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href="#Years_and_the_Five_Elements"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Years and the Five Elements</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Years_and_the_Five_Elements-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Lunar_Mansion" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Lunar_Mansion"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Lunar Mansion</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Lunar_Mansion-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Hour_of_the_Rat" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hour_of_the_Rat"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Hour of the Rat</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hour_of_the_Rat-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Popular_culture" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Popular_culture"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Popular culture</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Popular_culture-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Basic_astrology_elements" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Basic_astrology_elements"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Basic astrology elements</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Basic_astrology_elements-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-The_Jade_Emperor_and_the_race_for_zodiacal_place" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#The_Jade_Emperor_and_the_race_for_zodiacal_place"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>The Jade Emperor and the race for zodiacal place</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-The_Jade_Emperor_and_the_race_for_zodiacal_place-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-The_zodiacal_rat_around_the_world" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#The_zodiacal_rat_around_the_world"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>The zodiacal rat around the world</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-The_zodiacal_rat_around_the_world-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Further_reading_and_references_consulted" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Further_reading_and_references_consulted"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>Further reading and references consulted</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Further_reading_and_references_consulted-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">12</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Rat (zodiac)</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 40 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-40" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">40 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rot_(astrologie)" title="Rot (astrologie) – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Rot (astrologie)" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Afrikaans</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-als mw-list-item"><a href="https://als.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jahr_der_Ratte" title="Jahr der Ratte – Alemannic" lang="gsw" hreflang="gsw" data-title="Jahr der Ratte" data-language-autonym="Alemannisch" data-language-local-name="Alemannic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Alemannisch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AC_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A3%D8%B1" title="برج الفأر – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="برج الفأر" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signu_del_aguar%C3%B3n" title="Signu del aguarón – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Signu del aguarón" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ban mw-list-item"><a href="https://ban.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikul_(shio)" title="Bikul (shio) – Balinese" lang="ban" hreflang="ban" data-title="Bikul (shio)" data-language-autonym="Basa Bali" data-language-local-name="Balinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Basa Bali</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-min-nan mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-min-nan.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%BA_(t%C4%93-chi)" title="Chú (tē-chi) – Minnan" lang="nan" hreflang="nan" data-title="Chú (tē-chi)" data-language-autonym="閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú" data-language-local-name="Minnan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ba mw-list-item"><a href="https://ba.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D1%81%D2%A1%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%B9%D1%8B%D0%BB%D1%8B" title="Сысҡан йылы – Bashkir" lang="ba" hreflang="ba" data-title="Сысҡан йылы" data-language-autonym="Башҡортса" data-language-local-name="Bashkir" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Башҡортса</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bcl mw-list-item"><a href="https://bcl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kino_(sodyak)" title="Kino (sodyak) – Central Bikol" lang="bcl" hreflang="bcl" data-title="Kino (sodyak)" data-language-autonym="Bikol Central" data-language-local-name="Central Bikol" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bikol Central</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotiaasta" title="Rotiaasta – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Rotiaasta" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82_(%CE%9A%CE%B9%CE%BD%CE%AD%CE%B6%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF_%CE%B6%CF%8E%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BF)" title="Ποντικός (Κινέζικο ζώδιο) – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Ποντικός (Κινέζικο ζώδιο)" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signo_de_la_rata" title="Signo de la rata – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Signo de la rata" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B4_(%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%82%D8%A9%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AC)" title="موش (منطقةالبروج) – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="موش (منطقةالبروج)" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_(astrologie_chinoise)" title="Rat (astrologie chinoise) – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Rat (astrologie chinoise)" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hak mw-list-item"><a href="https://hak.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%E1%B9%B3%CC%81_(thi-ch%E1%B9%B3%CC%82)" title="Chṳ́ (thi-chṳ̂) – Hakka Chinese" lang="hak" hreflang="hak" data-title="Chṳ́ (thi-chṳ̂)" data-language-autonym="客家語 / Hak-kâ-ngî" data-language-local-name="Hakka Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>客家語 / Hak-kâ-ngî</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%9E%90_(%EC%A7%80%EC%A7%80)" title="자 (지지) – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="자 (지지)" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikus_(shio)" title="Tikus (shio) – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Tikus (shio)" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topo_(zodiaco_cinese)" title="Topo (zodiaco cinese) – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Topo (zodiaco cinese)" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-jv mw-list-item"><a href="https://jv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikus_(shio)" title="Tikus (shio) – Javanese" lang="jv" hreflang="jv" data-title="Tikus (shio)" data-language-autonym="Jawa" data-language-local-name="Javanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Jawa</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kk mw-list-item"><a href="https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D1%8B%D1%88%D2%9B%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%B6%D1%8B%D0%BB%D1%8B" title="Тышқан жылы – Kazakh" lang="kk" hreflang="kk" data-title="Тышқан жылы" data-language-autonym="Қазақша" data-language-local-name="Kazakh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Қазақша</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BDiurk%C4%97_(kin%C5%B3_zodiakas)" title="Žiurkė (kinų zodiakas) – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Žiurkė (kinų zodiakas)" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patk%C3%A1ny_(%C3%A1llatjegy)" title="Patkány (állatjegy) – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Patkány (állatjegy)" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mg mw-list-item"><a href="https://mg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voalavo_(zodiaka)" title="Voalavo (zodiaka) – Malagasy" lang="mg" hreflang="mg" data-title="Voalavo (zodiaka)" data-language-autonym="Malagasy" data-language-local-name="Malagasy" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Malagasy</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikus_(zodiak)" title="Tikus (zodiak) – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Tikus (zodiak)" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cdo mw-list-item"><a href="https://cdo.