The celebration of the Chinese Lunar year goes back centuries. There are 12 different creatures represented in the Chinese calendar; Rat, OX, Tiger, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig, which also represent twelve different types of personalities. A different animal is commemorated each year. After 12 years the animal are repeated.

2010 (also including 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, and 1998) is the year of Tiger. Those born in the year of the Tiger are kind, thoughtful, sensitive and fearless. They can be extremely short-tempered, however. Tiger people can not make up their minds, which can result in a poor, hasty decision or a sound decision arrived too late. They are suspicious of others, but they are courageous and powerful.

According to Chinese legend, the twelve animals quarreled one day as to who was to head the cycle of years. The gods were asked to decide and they held a contest: whoever was to reach the opposite bank of the river would be first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish.

All the twelve animas gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox’s back and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the ox second, and the pig last.