There are 10 stems and 12 branches.
The Stems consist of 5 elements: water, metal, fire, wood and earth. Each element has a yin (female)and yang (male) property. Find out what your birth year element is.
The branches are named after the animals rat, ox (cow), tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram (goat, sheep), monkey, rooster (chicken), dog, pig (boar). Read the story of the origin of the animal system.
Get an in depth Chinese astrological reading-- find out your month and day signs, lucky element, lucky years and lucky place. See the Chinese Fortune-Telling Calendar.
View your Chinese Astrology horoscope at Astrology.com by clicking on the animal associated with your birth year.
The Chinese New Year is based on a lunar calendar, beginning on the new moon and ending on the full moon. There are traditions associated with each of the 15 days of celebration. The 15th day is known as the Lantern Festival and it coincides with the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade which began in the 1860s. The Lantern is symbolic of bringing in light and warmth to initiate Spring after the dark cold of Winter.
Gung Hay Fat Choy! is used to express Happy New Year greetings. The phrase actually means "Wishing you Prosperity and Wealth!"
To prepare for the New Year, thorough house cleaning, personal grooming and paying debts clears out the old and provides a fresh start for the upcoming year. On New Year's Day avoid washing your hair or doing housework so as not to wash or sweep away good luck.
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