Recent years of the Rat are: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020.
Rats are clever, quick thinkers; successful, but content with living a quiet and peaceful life.
Remember, Chinese new year begins in February, so if you have a January birthday, you will be the zodiac for the year before. i.e my birthday is January 1978, so I am a snake not a horse. Some say, the further through the year you are, the stronger the qualities of the animal.
Check the list of exact CNY dates at the end of this post.
Each zodiac sign has 'allies' and 'secret friends' who are particularly powerful pillars of support. It is thought that by carrying amulets or having images of them in certain parts of your home/ office, your positive flow of energy (chi) will be empowered.
HOMEWARE
Chinese Zodiac Tea Towel. A perfect gift. Not only a thoughtful personal gift, you are offering the gift of good luck, good health and good fortune.
Allies & Secret Friends
Allies of the Rat who offer support & good fortune are the dragon & monkey, with the Ox as its secret friend.
It is great feng shui to have these in your home, making these prints very powerful.
Lucky Numbers & Colours
Blue, green & gold are lucky colours for the Rat. 2, and 3 are lucky numbers.
Lucky Flowers
Lucky flowers for the Rat are the lily & African violet.
Personality
Though not the cutest and often with negative associations, the Rat ranks first on the Chinese zodiac signs. The Rat has spirit, wit, alertness, delicacy, flexibility and vitality.
The Rat's instincts are acute and alert, making them brilliant businessmen, reacting in time to avert disaster. Often noted as sophisticated, they are very adaptable and popular socially.
Strengths: Adaptable, smart, cautious, acute, alert, positive, flexible, outgoing, cheerful.
Weaknesses: Timid, unstable, stubborn, picky, lack of persistence, querulous.
Chinese Legend of the Rat
The Rat is the first of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. The Rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride. Then, just as they arrived at the finish line, Rat jumped down and landed ahead of Ox, becoming first.
In Chinese culture, rats were seen as a sign of wealth and surplus. Because of their reproduction rate, married couples also prayed to them for children.
Time of day
The Rat is also associated with the Earthly Branch (地支—dì zhī) Zi (子) and the midnight hours.
In the terms of yin and yang (阴阳—yīn yáng), the Rat is yang (masculine) and represents the beginning of a new day.
Chinese New Year Dates
1940 - Feb. 08 Dragon
1941 - Jan. 27 Snake
1942 - Feb. 15 Horse
1943 - Feb. 05 Goat/Ram
1944 - Jan. 25 Monkey
1945 - Feb. 13 Rooster
1946 - Feb. 02 Dog
1947 - Jan. 22 Pig
1948 - Feb. 10 Rat
1949 - Jan. 29 Ox
1950 - Feb. 17 Tiger
1951 - Feb. 06 Rabbit
1952 - Jan. 27 Dragon
1953 - Feb. 14 Snake
1954 - Feb. 03 Horse
1955 - Jan. 24 Goat/Ram
1956 - Feb. 12 Monkey
1957 - Jan. 31 Rooster
1958 - Feb. 18 Dog
1959 - Feb. 08 Pig
1960 - Jan. 28 Rat
1961 - Feb. 15 Ox
1962 - Feb. 05 Tiger
1963 - Jan. 25 Rabbit
1964 - Feb. 13 Dragon
1965 - Feb. 02 Snake
1966 - Jan. 21 Horse
1967 - Feb. 09 Goat/Ram
1968 - Jan. 30 Monkey
1969 - Feb. 17 Rooster
1970 - Feb. 06 Dog
1971 - Jan. 27 Pig
1972 - Feb. 15 Rat
1973 - Feb. 03 Ox
1974 - Jan. 23 Tiger
1975 - Feb. 11 Rabbit
1976 - Jan. 31 Dragon
1977 - Feb. 18 Snake
1978 - Feb. 07 Horse
1979 - Jan. 28 Goat/Ram
1980 - Feb. 16 Monkey
1981 - Feb. 05 Rooster
1982 - Jan. 25 Dog
1983 - Feb. 13 Pig
1984 - Feb. 02 Rat
1985 - Feb. 20 Ox
1986 - Feb. 09 Tiger
1987 - Jan. 29 Rabbit
1988 - Feb. 17 Dragon
1989 - Feb. 06 Snake
1990 - Jan. 27 Horse
1991 - Feb. 15 Goat/Ram
1992 - Feb. 04 Monkey
1993 - Jan. 23 Rooster
1994 - Feb. 10 Dog
1995 - Jan. 31 Pig
1996 - Feb. 19 Rat
1997 - Feb. 07 Ox
1998 - Jan. 28 Tiger
1999 - Feb. 16 Rabbit
2000 - Feb. 05 Dragon
2001 - Jan. 24 Snake
2002 - Feb. 12 Horse
2003 - Feb. 01 Goat/Ram
2004 - Jan. 22 Monkey
2005 - Feb. 9 Rooster
2006 - Jan. 29 Dog
2007 - Feb. 18 Pig
2008 - Feb. 7 Rat
2009 - Jan. 26 Ox
2010 - Feb. 14 Tiger
2011 - Feb. 3 Rabbit
2012 - Jan. 23 Dragon
2013 - Feb. 10 Snake
2014 - Jan. 31 Horse
2015 - Feb. 19 Goat/Ram
2016 - Feb. 8 Monkey
2017 - Jan. 28 Rooster
2018 - Feb. 16 Dog
2019 - Feb. 5 Pig
2020 - Jan. 25 Rat
2021 - Feb. 12 Ox
2022 - Feb. 1 Tiger
2023 - Jan. 22 Rabbit
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