Vietnamese zodiac
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The Vietnamese zodiac (Vietnamese: Mười hai con giáp) is the traditional Vietnamese classification scheme based on the lunar calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle. Instead of centuries, the Viet lunar calendar is divided into 60-year cycles known as hồi. Each of these consists of five 12-year animal cycles.[1]
Zodiac[]
The Vietnamese zodiac is similar to the Chinese zodiac in its usage and arrangement of animals, but replaces the ox with the water buffalo and the rabbit with the cat.[1] The Sino-Vietnamese name for the year of the cat/rabbit is Mão/Mẹo(卯) which is very similar in pronunciation to the native Vietnamese word Mèo for cat.[2]
| Zodiac animal sign | Vietnamese zodiac | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | chuột | Welcomed as a bringer of good luck. |
| Water buffalo | trâu | Associated with riches achieved through hard work. |
| Tiger | cọp | Warm-hearted yet fearsome, and brave in the face of danger. |
| Cat | mèo | Known for tranquil, realistic, intelligent and artistic. |
| Dragon | rồng | Imperial symbol, associated with the male element yang. |
| Snake | rắn | Enigmatic, wise, and like to live well. |
| Horse | ngựa | Signifies, freedom and confidence. |
| Goat | dê | Associated with creativity and good taste . |
| Monkey | khỉ | Versatile and mischievous. Associated with inventors, entertainers, and anything ingenious. |
| Chicken | gà | Brave and resilient, but can also be self-absorbed and pretentious. |
| Dog | chó | Considered lucky, loyal, and likeable. |
| Pig | lợn | Honest, patient, and also associated with virility. |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b Sterling 2011, p. 31.
- ^ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/M%C3%A3o
Bibliography[]
- Sterling, Richard (2011). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Vietnam and Angkor Wat. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-75668-740-3.
- Taylor, K. W. (2018). Essays Into Vietnamese Pasts. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-1-50171-899-1.
- Noppe, Catherine; Hubert, Jean-François (2018). Art of Vietnam. Parkstone International. ISBN 978-1-78310-725-4.
Categories:
- Vietnamese culture
- Vietnamese astrology