Chinese New Year. Lunar New Year. Spring Festival. It's an ancient celebration that is packed with legends. The Chinese Zodiac Calendar is often talked about during this festival as people wonder "What Chinese New Year Animal Am I?" 

The Chinese zodiac calendar is fascinating and has been around for over 4,000 years. 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, but it's supposed to be a fantastic year for you if you were born in a Year of the Rooster as the dragon is your best friend in the zodiac. See? It gets interesting and deep. (I'm a Tiger, for what it's worth.)

"Legend has it that the Jade Emperor summoned all the animals to his palace in a “Great Race” (or possibly for a banquet), and the order in which they arrived determined the animal’s place in the zodiac." (ChineseNewYear.net)

There are traits and colors associated with each animal on the chart. It's your Chinese horoscope and this Spring Festival is a very big deal in China. Many other countries and religions celebrate a Lunar New Year, although it gets complicated depending on which calendar a country follows.

Chinese New Year is the official name of the celebration and holiday in some countries such as Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia. However the celebration has officially been known as "Spring Festival" in China since the founding of the Republic of China in 1911. (Wikipedia)

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I've always been fascinated by the Lunar New Year. We used to have dragon and lion dancers come to our elementary and middle schools every year. It was SO loud, and so colorful - absolutely full of energy and precision. I loved everything about it and to this day I try to catch Chinese New Year celebrations in big cities.

Start this Lion Dance video at about 1:50 and you'll see exactly what I mean.

Chinese zodiac years are represented by 12 animals. Each Chinese lunar year has a Chinese zodiac sign animal. The Chinese zodiac year's starting date is a little different from the Gregorian year. It starts from Chinese New Year. (China Highlights)

Which Chinese zodiac signs are compatible? That's what we all really want to know, right? According to Travel China Guide, it's simple. "Animal signs that are four years apart from each other are believed to be compatible but are incompatible if they are six years apart."

Chinese Zodiac Animal Chart - Chinese New Year Facebook
Chinese Zodiac Animal Chart - Chinese New Year Facebook
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GET A FULL DESCRIPTION OF YOUR CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMAL

What's You Sign says it best: "A different animal governs a particular year and imbues its attributes for that year. In other words, a Chinese zodiac animal energizes, characterizes and flavors the year in which it is featured."

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