Yahoo News What your Chinese zodiac sign means as we enter the Year of the Snake and whether your personality traits match
We are about enter the Year of the Snake, according to the Chinese zodiac.
Anyone born in this year - it officially starts on Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, on January 29 - can expect to be enigmatic, intelligent and wise. There are 12 animals in the zodiac, which all have astrological and cultural meanings.
Chinese people associate each animal sign with certain characteristics. It is believed that people born in a given year have the personality of that year's animal – which makes me a Tiger!
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When I arrived in 1962, it was the Year of the Tiger, which is supposed to lend me the following characteristics - brave, confident, competitive and unpredictable. I’d like to think of myself as pretty brave, as far as navigating life and all its challenges goes.
I’m not so sure about the rest, however. Being competitive certainly does not come naturally to me, I’d rather be giving a leg-up to someone else. I’m quite a predictable sort, too, I’d say.
But confident? Not at all. I grew up scared of my own shadow and it’s been more of a “fake it ‘til you make it” way of being since.
But what else does being a Tiger mean for me? Chinahighlights.com says my personality type is quick-witted, resourceful, versatile, kind – I’ll give a nod to all of those – and my lucky numbers are 1, 3, 4 (I always feel an affinity with three of things and I always include this number on the odd occasion I pick my Lottery numbers, rather than leaving it to chance with a lucky dip).
A quick scan of my wardrobe looks like I’m dressing for luck too, with blue and grey being my lucky colours, but there is little orange of note, another of my lucky hues. As for lucky flowers, I need to be bringing yellow lilies and cineraria into my life.
Evidently I should be avoiding the numbers 6, 7 and 8, and the colour brown. When it comes to compatibility in love, me and my other half appear to have got it all wrong.
A Tiger’s best matches are with a Horse, Dog or Pig; him indoors is a Dragon, and more suited to a Rat, Monkey or Rooster. Well, we’ve been making it work for 39 years now, so I guess we shouldn’t look too closely into why we ought not to be a good match.
In Chinese element theory, each zodiac sign is also associated with one of five elements: Gold (Metal), Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth, and my birth year makes me a Water Tiger. This gives me a strong sense of self-esteem and learning ability.
In Chinese culture, the top five luckiest/most popular zodiac signs are Dragon, Snake, Pig, Rat, and Tiger, conventionally. Happy to know we both fall into that selection, but I won’t let on to my partner that the Dragon is the most coveted zodiac sign, or he could become Big-Headed Dragon.
The Chinese horoscope for 2025 for me and fellow Tigers says we need to brace ourselves for some challenges. Hard work and a low-key approach will help us seize opportunities and manage our finances effectively, evidently, while staying positive and focusing on personal growth means we will conquer any obstacles coming our way.
Can I just not have any obstacle at all, please?
Chinese Zodiac signs' personality at a glance
Rat: quick-witted, resourceful, versatile, kind.
Ox: diligent, dependable, strong, determined.
Tiger: brave, confident, competitive, unpredictable.
Rabbit: quiet, elegant, kind, responsible.
Dragon: confident, intelligent, enthusiastic.
Snake: enigmatic, intelligent, wise.
Horse: animated, active, energetic.
Goat: calm, gentle, sympathetic.
Monkey: sharp, smart, curious.
Rooster: observant, hardworking, courageous.
Dog: lovely, honest, prudent.
Pig: compassionate, generous, diligent.
