There are twelve 生肖 in Chinese. Do you know what are they in order? And which 生肖 this year is?

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Twelve animals in order are rat,Ox,Tiger,Rabbit,Dragon, Snake,Horse,Ram,Monkey,Rooster,Dog,pig. And why? you could see the story below.

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Chinese horoscopes history:
The year of your birth does not just indicate your age! According to the Chinese system of Astrology, the year of birth indicates a certain phase or aspect of a sixty-year cycle of time. Three systems are used for counting and classifying the years: The ten Heavenly Stems, the twelve Earthly Branches and the twelve Animals.

The exact origins of the twelve animal system remain unknown. However, legend has it that, once upon a time, the Jade King was bored, having nothing to do in Heaven. He did not see what was happening on Earth, as he had servants satiating his every wish and desire. He decided that he wanted to see the animals that inhabited the earth so he sent word to his advisors to bring him twelve animals (which he considered to be a good sampling.) The advisor first sent an invitation to the Rat, telling him to also bring the cat. The Rat's jealousy prevented the cat from actually receiving the invitation.

Further invitations were sent on to the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Ram, the Monkey, the Rooster and the Dog, asking for their presence at the palace the following day. When they lined up in front of the king, he found that they numbered only eleven, instead of twelve as he had requested. The king sent his servant down to Earth to retrieve a twelfth animal. The servant ran into a man carrying a Pig, and he hastily grabbed it and delivered it to the king.

The animals stood in front of the king in no particular order. The Rat, being smaller than the rest, hopped on the Ox's back and proceeded to play the flute. The king was very impressed by this display. He gave the Rat first place. Second place was given to the Ox for its good sportsmanship, and third was given to the Tiger, who appeared so courageous. The Rabbit was given fourth place, the Dragon fifth, the Snake sixth, the Horse seventh, the Ram eighth, the Monkey ninth, the Rooster tenth and the Dog eleventh. By default, and due to the king's just nature, twelfth place went to the Pig. After the ceremony concluded, the cat (who missed the invitation) begged the king to reconsider. He was told it was too late.

source from:
http://chinese.astrology.com/history.html
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十二生肖由來:
在遙遠的古時候，人們不知如何計算年歲，生活十分不方便。於是，就拜託玉帝幫忙想個辦法。玉帝覺得動物和人的關係密切，如果用12種動物來做年份的名稱，一定容易記得。但動物那麼多，要捲哪一些動物呢？玉帝決定舉行依次比賽。最先度過河，到達終點的12隻動物就列名12生肖。

那時貓和老鼠是最要好的朋友，老鼠對貓說：「我很想列名12生肖，但我又小又不會游泳，怎麼辦呢？貓說：「那麼我們就一起請罪會游泳的水牛大哥一大早叫醒我們，一起出發、渡河，也許就可以跑在前面了。

到了比賽那天，天還沒亮，水牛就把老鼠和貓叫醒，一起出發了，還讓老鼠和貓坐在牠的背上。天才剛亮，就已經到了河邊，其他動物都還沒出現呢。老鼠心理盤算：「我雖然跑在前面，不過，怎麼才能跑贏水牛和貓，得到第一名呢？」自私又狡猾的老鼠，就想了個壞主意。

當水牛游到河中間時，老鼠假意對貓說：「貓哥哥，你看四周的風景多美呀！」貓聽了他的話，果真向四周張望。老鼠就趁這個時候，狠心用力一推，把貓推進河裡，然後偷偷鑽進水牛的耳朵裡去。

水牛過了河，眼看就要得第一，突然間老鼠從他耳朵裡跳出來，一溜煙的往前跑，搶走了第一名，水牛就成了第二名。他對著老鼠「哞、哞」的叫，心理很生氣。不一會兒，老虎一身濕淋淋的跑來，以為自己是第一，沒想到老鼠和水牛已經等在那裡，只落得第三名。

接下來，一隻巨龍從天空飛下來，就快到終點時，突然有隻蹦蹦跳跳的小兔子，飛快的跑到終點，得到第四名。 會飛的龍，原本應該最早到的，但是負責降雨的他，先去執行任務，降了場雨才趕來，所以只得到第五名。

