1. Chinese New Year 春节

2. Chinese New Year!! 春节 is on 一月，三十日，二零一四年 Different date every year, usually in February 二零一四年 is year of the 马 二零一五年 is the year of the ????? What about 二零一六年 ??? 十二个 animals in the Chinese Zodiac Have your “ben ming nian” every 十二个 年, custom says to buy red “ 内裤 ”

3. Animals of the Chinese Zodiac 十二个生肖

4. The Story of the Chinese Zodiac A very long time ago, the Jade Emperor, who ruled the heavens of China, sent a message to all the animals asking them to come together so that he could give each of them a year, which would make it easier for the people of China to keep track of time. The cat and the rat were good friends and decided to travel to meet the Jade Emperor together. When it came time to leave, however, the cat was taking a nap. The rat, realizing that he would have to use all his cunning to be noticed by the Jade Emperor, left his friend sleeping, and set off on his own. This is why there is no year named after the cat, and also why cats have hated rats ever since.

5. When the rat arrived, the Jade Emperor welcomed him and the other animals and told them that they should all take part in a swimming race. Once again, the rat realized that he would have to be very clever if he wanted to win the race. He found the largest, strongest animal, which was the ox, and pleaded with him to let him ride on its head. The ox was kind and strong, and agreed that they would swim across together. The rat travelled safely across the river on the ox’s back, but, just before they reached the other side, climbed over the ox's head, jumped onto land, and reached the finish line first. The rat had proved its cunning, and the Jade Emperor named the first year after the rat and the second year after the ox.

6. Chinese Cartoon: How did the Rat become 第一位 ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgXhb4eyLi4

7. Rat 鼠 2008 sociable talkative charming imaginative clever energetic honest

8. Rat 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008 shǔ 鼠 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1314141/ 鼠http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1314141/ 鼠

9. Famous Rats George Bush, President of the USA Eminem, Rapper Galileo Galilei, Scientist/Astronomer Avril Lavigne, Singer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Composer William Shakespeare, Playwright Peter Tchaikovsky, Composer

10. Ox 牛 2009 tolerant determined strong hard-working patient dependable

11. Ox 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009 niú 牛 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1310953/ 牛http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1310953/ 牛

12. Famous Oxen Alexander the Great, Conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte, Conqueror Walt Disney, Creator Adolf Hitler, Political Leader/Bad Guy Meryl Streep, Actress Margaret Thatcher, Leader

13. Tiger 虎 2010 emotional sensitive daring powerful brave sympathetic

14. Tiger 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 hǔ 虎 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1306193/ 虎http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1306193/ 虎

15. Famous Tigers Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer Marie Curie, Scientist Ho Chi Minh, Political Leader Karl Marx, Writer/Revolutionary Plato, Philosopher

16. Rabbit 兔 2011 reserved successful conscientious lucky peaceful kind articulate

17. Rabbit 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011 tù 兔 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1315445/ 兔http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1315445/ 兔

18. Famous Rabbits John Adams, President of USA Albert Einstein, Scientist Jet Li, Actor/Martial Artist Brad Pitt, Actor Cy Young, Baseball Player

19. Dragon 龙 2000 excitable powerful energetic sensitive strong trustworthy brave

20. Dragon 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012 lóng 龙 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1309777/ 龙http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1309777/ 龙

21. Famous Dragons Joan of Arc, Revolutionary Charles Darwin, Scientist Che Guevara, Doctor/Revolutionary Bruce Lee, Martial Artist/Actor Abraham Lincoln, President Martin Luther King Jr., Revolutionary

22. Snake 蛇 2001 passionate elegant wise determined sympathetic calm

23. Snake 1965 1977 1989 2001 2013 shé 蛇 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1313285/ 蛇 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1313285/ 蛇

24. Famous Snakes Julius Caesar, Leader of Rome Mahatma Gandhi, Leader of India/Pacifist Mao Zedong, Leader of China Alfred Nobel, Nobel Peace Prize Creator Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of USA Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host/Millionare

25. Horse 马 2002 perceptive cheerful talented popular independent fun artistic

26. Horse 1966 1978 1990 2002 2014 mǎ 马 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1310011/ 马http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1310011/ 马

27. Famous Horses Muhammad Ali, Boxer Jackie Chan, Martial Artist/Actor Genghis Khan, Conqueror Isaac Newton, Scientist Theodore Roosevelt, President

28. Ram 羊 2003 compassionate charming loving gentle tender-hearted artistic perfectionist

29. Ram 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015 yáng 羊 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1317633/ 羊http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1317633/ 羊

30. Famous Rams Charles Dickens, Author Thomas Alva Edison, Scientist/Inventor James Madison, President of USA Babe Ruth, Baseball Player Socrates, Philosopher

31. Monkey 猴 2004 clever enthusiastic confident skillful inventive flexible happy

32. Monkey 1968 1980 1992 2004 2016 hóu 猴 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1306095/ 猴http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1306095/ 猴

33. Famous Monkeys Johnny Cash, Musician/Songwriter Leonardo da Vinci, Inventor/Artist Bob Marley, Singer/Peace Activist Martina Navratilova, Tennis Player Will Smith, Actor/Comedian Harry S. Truman, President of USA

34. Rooster 鸡 2005 hard-working capable adventurous kind punctual talented practical

35. Rooster 1969 1981 1993 2005 2017 jī 鸡 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1306811/ 鸡http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1306811/ 鸡

36. Famous Roosters Eric Clapton, Singer/Songwriter Ben Franklin, Politician/Inventor Anna Kournikova, Tennis Player/Model Britney Spears, Singer

37. Dog 狗 2006 generous helpful honest loyal affectionate loving happy

38. Dog 1970 1982 1994 2006 2018 gǒu 狗 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1305179/ 狗http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1305179/ 狗

39. Famous Dogs George W. Bush, President Confucius, Chinese Scholar Siddhartha Gautama, (Buddha) Alexander Hamilton, Politician/Writer Michael Jackson, Singer Madonna, Singer Elvis Presley, Singer

40. Pig 猪 2007 forgiving chivalrous honest helpful noble sincere popular

41. Pig 1971 1983 1995 2007 2019 zhū 猪 http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1319919/ 猪http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/searchorder/1319919/ 猪

42. Famous Pigs Henry Ford, Automobile Creator Thomas Jefferson, President of USA Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Composer Ronald Reagan, President of USA Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor George Washington, President of USA Ms. Stringfellow, Your favorite teacher!

43. Bad matches in the zodiac Rat and Horse Ox and Ram Tiger and Monkey Rabbit and Rooster Dragon and Dog Snake and Pig

44. Review Questions How many animals are there in the zodiac? Which animal was 2013? When Chinese New Year arrives this year, what animal’s year will it be? Which animal are you? What about your family members? Do the descriptions of the animal fit you? What about your family members?