Vietnamese zodiac

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]

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

• Vietnamese calendar

References

1. Sterling 2011, p. 31.

Bibliography

• Sterling, Richard (2011). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Vietnam and Angkor Wat. Penguin. ISBN 0-75668-740-3.
• Taylor, K. W. (2018). Essays Into Vietnamese Pasts. Cornell University Press. ISBN 1-50171-899-1.
• Noppe, Catherine; Hubert, Jean-François (2018). Art of Vietnam. Parkstone International. ISBN 1-78310-725-1.