一會兒之後，出現許多動物爭先恐後的向終點跑來，馬跑在最前面，眼看就要到了，突然有個聲音冒出來：「我來了，是我先到。」原來草叢裡鑽出了一條蛇，搶先馬一步。接著，山羊、猴子和雞也陸續到了，再接著是狗，最後到的是豬。他一來就問：「是不是有好吃的東西呀？」大家聽了，都捧著肚子哈哈大笑。比賽結束，ˋ玉帝慎重的宣佈：「12生肖的排名是：鼠、牛、虎、兔、龍、蛇、馬、羊、猴、雞、狗、豬。」老鼠雖然列入12生肖第一名，卻和貓成了仇家。所以，以後只要貓見到老鼠，種是不顧一切要吃掉他報仇，這就是老鼠做了虧心事的報應。

source from: http://studentweb.bhes.tpc.edu.tw/89s/8961134/www/newpage4.htm

2006

Rat
This year you'll experience great satisfactions in more than one sector of your life. These satisfactions will be quiet and are not likely to entail a noticeable upheaval in your existence. In other words, they may simply make you happy, enthusiastic or relaxed, without your having to make exhausting adjustment efforts, but they also may not help you to act with magnetism, if such is your desire. A new phase of your existence will probably begin since the astral configurations of the year, as a whole, will strongly incite you to revise your way of life. You'll be aware that money can at most be one of the innumerable aids to happiness and that 'the single fact of existing is already a true happiness' (Blaise Cendrars).


Ox
You'll begin the year with good resolutions: to put your love life in order, to pull away the bad grasses of doubt and boredom, to dispel once for all the last misunderstandings. But such are things that are not as simple to achieve as they are to say. Fortunately, the astral influxes will stimulate your willpower and allow you to get results worthy of your requirements and hopes. Generally speaking, you'll have a new rendezvous with luck, success, vitality and love this year. The stars will help you solve your various problems, whatever they may be, because you'll be borne by great enthusiasm and will no longer be alone. Nothing could succeed in discouraging you; on the contrary, obstacles will stimulate you. You'll be well decided not to let yourself be disheartened.


Tiger
Quality of life first! That will be your motto for this year. You will do your utmost to take more time to live and to live well over earning money or climbing the social ladder; and you'll regret having forgotten to live for so long. Profit by this teaching of Epicurus: 'When one is young one should begin to philosophize, and when one is old one should not be tired of philosophizing. For it is never too early or too late to work at the health of the soul.' Your various activities will be very favorably influenced, but this should not be a reason for counting the chickens before they're hatched. You'll still have to make numerous efforts in order to give your projects solid foundations. Amorous and financial matters in particular will be on the upswing, and you'll be very pleased with them.

Rabbit
Seeing you so full of high spirits and optimism, one would like to ask you lessons for your joy of living! You'll have a marvelous attitude most of the time in the course of this year. More sociable than ever, you'll be at ease everywhere. You'll know how to cheer up a rather dull evening party as well as communicate your enthusiasm to your work team. The stars promise you very easy contacts and alliances that you'll appreciate above all. However, sometimes in the course of the year, you'll allow yourself to be unstable. You'll then lack strictness as well as patience, and you'll be inclined to drop certain projects that cannot be achieved as quickly as you would wish. But if you remember that 'he who moved the mountain is he who had begun with taking away small stones' (Chinese proverb), then you'd be more prone to perseverance.


Dragon
You'll devote much of your time and energy to the task of bringing to a successful conclusion the projects that you have your heart set on, but some unexpected obstacles will slow down their progress and put your patience to the rough test. Also, you'll often be set against yourself, for you will have too much ambition and will forgive yourself no weakness or shortcoming. Try to be less tense and you'll be promptly rewarded, as this year the stars will greatly favor patience and tenacity. Casual encounters may very well end up as profound friendships. These relationships will prove most interesting to you since, apart from their sentimental aspect, a common intellectual research will give your exchanges a non-conventional character that will delight you. Remember that 'friendship doubles joys and reduces sorrows by half' (Francis Bacon).


Snake
You'll probably have no serious problem whatsoever to cope with this year, and you can even experience intense joys in many fields if you have a reasonable attitude. Your courage and energy will be on the upswing. This will valorize you and strengthen the confidence that others place in you. Profit by the situation to enhance your image. A new activity would have a miraculous effect on your morale. Great amorous joys are in the offing! Profit well by the privileged moments of your existence instead of going on and on about your hardships. Everybody's life is composed of joys and sorrows, and happiness consists of maximizing the former and minimizing the latter. Remember, 'It is not our condition, but the caliber of our soul, that makes us happy' (Voltaire).

Horse

Your life as a couple seems to be very much favored. And for many of you the prospect of a financial improvement through work will further enhance the situation, for it's always been known that money is a great help to love. Your social prestige will also be on the upswing. Lucky devil you are! On the other hand, the astral dissonances will have a negative effect on your personality. As a result, the undesirable traits of your character will tend to overwhelm your finer qualities. You must make great efforts to prevent your weaknesses from overcoming your strong points. If you succeed in this, then you'll be most praiseworthy, for 'victory over oneself is the greatest of victories' (Plato).


Goat
This year you'll benefit from excellent astral influxes. You'll know how to profit by life and by all the events it brings about. You'll achieve most of your dearest projects. However, you'll sometimes have to cope with questions that may perhaps be brutal and painful but that will bring about a definite improvement of your attitude and of your heart. Submit yourself graciously to such astral influences, do not shirk them. You might pretty often happen to be too idealistic, to the point of losing your sense of reality and consequently exposing yourself to deceptions you'll find hard to endure. Try to have better balanced views of people and things. In order to protect yourself against sorrow and discouragement provoked by other people's demeanor that you will deem deplorable, remind yourself that man could be everything but reasonable.


