# Earth Pig Chinese New Year **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2019, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002 "2019-02-05T12:57:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/1 "2019-02-05T12:57:11Z")
I was born Earth Pig 己亥, so today begins my 60th year (even though I won’t be 60 until September), the 60-year cycle having spun all the way around for me. Gong xi fa cai! Gung hey fat choy! ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/2 "2019-02-05T19:06:05Z")
Happy 60th year! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/3 "2019-02-05T21:06:45Z")
Crazy thing about this year: it is once again the Year of the Pig. We started our Chinese adoption so long ago that I remember thinking that she would be born in the Year of the Pig, twelve years ago. As it turns out, the process slowed down so much that she was born in the Year of the Rabbit (Jan 2012). I just can’t believe we started that process so long ago, and the zodiac has done a complete revolution since then. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/4 "2019-02-05T21:22:47Z")
If it sounds any better, the Japanese call it the year of the boar. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/5 "2019-02-06T14:08:06Z")
I used to shy away from the word pig, but now I don’t care. If you want a laugh, you’ll find me here, _Epicuri de grege porcam_. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/6 "2019-02-06T14:58:01Z")
So it’s the year of the aardvark? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/7 "2019-02-06T15:57:50Z")
**Bayaker** beat me to the aardvark joke. Does the phrase “earth pig” have some signifigance in Asian culture different from “pig”? ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/8 "2019-02-07T19:07:41Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > **Bayaker** beat me to the aardvark joke. > > Does the phrase “earth pig” have some signifigance in Asian culture different from “pig”? the years have elements that go along with the animal; metal, wood, water, fire, earth. earth pig is different than metal pig, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_Raygun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c67d28/32.png) [@Ronald\_Raygun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_Raygun)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/9 "2019-02-09T13:11:38Z")
To briefly elaborate, because there are five elements and twelve animals, the zodiac is a 5 x 12 = 60 year cycle. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/10 "2019-02-09T14:28:54Z")
> [@Ronald\_Raygun](#): > > To briefly elaborate, because there are five elements and twelve animals, the zodiac is a 5 x 12 = 60 year cycle. All true, though I should point out that 己 does not mean Earth (though 亥 is a “Picture of a boar (cf. 豕) last in the cycle of 12 animals” according to Bernhard Karlgren). Those “stems/branches” are used to enumerate a cycle of 60 years analogous to A1, B2, C3, etc. [There are 10 stems.] I would be fascinated to hear an astrologer explain what “己” has to do with the earth and what the 12 Branches have to do with animals. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-pig-chinese-new-year/829002/11 "2019-02-09T21:15:16Z")
Aardvark, heh, you’re right. I don’t know how I missed that.