History Lesson
The following was taken from the first volume of TOKYOPOP's Fruits Basket.
Fables, myths, and legends abound in every culture of the world. Some of the most ancient of them stem from a basic need to place some type of meaning on those events that are out of our own control. The exact origins of the Chinese Zodiac remain a mystery, but their influence is still being felt even today.
The Chinese once viewed time as a cyclical journey consisting of highs and lows that would eventually come full circle. This concept of time would become the basis of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, a 12-year calendar built around 60-year cycles that were delegated by the longitude of the sun and the phases of the moon.
The calendar itself dates back to around 2637 B.C. and consists of 10 Heavenly Steams (elements with yin and yang characteristics) and 12 Earthly Branches (animals of the zodiac) that are clumped together to become the name of the year. When the steams and branches, also known as "Jikkan Junishi," are combined in sequential order, they do not repeat until 60 years have passed. So in essence no one person will ever see any given year more than twice in their own lifetime.
Unfortunately, much of the population was illiterate and unable to fully grasp the complexity of the calendar so the 12 Earthly Branches came to be represented by animals so that everyone could remember them better. The version of the calendar that has been passed down also incorporates the five Chinese elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth) into its design. The elements themselves each have a yin and yang variation, but the zodiac animals are always either yin or yang. For example, an odd year is yin and an even year is yang.
Japan was intorduced to the Chinese calendar in appproximately 604 A.D. during the reign of teh Empress Suiko-Tenno, when she made an active attempt to spread the many wonders of Buddhism throughtout the island nation. By this time though, the calendar was all ready being used for a number of things including telling the time of day through two-hour intervals and even pointing out cardinal directions.
As time went on, the animals became the core basis of Asian astrology, which dictates that one's personality can be divined from the year in which they were born. When combined with the elemental aspects of the calendar, Chinese astrology can even point out which partner will be more dominant in a relationship. Needless to say, the vast majority of the population does not takes this seriously anymore.
Still, the Chinese Zodiac does have its uses in modern society. Instead of being rude and asking someone how old they are, one would instead ask what their animal where they born under. With a little math -- just add or subtract 12 -- you'll have your answer. And let us not forget the Chinese New Year, which is celebrated every year in either late January or early February.
