Customs of 12 zodiac
Different historical periods, different regions and different ethnic groups have different expressions of Chinese zodiac custom.
Click on the picture to quickly reach the corresponding zodiac customs.
Rat
Rat rituals held in the first lunar month, also known as the" RAT Marriage", the exact date varies from place to place[1].
In Pingyao County, Shanxi, on the tenth day of the first lunar month, cakes are placed on the wall to celebrate the marriage of a rat.
In Hunan, on the 17th day of the first lunar month, it is taboo to open boxes and cabinets and go to bed very early to avoid disturbing the rats, as it is said that if you disturb it for a day, it will disturb you for a year.
Rat marriage illustration
source: Baidu
Ox
The custom of whipping the ox is to persuade people to plow [2].
At the beginning of spring, people whip the oxen and local officials hold an incense ceremony to announce the beginning of the New Year's work.
Later, it was changed to paper cows, which were filled with grain in their stomachs beforehand, and the grain was dropped to the ground after whipping to symbolize the "abundance of grains".
Whip the spring ox ceremony
Tiger
People believe that the tiger is the protector of children. So, parents let children to wear tiger head hats and tiger head shoes.
In Shanxi, nephew's full moon uncle sends yellow cloth tiger, breaking the tiger's tail when entering the door means throwing away the hardships [3].
Tiger head hats and shoes
Yellow cloth tiger
"Tiger fighting bull" is a folk dance of Dongying. The main plot is divided into four parts:
"Hungry Tiger Seeking Food",
"Tiger and Monkey Play",
"Herd Boy Herding bull"
"Plow bull Saving the Lord".
It shows the fierceness of the tiger and the calmness and bravery of the ox.
Tiger fighting bull
Rabbit
In some areas of Shandong, fishermen have the custom of "rabbit stuffing"[4].
Every year, when in Qingming Festival, the wife will unexpectedly stuff a white rabbit into her husband's arms once he is near the house. This means that the husband carries the rabbit, a symbol of good luck and happiness, to ensure a safe trip to the sea and a good harvest of fishing.
In mythology, the lord rabbit travels from the moon to Beijing to treat people affected by diseases. Every mid-autumn festival the people in Beijing use clay to shape the lord rabbit in various forms and invite the lord rabbit in this form. This custom originated from the Ming Dynasty.
Lord rabbit
Dragon
The history of dragon dance can dates back 1900 years to the Han Dynasty, when people worshiped dragons and used this form to celebrate and express good wishes.
But till now, Dragon dances are not only for festive celebrations, but in many scenes that worth celebrating, such as in some Chinese wedding ceremonies.
Dragon Head-Raising Day, is the second day of the second lunar month, in the past:
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People burned incense to chase odors from the home, ensuring spring arrived fragrant and fresh and full of good fortune.
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Sewing was forbidden, as the needles might bring bad luck by piercing the dragon's eye.
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People Spread plant ashes around jugs, to pray for dragon to fill them with rainwater.
But now people prefer to have a hair cut on this day, hoping to be as energetic as the dragon raising its head.
It has also become a custom to eat a type of noodle that is thin and long like a dragon's whiskers. So,the customs is different with the past, is not that related to farming.
Dragon Dance
Dragon whisker noodle
Snake
Nanping Zhanghu Town has a legend of a python spitting fire to drive away the plague, so a temple was established to worship the Snake King and put up snake lanterns at the Lantern Festival.
The Snake Festival is on July 7th, villagers will contain live snake urns, placed in the temple pilgrimage, tour throughout the village, some people play snake in the arm, and some people wear shackles to pretend to be criminals, that can eliminate disasters and avoid disease [6].
In Qinghai, it is most important not to kill a snake found at home, as it is believed that the snake will retaliate. If a snake is found at home, catch it in a jar or pick it on a long pole and send it to a valley and beg it to hide in a cave.
Lantern Snake
Horse
Mongolian people have horse milk festival and horse racing festival at the end of August, which lasts for one day. After the race, people sing on the horse-head lute and have a drink.
Hong Kong people love horse racing, with "horses running and dancing" to describe the way of life after the handover.
