THE Chinese calendar is used throughout many Asian countries – although the Gregorian calendar is used for official business.
It was perfected around 500BC, but some believe it has been in use for almost 5,000 years.
The Chinese year was set at 365-and-a-quarter days, more than 500 years before Europe’s Julian Calendar.
The start date changes yearly because it is based on a lunar cycle. It takes 60 years to complete a full cycle.
Years are named after animals: Rat; Ox; Tiger; Rabbit; Dragon; Snake; Horse; Sheep; Monkey; Rooster; Dog and Boar.
According to legend, only 12 animals came to say goodbye to Buddha when he left Earth and he named a year after each one.
The Chinese believe the year in which a person is born influences their personality, saying: “This is the animal that hides in your heart.”
