The dog found playing in the water was more rewarding for him, while the pig took extreme pleasure in lavish food found on the way and many occasional naps during the course of the journey.Īdding great misery to the tragic tale of the cat, there is an alternate version is in circulation, the rat actually brought cat also along with him on the race. It is said that both wasted some time totally forgetting the race.
The eleventh was the dog and the last one was the pig. Seeing the sudden slithering movement of the snake, the horse was momentarily taken aback, and in the meantime, the snake quickly slid into the finishing line, pushing the horse to the seventh position.īeing great team players, the goat, the monkey and the rooster rafted on a boat with collective effort finally arriving at the gate, a task which they initially thought was impossible for them. The horse thought it was the next, but the snake had already hidden into the horse’s hoof, and it uncoiled right before they arrived the finishing line. It is also said that the benevolent dragon helped the rabbit to cross the river in the last lap of the swim which was exhausting for a small animal like rabbit. Some legends say the dragon could have been the first, had his attention not diverted into assisting a firefighting incident in a nearby village. The ox came second, followed by tiger, and rabbit in the order, the quickest ones in the crew. Once the ox crossed the river, the rat darted into the gate of the heaven, becoming the first animal to meet the Jade emperor, and thereby becoming the first one in the zodiac.
#CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR ANIMALS FREE#
Although, the ox came to know about the rat’s free ride at the middle of the river, the former’s benevolence saved the latter from danger. Unbeknownst to the ox, the ambitious rat secretly sneaked into one of its giant ears.
#CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR ANIMALS FULL#
The ox, who was one of the most adept swimmers among the dozen, jumped into the river zealously aiming the opposite end in full spirit. They were almost in an equal speed until they arrive at a very wide flowing river that separated the earth from the heavenly gate. In the meantime, the rest twelve vigorously raced towards the Jade emperor. Nonetheless, the cat was dropped out from the race even before it started, and there began a never-ending tale of rivalry between the two species. Some tales say the rat purposefully did so to avoid a competition, while some other interpretations suggest that he actually forgot the case of his sleep-loving friend. The race starts the next morning, so the cat requested the rat to wake him up in the morning, while the rat smilingly nodding to his friend’s wish. The initial line-up of animals also included the cat, who was the best friend of the rat at that time. Originally, 13 species of animals came forward to take part in the race, while each of them secretly wishing to be the first one to arrive the garden gate. The Jade Emperor wished to conduct a race for the creatures on the earth to pick animals to act as guards for the Chinese zodiac. The origin of the Chinese zodiac and the ranking of the animals in the zodiac are better explained with the help of a folklore that is linked to a very prominent Chinese mythical figure called Jade Emperor, who is considered to be the first god.
Legend of the Chinese New Year Animals and Their Respective Ranks There is a curious legend behind the origin of Chinese zodiac animals which is linked to a Chinese heavenly figure called Jade emperor. The 12 Chinese zodiac animals are listed below in their respective ranks:
Year 2021 was associated to the Ox, 2022 is the year of Tiger, whereas 2023 will be known as the Year of the Rabbit. Starting with the rat, and ending with a pig, the cycle of 12 animals repeats in this order incessantly. The Chinese Zodiac, which is based on the classical lunar calendar, follows a 12-year cycle of years, and each year of such repeating cycle is linked to one from a cluster of 12 different animals. In this article, we are attempting to summarise the origin and meaning of Chinese New Year animals. This system was formalised during the Han dynasty, which makes it a system that is more than 2000 years old. Historically, the Chinese zodiac and the usage of the animal mascots were in use since the 5 th century BC. What do these Chinese New Year animals represent, and how did such an iconic affection towards animalia originate in the Chinese culture? In addition to the colour and splendour of the Chinese new year, each year’s unique animal mascot also instils significant enthusiasm and curiosity in the minds of everyone to take part in celebrations. The aura of the Chinese New Year festivities, with a glorious image of the associated animal of the Chinese zodiac, is ceremoniously brought to our minds during the first weeks of every calendar year.
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