What was the great race zodiac?

An ancient folk story tells that Cat (猫) and Rat (鼠) were the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom. Midway across the river, Rat pushed Cat into the water. Then as Ox neared the other side of the river, Rat jumped ahead and reached the shore first. So he claimed first place in the competition and the zodiac.

What is the story behind the animals in Chinese New Year?

Long ago, in China, the Jade Emperor decided there should be a way of measuring time. On his birthday he told the animals that there was to be a swimming race. The first twelve animals across the fast flowing river would be the winners and they would each have a year of the zodiac named after them.

Which Chinese zodiac won the race?

rat
According to legend, in the competition held by the Jade Emperor to decide the zodiac animals, the quick-witted rat asked the diligent ox to take him on a ride to cross the river and jumped down before the ox crossed the finish line, so the rat won the race and became the first of the zodiac animals.

What is the story behind Chinese zodiac?

The Chinese zodiac consists of twelve animals that first appeared in the Zhan Guo period [5th century B.C.]. This calendar can be traced back to the 14th century B.C. Myths say that Emperor Huangdi, the first Chinese emperor, in 2637 B.C. invented the Chinese lunar calendar, which follows the cycles of the moon.

Why does the Chinese zodiac have 12 animals?

Long, long ago, there was no Chinese zodiac. The Jade Emperor wanted to select 12 animals to be his guards. He sent an immortal being into man’s world to spread the message that the earlier one went through the Heavenly Gate, the better the rank one would have.

What animal came first in the Chinese race?

At last, the ox and rat arrived first. The ox was happy thinking that he would be the first sign of the years, but the rat had already slid in front, and became the first lucky animal of the Chinese zodiac. That’s how did the rat win the race.

Why are there only 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac?

How was the order of the Chinese zodiac animals decided?

According to myths, the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were selected through a race. There could only be twelve winners and in order to win, the animals had to cross a rapid current river and reach the finish line on the shore. Originally, there was a cat and a rat, who hated each other with a passion.

Why there is no cat in Chinese zodiac?

The cat was the thirteenth to arrive and would not be assigned to the calendar. Filled with rage, the cat chased the rat he once thought of as a friend. And that is why the cat is missing from the Chinese zodiac.