These are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. As mentioned earlier, the year of an animal repeats every twelve years, and it follows the order of the animals listed above.
For example, let's say you were born in 1988. This means you are dragon. In that way, when someone asks 무슨 띠예요? (museun ttiyeyo?, What is your Korean zodiac?), meaning “What is your Korean zodiac sign?” in English, you can reply to them by saying, 용띠입니다 (yongttiimnida), meaning “I am the year of the dragon.”
The Korean zodiac is mostly identical to the Chinese one. The lunar calendar was the basis of Korean life in the past and also now, holidays/celebratory events are based on the moon's cycles. The years were represented by animals that followed each other in an established order repeated every 12 years.
South Koreans are deemed to be a year old when they are born, and a year is added every 1 January. The unusual – and increasingly unpopular – custom means a baby born on New Year's Eve becomes two years old as soon as the clock strikes midnight.
Japanese zodiac signs
Japan follows the Chinese astrological system divided into 12 signs (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig). Such division is connected with the Jupiter cycle around the Sun, which lasts about 12 years.
Japan's zodiac signs were directly derived from China's. The only difference is that the last animal is the Boar in Japan but the Pig in China. The Chinese zodiac is calculated according to the Chinese lunar calendar, while Japan's is based on the solar calendar since the lunar calendar was abandoned in 1872.
The work focuses on, but is not limited to,the unified Silla Kingdom period (668–935 CE) usually referred to as Korea's Golden Age. Content and activities in the guide make clear that Silla Korea's trade in products and ideas both shaped Korean culture and influenced other parts of Asia as well.
Many Asian cultures still use it today. According to Korean culture, every year is represented by one of 12 zodiac signs, which are known as the animals of the Sibijisin (say "shib-EE-jee-sheen"). It's called Sibijisin because it's a literal translation: sibi translates to 12 and jisin means Gods of the Earth.
Bats. The number one on our Korean animals symbolism list is the bat! These winged mammals represent good fortune, despite many people being frightened by them. They became symbols of good luck because the Chinese ideogram for "bat" is pronounced the same as the Korean "good fortune."
2023 is the Year of the Black Rabbit. The furry, nimble animal, long associated with fertility and prosperity, has already been appearing at various places across Seoul, embodying Koreans' wish for the year to be a fruitful one.
In 2023, it is the Year of the Rabbit. Koreans call the lunar animal years ddi, which roughly translates to sign, and are used when referring to the year in which they were born. There are also set beliefs that people have distinct tendencies, and even fortunes, shaped around their ddi.
Libra {proper noun}
천칭자리 {pr. n.}
Gemini {proper noun}
쌍둥이자리 {pr. n.}
2022 is the Year of the Tiger, the third of the 12 animals in the zodiac. The characteristics assigned to the Tiger are bravery, competitiveness, unpredictability and confidence. The tiger represents big changes.
Goguryeo (also spelled as Koguryŏ) was also known as Goryeo (also spelled as Koryŏ), and it eventually became the source of the modern name of Korea. The 3rd and 4th centuries were characterized by territorial competition with the Chinese and Xianbei, resulting in both losses and gains.
Korean accounts. Heo Hwang-ok's rather unique background had been a subject of much discussion in South Korea among many historians. Despite her legendary status, many historians reject the idea that Queen Heo truly existed and have debunked her travel routes several times throughout history.
Unified Silla lasted for 267 years until falling to Goryeo, under the leadership King Gyeongsun, in 935. Joseon, born out of the collapsed Goryeo in 1392, also ruled the entire peninsula, that rule lasting until Japan annexed Korea in 1910.
Each Korean name usually consists of three syllables. The first is the family name while the second and third are the given name. For example, in the name KIM Min Su (김민수), KIM is the family name. The family name (or 'surname') is inherited patrilineally from one's father and shared with other siblings.
Looking at the characteristics of the year more specifically, 2023 is the Year of the Water Rabbit following the Chinese calendar, which rotates in 60-year cycles based on 12 earthly branches, each represented by an animal year, and five heavenly stems — wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
Legend has it that a god beckoned all animals to bid him farewell before his departure from Earth. Only 12 of them, namely the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig arrived, with each given a place of honor in a year based on the order of arrival.
Why is 2023 considered a Black-Rabbit Year? This year is the Black-Rabbit Year of Kuimao; otherwise known as the Yin Water Rabbit.