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Vietnamese zodiac

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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. 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

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The Vietnamese zodiac is originated from 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 Vietnamese zodiac uses cat instead of rabbit due to the pronunciation of the rabbit in Chinese writing: 卯 is very similar to the Vietnamese word Mèo for cat.[2]

Zodiac animal sign Vietnamese zodiac Characteristic
Rat Welcomed as a bringer of good luck
Water buffalo Sửu Associated with riches achieved through hard work
Tiger Dần Warm-hearted yet fearsome, and brave in the face of danger
Cat Mão Known to be tranquil, realistic, intelligent and artistic
Dragon Thìn Imperial symbol, associated with the male element yang
Snake Tỵ Enigmatic, wise, and like to live well
Horse Ngọ Signifies freedom and confidence
Goat Mùi Associated with creativity and good taste
Monkey Thân Versatile and mischievous; associated with inventors, entertainers, and anything ingenious
Rooster Dậu Brave and resilient, but can also be self-absorbed and pretentious
Dog Tuất Considered lucky, loyal, and likeable
Pig Hợi Honest, patient, and also associated with virility

See also

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References

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Bibliography

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  • 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.