The Chinese Horoscope was originally established based off of the twelve year cycle of Jupiter, our solar system’s largest planet, and the ancient 5 Elements theory. The twelve animal signs originated from the idea of the twelve “earthly branches” which were used to measure time during the Han dynasty. The animals replaced the twelve earthly branches for the dynamic sense of character they imbued each hour with.
While many people assume that the Chinese zodiac signs only apply to the year which you were born, there are also ‘inner’, ‘true’ and ‘secret’ animal signs assigned based on the month, day and hour, respectively of your birth.
The legend of how the twelve zodiac signs came to be is quite endearing. The Jade Emperor (the ruler of heaven and all the realms of existence below) called a meeting of the animals and declared that the years of the calendar would be assigned based on the order of the animal’s arrival.
Cat and rat knew they had to come up with a plan because they were the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom, so cunningly they asked the gentle-natured ox to let them ride on his back. As they approached the other side of the river, rat shoved cat off and jumped onto the shore to claim first place as ox strongly followed.
Tiger came next swimming fiercely against the strong currents and breathing heavily as it arrived. Then a loud thumping was heard as rabbit leapt from stone to stone to cross the river and grabbed onto a log that finally carried him to shore. Dragon arrived by flying fifth, and when pressed as to why he had taken so long, explained that he had had to stop along the way to make rain for the creatures of the earth. As he drew near his destination he had seen a rabbit clinging to a log and gave a powerful breath to help him to shore.
Just then a galloping horse was seen in the distance, as he drew near a snake that had been hiding round his hoof leapt forth and scared him, knocking the horse over and giving the snake the sixth place in the zodiac and horse the seventh. Shortly thereafter monkey, goat and rooster arrived together having helped one another. Rooster had spotted a raft on the river’s shore and monkey and goat helped clear the weeds and pull the raft across.
Next, dog arrived, shaking water from his fur. Why was the best swimmer so late they wondered? Well he couldn’t resist playing in the water once he started swimming! The Jade Emperor began preparing to draw the event to a close when all of a sudden a little oink was heard. Who else, but pig showed up, he had been slowed down by a small snack and a nap along the way. Poor cat drowned and never made it into the zodiac, and to this day cats still chase rats to pay them back for it.
Date of Birth (Modern Calendar) | Chinese Horoscope Sign |
KUA number (Men)
|
KUA number (Women)
|
20 Feb 1920 - 7 Feb 1921
|
Monkey |
8
|
7
|
8 Feb 1921 - 27 Jan 1922
|
Rooster |
7
|
8
|
28 Jan 1922 - 15 Feb 1923
|
Dog |
6
|
9
|
16 Feb 1923 - 4 Feb 1924
|
Boar |
5
|
1
|
5 Feb 1924 - 23 Jan 1925
|
Rat |
4
|
2
|
24 Jan 1925 - 12 Feb 1926
|
Ox |
3
|
3
|
13 Feb 1926 - 1 Feb 1927
|
Tiger |
2
|
4
|
2 Feb 1927 - 22 Jan 1928
|
Rabbit |
1
|
5
|
23 Jan 1928 - 9 Feb 1929
|
Dragon |
9
|
6
|
10 Feb 1929 - 29 Jan 1930
|
Snake |
8
|
7
|
30 Jan 1930 - 16 Feb 1931
|
Horse |
7
|
8
|
17 Feb 1931 - 5 Feb 1932
|
Sheep |
6
|
9
|
6 Feb 1932 - 25 Jan 1933
|
Monkey |
5
|
1
|
26 Jan 1933 - 13 Feb 1934
|
Rooster |
4
|
2
|
14 Feb 1934 - 3 Feb 1935
|
Dog |
3
|
3
|
4 Feb 1935 - 23 Jan 1936
|
Boar |
2
|
4
|
24 Jan 1936 - 10 Feb 1937
|
Rat |
1
|
5
|
11 Feb 1937 - 30 Jan 1938
|
Ox |
9
|
6
