Written by Years ago, my knowledge of the Chinese Zodiac was limited to the paper placements that I saw in Chinese restaurants. It was fun to look up your zodiac sign, even though you’d already discovered it on the last several visits. We’d excitedly say, “What are you? What are you?!” as each family member or friend revealed the animal they were. “I’m a rabbit! I’m a monkey!” people would shout. As a chubby kid in grade school, I wasn’t super happy to shout out my sign and have to reveal, “I’m a pig!” But I’ve always loved actual pigs and thought they were cute, so I was secretly thrilled. Although the information was meager on those little placements, I later learned that men born in this year are thought to be optimistic, gentle, though not the best when it comes to money. They can be rather unfocused and seem lazy in some ways, but once they set a goal, they put everything that they have into accomplishing it. They don’t spend time in a lot of social conversations, but treat everyone warmly and this creates a large and loyal social circle. Many of those are rather nice traits, and if my paper placement had mentioned them, I would have shown a bit more pride to be a pig.
The pig is actually the twelfth and last of all the zodiac animals. According to myth, the Jade Emperor decided the order according to the order in which each animal arrived to his party. The pig overslept. This meant he showed up last and is henceforward the last sign of the zodiac. Interestingly, the Western Zodiac tells me that I’m an Aries, symbolized by a ram and it’s the very first animal in the zodiac. So, I’m literally coming in first and last place simultaneously, which on further reflection, explains quite a lot about my crazy life. Rams are adventurous, hopeful, generous, and curious to name a few things attributed to this sign. Those are the lovely traits, but they are also seen as impulsive, naïve, and impatient. The latter is actually quite true, of course, but I guess the positive traits balance everything out. Unless one spends a good deal of time studying these zodiac traits from either side of the world, it really just boils down to a mix of adjectives. These could easily apply to just about everyone, given the day, but having them applied to me personally combined with an animal mascot makes me really want to believe they perfectly describe me.
In truth, I’ve no idea if everyone born in a particular month or year possesses unique similarities. What I loved about the Chinese Zodiac as a kid was that it brought us all together in a fun and loving way. We weren’t just out to a lovely dinner, we were learning more about each other and giggling at the outcome. While I love Kung Pao chicken, it tasted even better after enjoying those little placemats. And beyond simply enjoying food, I got to take a moment to cherish the people who were eating it with me. A fun reminder that though we all have wonderful things in common, it’s equally fun to explore our differences. In those moments, I felt unique and wonderful. If you’re wondering, Philippe is a Rat. Since Ratatouille is my favorite Pixar movie, the idea that I ended up marrying a Parisian rat is rather awesome somehow. Our dog Phineas is a Rat as well, so I’m rather outnumbered in my household. Though I’m not sure the zodiac applies to dogs, and quite sure Phineas would have no interest if it did. But, for me, I’m rather happy and lucky to celebrate 2019, and enjoy the fact that I was once born in the Year of the Pig.
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Your looks like he’s thinking pleasant memories.
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕 I hoped I gave him that expression! hehe
Great pig! You are so lucky to be born in the Year of the Pig. Pigs are my favorite animal. I was born in the Year of the Tiger – an animal I don’t identify with at all.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 Tigers sound fierce and wonderful! And women born in that year are said to be mesmerizing… hehe… so that’s pretty awesome! 😉
Rat here as well, an image I hate. Why couldn’t they have selected a goldfish? A panda? A crane? If you ask me, the Jade Emperor invited the wrong guests. That’s me, sitting in the corner, pouting over being a rat – yuck!
haha! Yeah, I know! You have only 12 animals to invite… I would probably have chosen differently for sure. 😉
Are you going by the old Zodiac or the completely scientific and newly refurbished Zodiac signs established by NASA in 2016 (truly). Turns out the Earth’s axis is pointed differently when the Zodiac was originally devised. According to NASA about 86% of people are a month off on the old system. I’m still a Taurus – we’re stubborn we Tauruses and don’t change easily.
