The story is widespread (and widely varying) among Chinese. Though it is made up, it might be interesting for you to tell your children and friends. The Heavenly Gate Race Story - Reasons for Zodiac Rankings. Long, long ago, there was no Chinese zodiac. The Jade Emperor wanted to select 12 animals to be his guards. He sent an immortal being Chinese New Year and the Zodiacs. Each of these zodiac animals governs a whole year, which starts at Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar. This usually corresponds to January or February in the western calendar. When the current year has the same zodiac animal as the year you were born, you are said to be in Ben Ming Nian. It starts from Chinese New Year. The Chinese zodiac years chart below is provided to help you find out the exact starting and ending dates of the Chinese zodiac years. (This is especially useful for finding the Chinese zodiac signs of people born in January or February.) Content Preview. Chinese Zodiac Years Chart from 1960 to 2031; What is my The Chinese Zodiac and the Great Race There are several different variations of the story behind the Chinese Zodiac but they tend to follow the same broad strokes. It all began with the Jade Emperor (a representation of China’s “first god”) who decreed that the years of the calendar would be named for each animal. At last, the ox and rat arrived first. The ox was happy thinking that he would be the first sign of the years, but the rat had already slid in front, and became the first lucky animal of the Chinese zodiac. That's how did the rat win the race. Then what is the 12 animals of Chinese zodiac in order? The year follows the Chinese lunar calendar. The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year signifies the end of one year, and the start of the next. 2025 – Year of the Snake. 2026 – Year of the Horse. 2027 – Year of the Goat. Chinese Zodiacs – Which one are you? Chinese Zodiac Calculator The order of the lunar calendar follows the outcome of the race, with each animal having achieved its permanent place in the Chinese calendar. Thus, every lunar new year heralds the honour of the next animal, and so the 12-year cycle continues – after pig, comes rat, then ox and so on. Chinese New Year marks the beginning of the Chinese calendar year, and each year is named after an animal. This tale of the Chinese zodiac is an animal story based on the great race. Add it to your collection of short bedtime stories for kids. Happy Chinese New Year, and welcome the Year of the Fire Monkey! Chinese New Year falls on Monday, February 8th this year, and I thought it would be fun to share the story behind the Chinese zodiac animals. The mythological story is about a great race, during which the order of the 12 zodiac animals was determined. Just as the ox was about to win the race, the rat leapt on his head and on to the bank to finish first. 'Well done,' said the Jade Emperor to the proud rat. 'The first year of the zodiac will be named after you.' The poor ox had been tricked into second place and the second year of the zodiac was named after him. 春节快乐 Happy Chinese New Year 2023The Jade Emperor in China decides that there must be a way to measure time. So he comes up with a plan for a Great Race. The Exploring the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals is not just an engaging way to celebrate Chinese New Year but also an opportunity to teach kids about Chinese culture, language, and traditions. Whether you’re learning through storytelling, crafting, or playing games, we hope these activities will help bring the magic of the Chinese Zodiac to life for This fun PowerPoint has your children guessing the Chinese New Year animal based on the cryptic clues. This would be an exciting way to round up your lesson on the Chinese New Year animals story and would help to reinforce your children's knowledge of the different animals of the zodiac. KS1 Dragons in the City: Chinese New Year Lesson Ideas Chinese New Year is a time to celebrate the beginning of the Chinese lunar calendar. The holiday honors deities as well as ancestors, traditions and folklores passed down in families. A story often told during Chinese New Year is how the 12 zodiacs were chosen – also known as the great race. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, marks the transition from one animal to the next—2024 is the year of the Dragon, which began on February 10th, 2024, and ends on February 24th, 2024. January 29th, 2025 (Chinese New Year) will signal the start of the year of the Snake. What’s Your Zodiac Sign? Chinese New Year Activities for Kids: Celebrate the Year of the Snake. Chinese Zodiac Facts for Kids: The Great Zodiac Race; Explore Chinese New Year Facts for Kids 2025 with This Fun Display Poster; Year of the Snake 2025 Activities: Character Research Worksheet for Kids; Fun Year of the Snake Crafts: Snake Spiral Cutting Skills Activity 🎉 Zodiac Origin Story | The Story of the Great Race for Kids! | Lunar New Year 🐇Have you ever wondered how the Chinese Zodiac came to be? 🌟 Dive into the Every Chinese zodiac year from 1900–2031, full table and broken down by each zodiac. Find your year, animal, dates and element (metal, water, wood, fire, earth). A look into the Chinese Zodiac and its significance in the Lunar New Year, and in life. The Lunar New Year, which this year falls on February 1, marks the beginning of a new yearly cycle presided over by one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. In 2022, we usher in the Year of the Tiger. Here’s a look at how the Chinese zodiac came to be 🔴 The Story of the Chinese Zodiac free worksheet 🔴 Chinese New Year Activities: 🔴 Grammar Activities
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |