The traditional Chinese lunisolar year has 12 months and 353 to 355 days (or during a leap year, 13 months and 383 to 385 days).
Therefore, the Chinese year usually begins several weeks into the Western 365-day year (usually between January 21 and February 20), not on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar.
Chinese Zodiac Classic
Chinese Zodiac
As is ancient tradition, the Chinese zodiac attaches animal signs to each lunar year in a cycle of 12 years. The animal designation changes at the start of the New Year.
A Deeper Look
On a broader scale, the Chinese lunisolar calendar counts its years according to the stem-branch system, a 60-year rotating name system also known as the Chinese sexagenary cycle. By this, a year’s name contains two parts: the celestial stem and the terrestrial branch.
· The celestial, or heavenly stem, is taken from a rotating list of 10 terms concerning the yin/yang forms of five elements.
· The Stem (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water): jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin, ren, and gui
Stem/Element
jia = yang wood
yi = yin wood
bing = yang fire
ding = yin fire
wu = yang earth
ji = yin earth
geng = yang metal
xin = yin metal
ren = yang water
gui = yin water
· The terrestrial, or earthly, branch is taken from a rotating list of the 12 animal names of the Chinese zodiac.
Branch/Animal
zi = rat
chou = ox
yin = tiger
mao = rabbit
chen = dragon
si = snake
wu = horse
wei = sheep/goat
shen = monkey
you = rooster
xu = dog
hai – boar/pig
So, putting the stem and branch terms together, the first year in a 60-year cycle is called jia-zi (Year of the Rat) as jia is the celestial stem and zi (rat) is the terrestrial branch. The next year is yi-chou (Year of the Ox), and so on. The 11th year is jia-xu, etc., until a new cycle starts over with jia-zi.
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