Chinese New Year Zodiac Signs have a legend behind their origin. According to the legend, the Jade Emperor thought of a way to measure time and he told that on his birthday there will be a animal swimming race. The first twelve animal winners will have each a year named after them. Of all the animals the twelve that won were Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. As promised they were given a year each and came to be known as the Chinese New Year Animals. The first year was of the Year of the Rat, as he was the first one to complete the race, pushing the cat away and this is what is known as the reason of dispute between the cat and mouse till date and whenever the cat sees a rat she kills it.

Known, as a 12-year cycle, Chinese New Year Zodiac Signs represent a cyclical concept of time that is based on the cycle of the moon. Chinese New Year Zodiac Signs serve a useful function of knowing someone's age, as it's just because of it one has no need to ask the age, one can directly ask a person's animal sign and get to know his age. Simple isn't?

Listed below are the Chinese New Year Zodiac Signs:

Rat (1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984 and 1996)

Ox (1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985 and 1997)

Tiger (1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986 and 1998)

Rabbit (1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 and 1999)

Dragon (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988 and 2000)

Snake (1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989 and 2001)

Horse (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990 and 2002)

Ram (1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991 and 2003)

Monkey (1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992 and 2004)

Rooster (1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993 and 2005)

Dog (1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994 and 2006)

Pig (1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995 and 2007)