the mighty Ox 

Let’s start with the zodiac of this upcoming year first: the Ox. Say goodbye to rat, and a big hello to ox! In many Asian countries, the ox is the second of the repeating 12-year cycle of animals in the lunar calendar. Each year has its own reputed attributes of that animal, and here’s a fun fact for you, there’re several variations of this zodiac in other countries in the region: for the Vietnamese zodiac, the water buffalo occupies the position of the Ox. Or in Nepal, the Tamu and Gurung people celebrate the year of the Cow. No matter what kind of animal they are, this second position in the zodiac cycle represents diligence, strength, and determination. 

legend has it

According to an old mythological tradition, the 12-year cycle was determined by the “Great Race”. This race was held by the Emperor, announcing that the years on the calendar would be named for each animal in the order they reached him. To get there, the animals would have to cross a great river. 

Obviously, the Cat and the Rat were very bad at swimming, but they were both intelligent and could quickly think of another way to win the race. Using their wit, they decided that the fastest way to cross the river was to hop on the back of the Ox. As kindhearted and naive as it was, the Ox agreed to carry them both across. The Ox crossed easily enough because its body was large, powerful, and perfectly adept both on land and in water. As the Ox was about to reach the other side of the river, the Rat pushed the Cat into the water, and then ungratefully jumped off at the last minute to cross the finish line and rushed to the Emperor. It was named the first animal of the zodiac calendar. The Ox had to settle in second place.

As you can see from this ancient folk story, the Ox is the symbol of honesty and patience. He would have been first on the zodiac calendar if he decided to say no, but he couldn’t. That’s one trait that’s worth everyone’s admiration!