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The Chinese horoscope follows a 12-year cycle used for dating the years, and consists of 12 zodiac signs. Each of these signs are characterised by an animal and follow this sequence: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and the pig.
A legend attributes the order of these signs to a competition ordered by the Jade Emperor for all animals, with the faster animals ranking higher in the Jade Emperor’s calendar. The rat won the competition by hitching a ride on the back of the ox, and the lazy pig came in last.
The Chinese horoscope is also associated with the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. A person’s horoscope therefore possesses both an animal sign as well as an element. Traditional Chinese people are particular about horoscopes, and marriages are sometimes arranged according to compatible signs.
The Chinese horoscope follows the Chinese lunar calendar, so the sign changes to the next one during Chinese New Year instead of 1 January as with the Gregorian calendar.
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