The Chinese Zodiac signs and their significance Skip to main content

The Chinese Zodiac signs and their significance

Discover the meanings behind the 12 Zodiac signs

The 12 animals of the Zodiac signs
An illustration of the 12 animals of the Zodiac signs.
Photo by Guen Ramirez

According to creativeartsguild.org, each Chinese Zodiac animal is believed to represent distinct personality traits such as the Rat’s cleverness or the Horse’s leadership shaping the characteristics of those born under its sign. These zodiac animals repeat in a 12-year cycle, with each year associated with a specific animal, the website information says.


Chinese Zodiac animals believed to represent different personality traits
Different personality traits based on the Chinese Zodiac animals.
Photo by Moevai Tefan

History of the Chinese Zodiac Signs

Although there is no clear history of where the Chinese Zodiac Signs originated from, Britannica says it can be traced to the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) or the Qin and Han dynasties.

There is also a popular legend about the Chinese Zodiac Signs, Britannica says. Legend says the Jade emperor initiated a race inviting all animals to participate. The first 12 to cross the finish line across the river would earn their places in the calendar according to the order they finished the race in.

According to Britannica encyclopedia, the first to cross the river was the rat. It used the ox as its ride before jumping off at the last second to win the race. The ox came in second followed by the tiger, the rabbit and the dragon. The dragon could’ve easily won the race, but according to some versions of the story, the dragon flew to save villagers from a fire. The snake came next, followed by the horse. The sheep, monkey and rooster came all together helping each other get across the river. The dog nearly came in last after playing in the river and the pig came in last because it stopped to eat and rest along the way.

Also known as Shengxiao meaning “born resembling,” the Chinese Zodiac is a cycle repeating every 12 years, says Britannica.