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/news/a45943/star-sign-horoscope-change-2016/
haha! Love it! 😃💕Yes, I’m going by the old non-scientific one. hehe… NASA actually had to come out and make a statement about that saying that astronomy is not the same as astrology. They had just written an article for kids and weren’t meaning to change the zodiac at all until Cosmo got their hands on it. As it turns out the ancient babylonians knew of that 13th constellation, but purposely chose to omit it. It’s obvious why… if it doesn’t map perfectly to a calendar year you completely lose the idea that opposites can attract as there are no longer any opposites! lol So I’m sticking to the ancient wisdom. The kind creative with a touch of creative license. 😉
I am a pig too. When I was 11 we moved to a 3 acre farmette and my dad decided to raise 40# feeder pigs. The bottom fell out of the market, so as far as a business went, it was a bust, but raising pigs was kind of fun. The babies are so cute! And pigs are very smart as animals go. At least as smart as dogs they say. I loved Charlotte’s Web when I was little. I think our barn and little farm was rather like the illustrations in the book. The good thing about being a pig is that we are creative. The bad part is that we can be lazy. Well, that fits. Lol😁😁
Hehe… yeah.. at least we’re creative, right?! 😃💕Yeah, I’m definitely lazy when compared to some people. I just don’t have the energy to keep up! lol So cool you had pigs though!! My grandmother did as well and the babies are the cutest thing on the planet!!
Your pig is much cuter than mine! Makes me think of Charlotte’s Web, which is definitely a good thing. (K)
Thanks so much, Kerfe! 😍I loved your pig!! It had so much to remind us. Mine is definitely trapped in something a bit less real and more storybook. A place I tend to go to more often in these crazy times. 😉
It’s a good refuge.
Lol…..a ram also. That explains a lot about our similarities. Year of the tiger….brave, cruel, forceful, stately and terrifying. Yep all 5′ 1″ of me. Too funny! Your piggy looks like he wants his head scratched, so cute.
hehe!! That’s so awesome! 😃💕 Adore that you’re a 5′ 1″ tiger! There, of course, our similarities would divert as I’m a 6′ 2″ pig… which is sort of terrifying if you stop to think about it too much! lol
Have to butt in here and mention Big Bill, the record holder for World’s Largest Pig. He was over 2000 lbs and stood 5 ft tall – not as terrifying as a 6’2″ pig, but I wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley!
hehe! Wow! Now that’s a large Pig indeed! Sort of glad to know it didn’t make it to my height though! lol
I guess it could be worse, I could be a cougar. BAhahwaaha!
haha!! That’s awesome! 😂
What a sweet piglet! I always hated being born in the Year of the Pig, too, but piggies were my sister’s favorite.
Thanks so much, Bekki! 😃💕 Yay to another one born in the Year of the Pig! Pigs are undeniably cute so I have to think that’s true of us as well. 😉
Loved your post completely…And of course.. the cute little doodlewash of your pig…
Thanks so much, Anita! 😃💕 So thrilled you enjoyed this one!
another pig here…that pig that herded sheep in a movie, I saw on TV..such a good model of how intelligent they are, how loyal and how trust worthy….good scouts !
Yay for pigs! 😃💕 That’s awesome, Winna! So fun we have that in common!
My other half is born in the year of the pig too, while I’m a tiger.
I’ve always loved bacon – so can’t complain! 😄
Anyways, I’ve been told that I’m a docile tiger since I was born in the daytime, thus I’m not as fierce as the night tiger. Dammit! 😬
I don’t really believe in horoscopes, but read predictions more out of curiosity nevertheless 😆
I totally agree! I’m not sure I really believe, but wow, it’s so much fun to read horoscopes and see what they say! 😃💕 And I love the idea of a docile tiger… that sounds lovely indeed!
A rooster here : (
Pigs are much cuter.
Especially the pink and smiling ones.
Precious!
Thanks, Sarah! 😃💕 Awww…. the rooster is awesome and it’s an unofficial symbol of France so that parts dear in our house. As for the placemats in Chinese restaurants and shouting “I’m a….this or that”, on ours when I was growing up it was labeled “cock”… so that produced many giggles to be sure. Every kid on the block wanted to be that sign! 😉
LOL
You are a wealth of information and a source of smiles. No wonder I spend so much time at Doodlewash.com
hehe! I’m so thankful that you DO, my friend! 😃💕
I’m born in the year of the pig, even though it’s my Chinese zodiac animal. Im a huge lover of dogs, my spirit connects to dogs. I sometimes wish I was the year of the dogs, I wax born a couple of months into the year of the pig. Thank you for sharing this amazing information.
So happy you enjoyed this! 😃💕 I agree… I’m a huge lover of dogs as well!