|
31 Jan 1938 - 18 Feb 1939
|
Tiger |
8
|
7
|
19 Feb 1939 - 7 Feb 1940
|
Rabbit |
7
|
8
|
8 Feb 1940 - 26 Jan 1941
|
Dragon |
6
|
9
|
27 Jan 1941 - 14 Feb 1942
|
Snake |
5
|
1
|
15 Feb 1942 - 4 Feb 1943
|
Horse |
4
|
2
|
5 Feb 1943 - 24 Jan 1944
|
Sheep |
3
|
3
|
25 Jan 1944 - 12 Feb 1945
|
Monkey |
2
|
4
|
13 Feb 1945 - 1 Feb 1946
|
Rooster |
1
|
5
|
2 Feb 1946 - 21 Jan 1947
|
Dog |
9
|
6
|
22 Jan 1947 - 9 Feb 1948
|
Boar |
8
|
7
|
10 Feb 1948 - 28 Jan 1949
|
Rat |
7
|
8
|
29 Jan 1949 - 16 Feb 1950
|
Ox |
6
|
9
|
17 Feb 1950 - 5 Feb 1951
|
Tiger |
5
|
1
|
6 Feb 1951 - 26 Jan 1952
|
Rabbit |
4
|
2
|
27 Jan 1952 - 13 Feb 1953
|
Dragon |
3
|
3
|
14 Feb 1953 - 2 Feb 1954
|
Snake |
2
|
4
|
3 Feb 1954 - 23 Jan 1955
|
Horse |
1
|
5
|
24 Jan 1955 - 11 Feb 1956
|
Sheep |
9
|
6
|
12 Feb 1956 - 30 Jan 1957
|
Monkey |
8
|
7
|
31 Jan 1957 - 17 Feb 1958
|
Rooster |
7
|
8
|
18 Feb 1958 - 7 Feb 1959
|
Dog |
6
|
9
|
8 Feb 1959 - 27 Jan 1960
|
Boar |
5
|
1
|
28 Jan 1960 - 14 Feb 1961
|
Rat |
4
|
2
|
15 Feb 1961 - 4 Feb 1962
|
Ox |
3
|
3
|
5 Feb 1962 - 24 Jan 1963
|
Tiger |
2
|
4
|
25 Jan 1963 - 12 Feb 1964
|
Rabbit |
1
|
5
|
13 Feb 1964 - 1 Feb 1965
|
Dragon |
9
|
6
|
2 Feb 1965 - 20 Jan 1966
|
Snake |
8
|
7
|
21 Jan 1966 - 8 Feb 1967
|
Horse |
7
|
8
|
9 Feb 1967 - 29 Jan 1968
|
Sheep |
6
|
9
|
30 Jan 1968 - 16 Feb 1969
|
Monkey |
5
|
1
|
17 Feb 1969 - 5 Feb 1970
|
Rooster |
4
|
2
|
6 Feb 1970 - 26 Jan 1971
|
Dog |
3
|
3
|
27 Jan 1971 - 14 Feb 1972
|
Boar |
2
|
4
|
15 Feb 1972 - 2 Feb 1973
|
Rat |
1
|
5
|
3 Feb 1973 - 22 Jan 1974
|
Ox |
9
|
6
|
23 Jan 1974 - 10 Feb 1975
|
Tiger |
8
|
7
|
11 Feb 1975 - 30 Jan 1976
|
Rabbit |
7
|
8
|
31 Jan 1976 - 17 Feb 1977
|
Dragon |
6
|
9
|
18 Feb 1977 - 6 Feb 1978
|
Snake |
5
|
1
|
7 Feb 1978 - 27 Jan 1979
|
Horse |
4
|
2
|
28 Jan 1979 - 15 Feb 1980
|
Sheep |
3
|
3
|
16 Feb 1980 - 4 Feb 1981
|
Monkey |
2
|
4
|
5 Feb 1981 - 24 Jan 1982
|
Rooster |
1
|
5
|
25 Jan 1982 - 12 Feb 1983
|
Dog |
9
|
6
|
13 Feb 1983 - 1 Feb 1984
|
Boar |
8
|
7
|
2 Feb 1984 - 19 Feb 1985
|
Rat |
7
|
8
|
20 Feb 1985 - 8 Feb 1986
|
Ox |
6
|
9
|
9 Feb 1986 - 28 Jan 1987
|
Tiger |
5
|
1
|
29 Jan 1987 - 16 Feb 1988
|
Rabbit |
4
|
2
|
17 Feb 1988 - 5 Feb 1989
|
Dragon |
3
|
3
|
6 Feb 1989 - 26 Jan 1990
|
Snake |
2
|
4
|
27 Jan 1990 - 14 Feb 1991
|
Horse |
1
|
5
|
15 Feb 1991 - 3 Feb 1992
|
Sheep |
9
|
6
|
4 Feb 1992 - 22 Jan 1993
|
Monkey |
8
|
7
|
23 Jan 1993 - 9 Feb 1994
|
Rooster |
7
|
8
|
10 Feb 1994 - 30 Jan 1995
|
Dog |
6
|
9
|
31 Jan 1995 - 18 Feb 1996
|
Boar |
5
|
1
|
19 Feb 1996 - 6 Feb 1997
|
Rat |
4
|
2
|
7 Feb 1997 - 27 Jan 1998
|
Ox |
3
|
3
|
28 Jan 1998 - 15 Feb 1999
|
Tiger |
2
|
4
|
16 Feb 1999 - 4 Feb 2000
|
Rabbit |
1
|
5
|
5 Feb 2000 - 23 Jan 2001
|
Dragon |
9
|
6
|
24 Jan 2001 - 11 Feb 2002
|
Snake |
8
|
7
|
12 Feb 2002 - 31 Jan 2003
|
Horse |
7
|
8
|
1 Feb 2003 - 21 Jan 2004
|
Sheep |
6
|
9
|
22 Jan 2004 - 8 Feb 2005
|
Monkey |
5
|
1
|
9 Feb 2005 - 28 Jan 2006
|
Rooster |
4
|
2
|
29 Jan 2006 - 17 Feb 2007
|
Dog |
3
|
3
|
18 Feb 2007 - 6 Feb 2008
|
Boar |
2
|
4
|
7 Feb 2008 - 25 Jan 2009
|
Rat |
1
|
5
|
26 Jan 2009 - 13 Feb 2010
|
Ox |
9
|
6
|
14 Feb 2010 - 2 Feb 2011
|
Tiger |
8
|
7
|
3 Feb 2011 - 22 Jan 2012
|
Rabbit |
7
|
8
|
23 Jan 2012 - 9 Feb 2013
|
Dragon |
6
|
9
|
10 Feb 2013 - 30 Jan 2014
|
Snake |
5
|
1
|
31 Jan 2014 - 18 Feb 2015
|
Horse |
4
|
2
|
19 Feb 2015 - 7 Feb 2016
|
Sheep |
3
|
3
|
8 Feb 2016 - 27 Feb 2017
|
Monkey |
2
|
4
|
28 Jan 2017 - 15 Feb 2018
|
Rooster |
1
|
5
|
16 Feb 2018 - 4 Feb 2019
|
Dog |
9
|
6
|
|
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|
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