Happy Lunar New Year! What zodiac sign are you? Do you remember the story about the race?

 

The twelve animals are:

• Rat
• Ox
• Tiger
• Rabbit
• Dragon
• Snake
• Horse
• Goat
• Monkey
• Rooster
• Dog
• Pig

The cycle is based on an old folk tale called the Great Race, in which all twelve animals take part in a race to reach the Jade Emperor - the order they completed the race is the order in which the years are named.

The Rat won out against the bigger animals by catching a ride on the back of the Ox and then jumping off its back at the last minute.

This means the Ox, who had been due to win the race, had to settle for second place and the others fill in the places behind, with the Pig coming last.

Which Chinese Zodiac animal am I?

A young Chinese boy plays with a toy tiger doll (Photo: STR/AFP via Getty Images)

• Rat - 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
• Ox - 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
• Tiger - 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
• Rabbit - 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
• Dragon - 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
• Snake - 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
• Horse - 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
• Goat - 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
• Monkey - 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
• Rooster - 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
• Dog - 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
• Pig - 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031

What does the Year of the Tiger mean?