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2012-11-23 04:19:13

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Slideshow

Welcome to Fruits Basket Zodiac!

Here you can find all the info of the Chinese Zodiac from the Fruits Baskets Manga and Anime.

*Disclaimer* Most of this comes straight from the back of the book where all the extra info is. All words not my own will be in italics. Thank you!

Anyone can add their name to their year. :) I encourage it!

Also, if you're a early year baby (Jan-Mar) and aren't sure what animal you are, take [wicked fae mage]'s advice and easily google "when was the chinese new year celebrated in *insert year*?" if you're not sure.

Owner: [Eyden13]

History

Fables , myths, and legends abound in every culture of the world. Some of the most ancient of them stem from a basic need to place some type of meaning on those events that are out of our control. The exact origins of the Chinese Zodiac remain a mystery, but their influence is still being felt even today.

The Chinese once viewed time as a cyclical journey consisting of highs and lows that would eventually come full circle. This concept of time would become the basis for the Chinese Lunar Calendar, a 12-year calendar built around 60-year cycles that were delegated by the longitude to the sun and the phases of the moon.

The calendar itself dates back to around 2637 B.C. and consists of 10 Heavenly Stems (elements with yin and yang characteristics) and 12 Earthly Branches (animals of the Zodiac) that are clumped together to become the name of the year. When the stems and branches, also known as "Jikkan Junishi," are combined in sequential order, they do not repeat until 60 years have passed. So in essence no one person will ever see any given year more than twice in their own lifetime.

Unfortunately, much of the population was illiterate and unable to fully grasp the complexity of the calendar so the 12 Earthly Branches came to be represented by animals so that everyone could remember them better. The version of the calendar that has been passed down also incorporates the five Chinese elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth) into its design. The elements themselves each have a tin and tan variation, but the Zodiac animals are always either yin or yang. For example, an odd year is yin and an even year is yang.

Japan was introduced to the Chinese calendar in approximately 604 A.D. during the reign of the Empress Suiko-Tenno, when she made an active attempt to spread the many wonders of Buddhism throughout the island nation. By this time, though, the calendar was already being used for a number of things including telling the time of day through two-hour intervals and even pointing out cardinal directions.

As time went on, the animals became the core basis of Asian astrology, which dictates that one's personality can be divined from the year in which they were born. When combined with the elemental aspects of the calendar, Chinese astrology can even point out which partner will be more dominant in a relationship. Needless to say, the vast majority of the populations does not take this seriously anymore.

Still, the Chinese Zodiac does have its uses in modern society. Instead of being rude and asking someone how old they are, one would instead ask what animal they were born under. With a little math--just add or subtract 12--you'll have your answer. And let us not forget the Chinese New Year, which is celebrated every year in either late January or early February.

^{(c) Natsuki Takaya}

<img:stuff/mordi_12.gif>

Updates!
2010-2-9 -- Graphics and touch ups done!
2010-2-10 -- Behind the Whiskers Completed! Woot! More coming!
2010-2-11 -- Letting the Dogs Out Finished! Yay!
2010-3-25 -- Going Whole Hog Finished! :0]

Rat

Behind the Whiskers
Years: 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
Positive: imaginative, ambitious, generous to loved ones
Negative: hot-tempered
Elftown Rats:
[Skydancer]
[Yume Youki]

Cow

(Or Ox)
Beast of Burden
Years: 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009
Positive: inspiring, conservative, natural born leaders
Negative: stubborn, unyielding personality
Elftown Cows:
[Kbird]

Tiger

Hear Me Roar
Years: 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010
Positive: courageous, unpredictable, loving
Negative: overly aggressive, highly emotional
Elftown Tigers:
[Linderel]
[Kaimee]
[Angelis Nightfall]

Rabbit

Splitting Hares
Years: 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011
Positive: Affectionate, pleasant, talented
Negative: too sentimental, avoids conflict
Elftown Rabbits:
[Flisky]
[Gypsy Mystik]

Dragon

Hot Headed
Years: 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012
Positive: intelligent, enthusiastic, softhearted
Negative: bossy, loud
Elftown Dragons:
[Chaotix Palidien]
[Silver Moon]
[Fallen Child Athena]
[The Reverend]
[EmeraldGrizzly]

Snake

Slithery Narcissim
Years: 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013
Positive: Romantic, clever, beautiful
Negative: vain, procrastinators
Elftown Snakes:
[Chel.]
[Roxcie]

