The 12-Year Animal Cycle(十二生肖)

The 12-Year Animal Cycle

The history of using 12-year animal cycles to record the years in China dates back to 100 A.D. Each year is represented by an animal and the 12 animals are mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

As to the order of these 12 animals, there is a legend. Every one among the 12 wants to be placed first of the cycle. Hence, a fairy proposes a contest: the order will be decided by the places in the competition that reaching the opposite bank of the river. Unknown to the ox, the rat jumps upon his back at the very beginning. As the ox is about to go ashore, rat jumps off his back and wins the race. As to the pig, he becomes the last one for his laziness.

                                 

十二生肖

十二生肖，是中国传统文化的重要部分，由12种源于自然界的动物即鼠、牛、虎、兔、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪以及传说中的龙所组成，用于记年，在中华文化圈内被广泛使用。

十二生肖源于何时，今已难于细考。长期以来，不少人将东汉时期的《论衡》视为最早记载十二生肖的文献，不过，关于它们的先后顺序却流传着一个有趣的传说。相传当年这十二种动物被选为宫廷护卫后，天神为了给它们排列顺序就安排了一场比赛，看看谁先到达河对岸。比赛开始时，狡猾的老鼠就一跃跃到了牛背上，而牛却一点儿也没有察觉到。当牛淌过河水即将到达对岸的时候，老鼠就又一跃窜到了岸上，结果老鼠得了第一名，牛排在了第二。不久，其他的动物也陆陆续续到达了对岸，而猪因为体型笨重，再加上天性比较懒散，走走停停，终于最后一个达到，排在了末尾。