What Year Is It? The Chinese Zodiac

Friends visit zodiac animals in a Shenzhen park, 2005. (The Rat is not visible from this angle.)

In the round image at the bottom of this page (discussed here), you'll see the names of twelve animals around the outside. And this year, 2022, is the Year of the Tiger. They are always named in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

No one REALLY knows why, but there's a story...

Long ago, the ruler of heaven (called "The Jade Emperor") wanted twelve guards, so he sent a messenger to earth to tell the animals: the first twelve to enter the Gate of Heaven would become receive the honor of protecting him. They would be ranked in the order of their arrival.

Rat got an early start, but he came to a river he couldn't cross. When he saw an Ox reaching the river's edge, he jumped up between its horns and urged it on. They were the first to reach the palace, but the Rat leaped off of the Ox's head and landed at the Emperor's feet, so he was first and the Ox second. (Rats are clever, and oxen diligent.)

Tiger and Rabbit, both fast, raced each other, but with his longer legs, Tiger won. They were third and fourth.

Dragon was so handsome that, when he arrived fifth, the Emperor said his son could be sixth. Snake heard this and, since Dragon's son wasn't there, the sly creature claimed to be the Dragon's adopted son.

When Horse and Goat arrived, they were so pleasant that each kept insisting the other go first. The Emperor was impressed and chose Horse, then Goat.

Monkey leaped into ninth place and the stragglers--Rooster, Dog, and Pig--finished out the set.

You might wonder why there was no cat. Well, Rat (remember, he was first) was supposed to tell the Cat when he was leaving, but he was tired of being bullied, so he snuck out quietly on the day of the race, leaving the Cat behind.

No matter what Al Stewart sang, there is no "Year of the Cat."