Horse

To Ride or Not to Ride?
Years: 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014
Positive: cunning, adventurous, cheerful
Negative: impatient, selfish
Elftown Horses:
[Teufelsweib]
[Diede.]
[wicked fae mage]
[Blood Sucking Beauty]
[Rice]
[~Crimson Angel~]

Sheep

(Or Goat)
Getting Wooly
Years: 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015
Positive: creative, honest, passionate
Negative: disorganized, timid
Elftown Sheep:
[XxTsomexX]
[NibblerLove]
[Eyden13]
[The Dizzy Raven]
[Chishio]

Monkey

Chimps Ahoy!
Years: 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016
Positive: inventive, entertaining, magnetic personality
Negative: distrusting, untrusting
Elftown Monkeys:
[The Last Dragoon]
[Deus Ex Taco]
[IonicRose]
[xX Doomed Vampire Doll Xx]
[July 47]

Rooster

A Wake-up Call
Years: 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017
Positive: courageous, hardworking, skilled
Negative: arrogant, selfish
Elftown Roosters: [*Phoenix*]
[Erubeus]

Dog

Letting the Dogs Out
Years: 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018
Positive: honest, generous, faithful
Negative: quiet, cynical
Elftown Dogs: [Elwyne]

Boar

(Or Pig)
Going whole Hog
Years: 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019
Positive: reliable, sincere, tolerant
Negative: shy, short tempered
Elftown Boars:
[Raven Skye]

Elftown Links:
Japanese Zodiac Badges ~ Chinese Zodiac Signs ~ The Town Herald - Issue 18 ~ chinese astrology ~ Chinese Zodiac

External Links:
http://www.rainfall.com/horoscop/chinese.htm ~ Detailed info on Zodiac and details of what year is which Zodiac.
http://www.ofesite.com/spirit/chinese/animal2.htm ~ More info.

<img:stuff/mordi_13.gif>

Elftown Contest that spawned this idea:

UNofficial Zodiac Contest

2010-06-08 [wicked fae mage]: Chinese, not European. I tend to know more Leo, Cancer, Virgo and Gemini...summer months...than the other signs there. But my friends are all either horses, snakes, dragons, tigers or sheep, roosters or monkeys.

2010-06-08 [*Phoenix*]: Okay....your comment makes no sense to me..

2010-06-08 [wicked fae mage]: I know more Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Virgo than the other eight European signs.

Chinese astrology also leaves my friends clustered oddly.

2010-06-08 [*Phoenix*]: Oh I see what you mean now......

That's strange....

I never really thought about my friends' signs...

2010-06-08 [wicked fae mage]: I'm a believer in astronomy so it has crossed my mind more than once...

2010-06-08 [*Phoenix*]: Astronomy or astrology? I do believe in stars (astronomy) myself, but not in mystical signs (astrology).

2010-06-08 [wicked fae mage]: I believe in both...though I meant astrology in my above comment. I have seen only one or two exceptions to astrology and the rest are consistent. Most astrologers are quacks and I have my own idea behind life and spirituality *shrugs*

I know that it's seen as weird, but I've accepted that if I were normal it might start snowing in the center of the earth.

2010-06-08 [*Phoenix*]: Okies. That's what I thought. I've known you long enough, I've kinda noticed.

lol.

2010-06-08 [wicked fae mage]: Lol it's okay. [Ravendust] and I can mesh writing styles to the point that we can barely tell our collaborations apart.

2010-06-08 [*Phoenix*]: Wow. That's crazy...

2010-06-08 [wicked fae mage]: Yeah, it is...and with collaborations I can usually tell when the authors switched whether it be mid-sentence or mid chapter... ><;

2010-06-08 [*Phoenix*]: ya. That's for sure.

2010-06-08 [wicked fae mage]: Not that there aren't good books via collaboration. The Wicked series is a decent series co-written, The Jester is an enjoyable read...

2010-06-08 [*Phoenix*]: Almost the entire Dragonlance saga is collaborations. The Noble Dead Saga is a collaboration and it's really good. There's another series I know of (can't remember the name) and it's a husband and wife team.

2010-06-08 [wicked fae mage]: A manga "He is My Master" is a collaboration too

2010-06-08 [*Phoenix*]: cool.

2010-06-08 [wicked fae mage]: Yup ^^
Collaborations can keep you going or widen the spectrum a bit.

2010-06-08 [*Phoenix*]: yepperdoodles. I'm doing one right now. We suck at life, but were wicked cool

2010-06-08 [wicked fae mage]: Mine are listed on my house

2010-06-08 [*Phoenix*]: coolio.

2010-07-29 [Hiro Kitaki]: woo! year of the dragon!

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