The third day of the Lunar New Year is the New Year's race day, people pick a horse to bet on a good luck. If it comes to the Year of the Horse, the scene is even bigger.
Mongnolian horse racing festival
Goat
Sheep as the main food is popular in the north. Roasted whole sheep is a famous dish of Mongolian and Uyghur people, and Whole Goat Feast refers to the cooking of different kinds of dishes with different colors, aromas and shapes with sheep meat, 44 kinds of which can be made by folk, 66 kinds of which can be made by officialdom, and 76 kinds of which can be made by the emperor's whole sheep seat [6].
Whole Goat Feast
Monkey
Monkey shows can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty. Modern zoos and circuses also have monkeys performing cycling, jumping through fire rings, tightrope walking and somersaulting.
"Monkey Fist" is a traditional Chinese martial arts, which imitates the light and agile movements of monkeys.
There are three stone monkeys scattered in Baiyun taoist temple in Beijing, all of which are carved in relief, so it is not easy to find them all. It is said that visitors to the view have to find and touch the monkeys, and it is said that they will be blessed if they touch them one by one.
Monkey Fist
Rooster
Han folk fashionable in the Dragon Boat Festival wear chicken heart bag, popular in Zhejiang province. On the fifth day of the first lunar month, people use red cloth made of small bags, shaped like a chicken heart, filled with tea, rice and Xiong Huang powder, hanging in front of the chest of children to drive away evil and pray for good luck. "Chicken heart" and "memory" harmonics in Chinese, folk to the Dragon Boat Festival children hanging a chicken heart bag, reading and remembering well, future success [6].
The rooster's ability to deter ghosts and spirits, and its presence in wedding ceremonies, mostly stems from the rooster's association with yang. The later choice to use the rooster to be able to announce the dawn also signifies the regeneration of yang.
Dog
There exist nearly 10,000 of stone dogs all over the Leizhou,known as the "Terracotta Warriors of Leizhou". The stone dogs originated from the fusion of the totem worship of the Han and Yue during the Qin dynasty. and are now worshipped by the people of Leizhou on the 15th day of the first lunar month or at Wedding or Funeral to pray for blessings, rain, children and penance.
Stone Dog
Pig
Han ethnic group use pig offerings for all major rituals, and the head of the pig is important. Nowadays, in the waxing month of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, they still reserve salted pig's head for New Year's Eve.
In Shanxi, there is a wedding custom of sending pig's feet.
At a Xishuangbanna Brown wedding, the families of the bride and groom skewer pork with bamboo poles and send it to each family as a sign of "flesh and blood".
Reference
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Baidu. 2021. RAT Marriage. [online] Available at: <https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%80%81%E9%BC%A0%E5%AB%81%E5%A5%B3/2250858?fr=aladdin> [Accessed 18 December 2021].
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Baidu. 2021. Chinese Zodiac- Ox Related. [online] Available at: <https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%8D%81%E4%BA%8C%E7%94%9F%E8%82%96/48593?fr=aladdin#reference-[51]-8831393-wrap> [Accessed 18 December 2021].
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Baidu. 2021. Chinese Zodiac- Tiger Related. [online] Available at: <https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%8D%81%E4%BA%8C%E7%94%9F%E8%82%96/48593?fr=aladdin#reference-[51]-8831393-wrap> [Accessed 18 December 2021].
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Chinanews.com.cn. 2021. Folk customs related to the rabbit. [online] Available at: <https://www.chinanews.com.cn/hwjy/2011/01-30/2822560.shtml> [Accessed 18 December 2021].
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Baidu. 2021. Chinese Zodiac- Snake Related. [online] Available at: <https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%8D%81%E4%BA%8C%E7%94%9F%E8%82%96/48593?fr=aladdin#reference-[51]-8831393-wrap> [Accessed 18 December 2021].
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Fengsuwang, 2021. Customs and legends about the chicken - Traditional culture. [online] Fengsuwang.com. Available at: <http://www.fengsuwang.com/minjian/jixisuchuanshuo.asp> [Accessed 19 December 2021].