bevy of sycophantic hangin on gals was havin a grand ol' hootenany down by the bayou'. That's okay, no fault. But don't go usin `bevy' reckelessly. I am sensitive to this and I might get triggered.

Throw them for a loop? I'm a genuine old-fart what grew up in a Great Plains hamlet back when Bill Gates was still getting mugged for milk money. By the time I was 11, I knew what my Chinese animal was. I mean, it was not exactly esoteric knowledge anywhere, even then. Not like, say, our old Thule Gesellschaft gatherings, where the Master would smite the flagstones with his ash-wood staff 9 times and intone----Oh, s***. I breached my oath. Sorry, gotta run. Bevy of assassains to elude and all...

I am Doktor Aethelwise Snapdragoon.