Zodiac Ox

Author: Song Bingling Cui Xia
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: "Twelve in the nation, one for everyone," such a riddle is clearly tailored for the answer "Twelve Zodiacs," and it's also hard to find any other cultural phenomenon that has achieved such widespread popularity as the Twelve Zodiac culture. Perhaps many people do not understand what "culture" is, do not understand that the Twelve Zodiacs are a folk culture, but almost everyone knows their zodiac sign and what their own is. "The Rat in Zi, the Ox in Chou, the Tiger in Yin, the Rabbit in Mao, the Dragon in Chen, the Snake in Si, the Horse in Wu, the Goat in Wei, the Monkey in Shen, the Rooster in You, the Dog in Xu, the Pig in Hai"—not only has it become a catchy children's rhyme, but even those who are illiterate often count it off on their fingers. Today, as a folk culture that prevails among the people and is more passed down orally, the Zodiac culture seems to have transcended class and age, integrating into everyone's life. Have you not seen that during the so-called "Year of the Self" (one's own zodiac year), people of all backgrounds and statuses always add a touch of red to their clothing to ward off evil; and how many people link the Zodiac to fate, with weddings, funerals, marriage, and childbirth all being influenced by it to some extent. Such extreme "Zodiac" examples as pregnant women having an early C-section to ensure their child has a "good sign" are often reported in the news. As the New Year approaches, from the media to the public, the entire nation discusses the auspiciousness of the Zodiac. The Zodiac culture is so deeply rooted that as an ancient folk cultural phenomenon, it has become an integral part of Chinese national culture. As publishers who focus on the study and dissemination of traditional Chinese culture, providing readers with a book that summarizes, showcases, and presents the connotations, historical heritage, and basic composition of this culture should be seen as our responsibility, so that every zodiac sign holder who wishes to understand its knowledge can benefit from it, or for those who need temporary answers to their questions.