# What is the origin of the Chinese zodiac?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-chinese-zodiac/251352>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 20, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-chinese-zodiac/251352 "2004-06-20T21:34:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Scarf-Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Scarf-Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarf-Ace)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-chinese-zodiac/251352/1 "2004-06-20T21:34:11Z")

</div>

I have a vague notion that it might be to do with re-incarnation, but don’t really have the faintest idea if thats right.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-chinese-zodiac/251352/2 "2004-06-20T21:42:24Z")

</div>

[http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html#Sign%20Background](http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html#Sign%20Background)

> [@](#):
>
> In traditional China, dating methods were cyclical, cyclical meaning something that is repeated time after time according to a pattern. A popular folk method which reflected this cyclical method of recording years are the Twelve Animal Signs.