In Chinese culture, Dating Methods were cyclical, cyclical meaning something that is repeated time after time according to a pattern. A popular folk method which reflected this cyclical method of recording years are the Twelve Animal Signs. Every year is assigned an animal name or "sign" according to a repeating cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. Therefore, every twelve years the same animal name or "sign" would reappear.

Amusingly, a cultural sidelight of the animal signs in Chinese folklore is that horoscopes have developed around the animal signs, much like monthly horoscopes in the West have been developed for the different moon signs, Pisces, Aries, etc. For example, a Chinese horoscope may predict that a person born in the Year of the Horse would be, "cheerful, popular, and loves to compliment others".

These horoscopes are amusing, but not regarded seriously by the Chinese people.

However, the animal signs serve social functions:

To approximate someone's age. Instead of asking directly how old a person is, people often ask what is his or her animal sign. This would place that person’s age within a cycle of 12 years, and with a bit of common sense, we can deduce the exact age. More often, though, people ask for animal signs not to compute a person’s exact numerical age, but to simply know who is older among friends and acquaintances.

Also, according to the Chinese Cultural Center of San Francisco. In China, the horoscope is often consulted to learn how to deal with a difficult boss or to find a peacemaker to mediate a conflict.

So if you are born in these years: 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996 and 2008, then you're a charming, intelligent, hardworking, creative yet controlling, bossy perfectionist who likes to gossip, you might be a rat - and a "happy New Year!" may be in order.

Legends have it...

According to Chinese legend, the twelve animals quarreled one day as to who was to head the cycle of years. The gods were asked to decide and they held a contest: whoever was to reach the opposite bank of the river would be first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish.

All the twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox's back, and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the ox second, and the pig last.

"The charm and innovative personality of the rat is legendary - he did not become the first sign of the cycle without good reason," Theodora Lau wrote in her "Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes." "The rat loves to run the show and everyone and everything had better look sharp under his stewardship."

What does it mean to be born a rat?

The rat is a natural leader, who is eloquent and enterprising yet very sentimental and caring. The Chinese say those with a rat child are very lucky because when the parents get old the child will take care of them.

This election year is supposed to be positive for the United States, founded in the year of the monkey.

"The rat and the monkey are very compatible and since it's the year of the rat, it will do well for the monkey," Lau said in an interview. "Both the rat and the monkey love the challenges and they will be able to find the solutions."

The rat also gets along with the dragon and ox, and clashes with the horse and the pig.
 
Source:
sfgate.com
San Francisco Cultural Center