Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, February 10, 2024, and marks the beginning of the Year of the Wood Dragon. Whether you are a Dragon, Rat, Tiger, or Monkey, Chinese zodiac signs have nothing to do with Western zodiac signs like Aries, Virgo, or Aquarius. More broadly, these two astrology systems reflect divergent cultural and philosophical traditions. We invite you to discover 5 differences between the Chinese horoscope and the Western horoscope.
The first of the 5 differences between Chinese horoscope and Western horoscope lies in the calendar used by astrologers. The Western horoscope follows the solar calendar, while the Chinese horoscope is based on the lunisolar calendar, which combines lunar and solar cycles.
This difference explains why the date of the Chinese New Year varies from year to year in the Gregorian calendar. This date, which marks the transition to a new year and the first day of the Chinese calendar, always falls between January 21st and February 19th.
Like all Chinese lunar month beginnings, it is the first day of a new moon. By convention, the day of the new moon is determined by the Purple Mountain Observatory in Beijing.
Among the 5 differences between Chinese horoscope and Western horoscope, the signs are one of the most obvious. The Western horoscope is based on the zodiac, which is divided into 12 constellations associated with the 12 signs.
The Western signs are, in order, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The astrological sign assigned to a person is related to the position of the Sun on the day of their birth.
The Chinese horoscope has no sign in common with the horoscope used in the West because it is based on a completely different system. The 12 Chinese signs are all animals existing in nature, except for the Dragon, which is a mythical animal.
The Chinese signs are, in order, Rat, Ox (or Buffalo), Tiger, Rabbit (or Cat), Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. They are assigned to individuals according to a 12-year cycle.
Another of the 5 differences between Chinese horoscope and Western horoscope lies in the way astrological signs are calculated.
The Chinese horoscope is based on a 12-year cycle, with each year being associated with an animal sign, such as the Rat, the Ox, etc. The Western horoscope is based on a 12-month cycle, with each month being associated with a zodiac sign.
To find out what your Chinese astrological sign is, you just need to check the correspondence between your birth year and one of the 12 signs representing 12 animals. In the following correspondence table, each animal sign repeats every 12 years.
Rat: 1900, 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032.
Ox: 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033.
Tiger: 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034.
Rabbit: 1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035.
Dragon: 1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036.
Snake: 1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037.
Horse: 1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038.
Goat: 1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027.
Monkey: 1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028.
Rooster: 1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029.
Dog: 1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030.
Pig: 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031.
One of the 5 differences between Chinese horoscope and Western horoscope concerns the elements associated with the astrological signs.
In Western horoscope, the zodiac signs are associated with the 4 elements: fire, earth, air, and water. Western astrology distinguishes:
• three fire signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.
• three water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.
• three air signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.
• three earth signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
In Chinese astrology, each year is associated with an animal sign and one of the following 5 elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each combination repeats cyclically every 60 years (12 animals x 5 elements) and the elements bring an additional dimension to the interpretation of the characteristics of each sign.
• Metal symbolizes strength, determination, and precision. It is associated with perseverance, discipline, and rigor.
• Water represents flexibility, adaptability, and fluidity. The sign is associated with intuition, wisdom, and creativity, but also with passivity and emotional instability.
• Wood represents growth, expansion, and flexibility. It is also associated with creativity, generosity, and ambition.
• Fire represents passion, energy, and creativity. It symbolizes enthusiasm, confidence, but also impatience and impulsiveness.
• Earth represents stability, reliability, and patience. This element is associated with loyalty, generosity, and foresight, but can also indicate a certain rigidity or a conservative mindset.
After the year 2023, which is under the sign of the Water Rabbit, the year 2024 starting on February 10th will be the year of the Wood Dragon.
The last of the 5 differences between Chinese horoscope and Western horoscope is the way astrological signs are interpreted.
While the Western horoscope attributes personality traits to individuals based on the position of the sun at the time of their birth, the Chinese horoscope provides a less individual interpretation of each sign.
In Chinese tradition, it is believed that people born in the year of a certain animal have the characteristics of that animal. The ox is enduring, the tiger is courageous, the rabbit is gentle, the dog is loyal, and the monkey is clever...
Furthermore, it is considered that this animal sign not only affects the character but also the fortune of a person.