During our celebration of this Chinese New Year—The Year of the Ox—we wanted to explore the different signs of the Chinese Zodiac.  In Chinese astrology, the signs consist of yearly assigned animals that repeat inside a 12-year-long cycle.  Each one represent what others perceive of us as being, or how we present ourselves.  The Chinese Zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat, and its followed by 11 other animals:

1. Rat – 鼠 (子) (Yang, Fixed Element Water)
2. Ox – 牛 (丑) (Yin, Fixed Element Earth)
3. Tiger – 虎 (寅) (Yang, Fixed Element Wood)
4. Rabbit – 兔 or 兎 (卯) (Yin, Fixed Element Wood)
5. Dragon – 龍 / 龙 (辰) (Yang, Fixed Element Earth)
6. Snake – 蛇 (巳) (Yin, Fixed Element Fire)
7. Horse – 馬 / 马 (午) (Yang, Fixed Element Fire)
8. Goat – 羊 (未) (Yin, Fixed Element Earth)
9. Monkey – 猴 (申) (Yang, Fixed Element Metal)
10. Rooster – 雞 / 鸡 (酉) (Yin, Fixed Element Metal)
11. Dog – 狗 / 犬 (戌) (Yang, Fixed Element Earth)
12. Pig – 豬 / 猪 (亥) (Yin, Fixed Element Water)

One important aspect of this system is that a person's age can also be easily deduced from his or her animal sign, the current year's sign, and the person's perceived age (teens, mid 20's, 40's, etc.). For instance, this year a person who is an Ox is either 12, 24, 36 or 48 years old.

As for Chinese New Year itself, it's usually a time where ancestors and deceased relatives are honored.  During this time, families try to get together and feast, similar to the Thanksgiving tradition here in the U.S.  Interestingly, with the increased westernization of China, the country has increased the celebration of New Year at the same time as the rest of the world, that is, on January 1^st.

Hope you have a safe and happy Chinese New Year!

-The Acrobotic Team