Monkey
This year will give you many occasions to prove your own worth. Don't hesitate to launch your various projects. In order to be sure to achieve your objectives, be perfectly organized and summon your courage and tenacity. You'll be in a position to head for success. Think of controlling your instincts better. And remember, 'No one is luckier than him who believes in his luck' (German proverb). You can rely on the stars' solid protection. You'll benefit from marvelous strokes of luck in face of adversity. Everything will finally turn out for the best. Helped by an acute psychological sense and good intuition, you'll have many occasions to widen your horizon and enrich your experience. You'll make important encounters that will allow you to exploit your talents to the utmost; try to profit by such favorable circumstances.


Rooster
Your personality will tend to bloom this year -- you'll be less secret, less withdrawn than usual; you'll look more for the company of others. The year will be most favorable to extolling your creative talents. The stars will incite you to exploit your hidden resources, and their usefulness will not be limited only to your affairs or to your home. Set your imagination free! Beware, however! Your tendency toward compassion will be increased this year. It's possible that it will induce you to take care of others to the point of imposing on yourself heavy financial or other burdens. Don't let yourself be moved by the misfortunes that others will describe to you in a deliberately tragic manner. Assure yourself of the validity of what people tell you before granting your aid. Besides, remember that well ordered charity begins with oneself.


Dog
This kind of planetary environment is at first sight not so easy to live with. It is above all the one that provokes profound calls into question. It incites all natives of the sign to devote themselves to a very critical analysis, not only of themselves but also of their general situation and of their relationships with others. If you know how to profit well by such influxes, then you'll succeed in giving your existence a new and more exalting meaning. This will on the whole be a lucky year -- on condition that you do not undermine it with errors of judgment and vain gossip. You'll have plenty of good ideas and perfectly achievable original projects. Don't disclose your plans; remind yourself that 'the lion while hunting doesn't roar' (Nigritian proverb). Beware of the persons whom you might have let into your secrets, as some of them might profit by them at your expense and you become aware of this only too late.


Pig
Certain changes will take place in your life. They will all be positive, profitable and agreeable if you know how to appreciate and handle them. Don't let the past and useless details choke your existence. Try to get rid of all that impedes your march or hampers your spontaneity and joy. 'Remember to forget' (Nietzsche). Your happiness is before you, not behind you! In spite of your apprehensions, notable improvements in many fields will be significant and, for certain natives of the sign, there will even be a positive change in the career. Certain solutions will come along unexpectedly. The year will be crucial regarding a sentimental encounter or a recovery of harmony with a beloved one. If you must make important decisions, seek advice from competent people.

2007 Happy chinese new year



YEAR OF THE PIG
02/18/2007 - 02/06/2008
According to Chinese Zodiac, Year of 2007 is a Year of the Pig (Fire) which begins on February 18, 2007 and ends on February 6, 2008. The Chinese New Year, i.e. Lunar New Year, does not begin on 1st of January, but on a date which corresponds with the second New Moon after the winter equinox, so it varies from year to year.

The years progress in cycles of 12 and each year is represented by an animal. The cycle of 12 repeated five times to form a large cycle of 60 years, and in each of the 12-year cycle, the animals are ascribed an element (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water) with a Yin or Yang characteristics, which determines their characters. Thus, in a cycle of 60 years, no two animals are the same. The Year of the Pig is the last one in the 12-year cycle.


The Pig
The Chinese name for Pig is "Zhu" (pronounced similar to zoo in English) which is a sign of honesty. The Pig is a fun and enlightening personality blessed with patience and understanding. People born under the sign of the Pig enjoy life and all it has to offer, including family and friends. They are honest and thoughtful and expect the same of other people. Pigs can be perceived as gullible because they do care about others so much they will do just about anything for a friend in need.

Pigs are more comfortable giving of their own time or attention than they are to ask others for it. They do not find asking for help an easy task and would rather carry the burden themselves. Pigs will do anything they can to maintain a sense of peace amongst family or friends. This can lead to a tendency to be taken advantage of, but Pigs basically forgive and forget everything. They are compassionate souls who simply want to keep the peace.

Famous Pig people

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nigella Lawson, Sarah Ferguson, Julie Andrews, Winona Ryder, Marie Osmond, Jenna Elfman, Shannen Doherty, Camilla Parker-Bowles, Paula Yates, Marie Antoinette, Christina Applegate, Ginger Rogers

source from:
http://www.springsgreetingcards.com/catalogs/store.asp?pid=199183&catid=22647

Happy New Year!!!

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Happy New Year!

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