Do you like Chinese mythology?
Do you know which zodiac animal you are?
I will be writing a series of stories where I will talk about the twelve different Chinese zodiac animals. I will share some of my observations and fun facts about my friends and family that are born in those years.
Recap:
Before adapting to the twenty-four-hour clock in western culture, in Ancient China, they used to divide a day into twelve periods. Each period is about two hours long and is named with the twelve earthly branches. When talking about the twelve zodiac animals, you will see the earthly branches written with the animals. Its purpose serves as a numerical number and also tells the time and date of the Lunar Calendar.
@WoelfinSaphira / Pixabay
Tiger 寅虎 (yínhǔ)
Tiger is the third animal in the twelve zodiacs.
Tiger (hǔ) is associated with the third earthly branch (yín) which is from 3:00 am to 5:00 am.
In the race to the Heavenly Gate, Tiger came in third place right after the Rat and Ox.
In Western culture, it is believed that the lion is the most powerful and the king of all the animals. In Chinese culture, the tiger is the king of all animals.
How did the lion get replaced by the tiger as one of the twelve?
Chinese culture believes that the tiger symbolizes bravery, happiness and power. Tiger is considered to be lucky and worshipped by many ethnic minorities in China. Some believe that the tiger has the power to drive away evil spirits and heal diseases, so they will pray and dance to the tiger. There is a tradition in ancient china where young babies will wear shoes and hats that have a tiger image on them for good luck and health.
@ignartonosbg / Pixabay
People who are born in the Year of the Tiger (2022, 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, etc.) are known to be down-to-earth, confident, brave, competitive and charming. Sometimes they can be quick-tempered, impatient and indulgent. Alongside with the high confidence level, they are independent and have a strong self-esteem.
My mom is born in the Year of the Tiger. She is a strong woman and I admire her compassion towards others. She can always be the mediator in harsh situations and people trust her very much when having a deep conversation. She is a good listener and comforter. She has a very high emotional intelligence level that I can never compare to. I don’t know how she does it, but it is such a great skill to have. Those who are one year younger than me are also born in the Year of the Tiger and I see that they are confident with their lives. They have a clear mindset of what they want to achieve.