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Have you ever been asked by your Chinese friend what your zodiac sign is? Don't think they are making small talk. If you say, "I'm a monkey," they immediately know you are either 24, 36, 48, or 60 years old. Asking about a zodiac sign is considered a polite way of asking someone's age. By revealing your zodiac sign, people also make evaluations about you, forming judgements about your fortune, misfortune, personality, career prospects, and even how you might perform in a given year. If you share your and your partner's animal signs, they may even envision aspects of your private life. Even if you don't believe in the Chinese zodiac, it influences a quarter of the world population, making it wise to understand at least a little about it.

So, what exactly is the Chinese zodiac? Many Westerners are familiar with the Greco-Roman zodiac, which divides the year into 12 months with corresponding signs. The Chinese zodiac, however, is different. It operates on a 12-year cycle, each year represented by a different animal, starting with the rat and ending with the pig. Unlike Western astrology, the Chinese zodiac has no connection to constellations. For instance, someone born in 1975 would be a rabbit. Ancient Chinese scholars developed a highly complicated theoretical framework combining the five elements with the 12 zodiac animals. Over thousands of years, this system became an integral part of Chinese culture, influencing major life decisions, including naming children, marriage, childbirth, and interpersonal behavior, with some effects being quite remarkable.

Chinese people believe certain animals are more compatible than others. Consequently, parents sometimes choose specific years to have children, believing the right combination of zodiac signs can bring prosperity to their family. Even in romantic relationships, zodiac signs play a role. For example, people born in the year of the pig are believed to have harmonious relationships with tigers, goats, and rabbits. On the other hand, some animals are considered natural enemies. For a pig, it is advised to be cautious with snakes. The system also assigns luck to certain animals; the dragon is considered especially fortunate. Unlike Western traditions, the Chinese dragon symbolizes power, strength, and wealth. Parents eagerly anticipate dragon babies, which leads to noticeable demographic trends. In 2012, the year of the dragon, the birth rate in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan rose by 5%, equating to roughly 1 million additional babies.

With a traditional preference for boys, the boy-to-girl ratio in the year of the dragon reached 120 to 100. However, these dragon boys may face heightened competition in love and career as they grow up. Similarly, in January 2015, there was a peak in cesarean sections as families tried to avoid giving birth in less favorable zodiac years, such as the year of the horse. While some signs like gold and tiger are considered undesirable due to temperament or other traits, data shows that many highly successful individuals, including those in the Forbes Top 300 richest people, were born under these supposedly unlucky signs. This suggests that lower competition may actually provide advantages.

In modern times, Chinese people even use zodiac signs to guide investment decisions. Although the zodiac tradition is thousands of years old, the impact on economic and personal decision-making became more pronounced in recent decades. With improved wealth and technology, Chinese people can plan ideal lives according to zodiac insights. The collective choices of 1.3 billion people based on the zodiac influence everything from healthcare and education to property and consumer goods. Given China’s significant role in the global economy and geopolitics, these decisions indirectly affect the entire world. For example, 2016, the year of the monkey, highlights the traits associated with that animal: cleverness, curiosity, creativity, and mischievousness, illustrating the enduring cultural relevance of the Chinese zodiac.