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%E1%B9%B3%CC%84_(d%C3%AA-ci%C4%95)" title="Cṳ̄ (dê-ciĕ) – Mindong" lang="cdo" hreflang="cdo" data-title="Cṳ̄ (dê-ciĕ)" data-language-autonym="閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄" data-language-local-name="Mindong" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_(astrologie)" title="Rat (astrologie) – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Rat (astrologie)" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%90_(%E5%8D%81%E4%BA%8C%E6%94%AF)" title="子 (十二支) – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="子 (十二支)" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uz mw-list-item"><a href="https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichqon_yili" title="Sichqon yili – Uzbek" lang="uz" hreflang="uz" data-title="Sichqon yili" data-language-autonym="Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча" data-language-local-name="Uzbek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rato_(zod%C3%ADaco)" title="Rato (zodíaco) – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Rato (zodíaco)" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-qu mw-list-item"><a href="https://qu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatun_ukucha_(Quyllur_i%C3%B1iy)" title="Hatun ukucha (Quyllur iñiy) – Quechua" lang="qu" hreflang="qu" data-title="Hatun ukucha (Quyllur iñiy)" data-language-autonym="Runa Simi" data-language-local-name="Quechua" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Runa Simi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_(zodiac)" title="Rat (zodiac) – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Rat (zodiac)" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotta_(kiinalainen_horoskooppi)" title="Rotta (kiinalainen horoskooppi) – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Rotta (kiinalainen horoskooppi)" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A5tta_(zodiak)" title="Råtta (zodiak) – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Råtta (zodiak)" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tl mw-list-item"><a href="https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daga_(sodyak)" title="Daga (sodyak) – Tagalog" lang="tl" hreflang="tl" data-title="Daga (sodyak)" data-language-autonym="Tagalog" data-language-local-name="Tagalog" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tagalog</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%8E%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%BF_(%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%80%E0%AE%A9_%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D)" title="எலி (சீன சோதிடம்) – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="எலி (சீன சோதிடம்)" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%94" title="ชวด – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="ชวด" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fare_(bur%C3%A7)" title="Fare (burç) – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Fare (burç)" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A9%D1%83%D1%80_(%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%96%D0%B0%D0%BA)" title="Щур (зодіак) – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Щур (зодіак)" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-za mw-list-item"><a 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For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Year_of_the_rat_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="Year of the rat (disambiguation)">Year of the rat (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="color: #202122;background-color:#b0c4de">Rat</th></tr><tr style="display:none;"><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image notheme" style="background-color: #f8f9fa;"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Rat_(Chinese_characters).svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Rat_%28Chinese_characters%29.svg/70px-Rat_%28Chinese_characters%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="70" height="73" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Rat_%28Chinese_characters%29.svg/105px-Rat_%28Chinese_characters%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Rat_%28Chinese_characters%29.svg/140px-Rat_%28Chinese_characters%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="539" data-file-height="559" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">"Rat" in <a href="/wiki/Regular_script" title="Regular script">regular</a> Chinese characters</div></td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hani" style="font-size: 1rem;">鼠</span></span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"><table class="infobox-subbox mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="display:inline-table; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left;color: #202122; background-color: #f9ffbc;">Transcriptions</th></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Standard_Chinese" title="Standard Chinese">Standard Mandarin</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Hanyu_Pinyin" class="mw-redirect" title="Hanyu Pinyin">Hanyu Pinyin</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn">shǔ</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Wade%E2%80%93Giles" title="Wade–Giles">Wade–Giles</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn">shu<sup>3</sup></span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin" title="Help:IPA/Mandarin">IPA</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn"><span class="IPA" lang="cmn-Latn-fonipa" style="white-space:nowrap"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin" title="Help:IPA/Mandarin">[ʂù]</a></span></span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Hakka_Chinese" title="Hakka Chinese">Hakka</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Guangdong_Romanization#Hakka" title="Guangdong Romanization">Romanization</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Hakka-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="hak-Latn">chhú</span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Cantonese" title="Cantonese">Yue: Cantonese</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Yale_romanization_of_Cantonese" title="Yale romanization of Cantonese">Yale Romanization</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Yue Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="yue-Latn">syú</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Jyutping" title="Jyutping">Jyutping</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Yue Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="yue-Latn">syu2</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Cantonese" title="Help:IPA/Cantonese">IPA</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Yue Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="yue-Latn"><span class="IPA" lang="yue-Latn-fonipa" style="white-space:nowrap"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Cantonese" title="Help:IPA/Cantonese">[sy˧˥]</a></span></span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Southern_Min" title="Southern Min">Southern Min</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Hokkien" title="Hokkien">Hokkien</a> <a href="/wiki/Pe%CC%8Dh-%C5%8De-j%C4%AB" title="Pe̍h-ōe-jī">POJ</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Min Nan Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="nan-Latn">chhú</span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Old_Chinese" title="Old Chinese">Old Chinese</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter–Sagart_(2014)" title="Reconstructions of Old Chinese">Baxter–Sagart (2014)</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Old Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="och-Latn">*<span class="IPA nowrap" lang="und-Latn-fonipa" title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)">l̥aʔ</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr style="display:none"><td colspan="2"> </td></tr></tbody></table> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:OMBRE_CHINOISE_RAT.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/OMBRE_CHINOISE_RAT.jpg/220px-OMBRE_CHINOISE_RAT.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="220" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/OMBRE_CHINOISE_RAT.jpg/330px-OMBRE_CHINOISE_RAT.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/OMBRE_CHINOISE_RAT.jpg/440px-OMBRE_CHINOISE_RAT.jpg 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="600" /></a><figcaption>Zodiac rat, showing the <i>shǔ</i> (鼠) character for rat/mouse</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Mount_H%C3%B4rai-ji_Buddhist_Temple_-_Stone_monument_with_a_carving_of_a_mouse.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Mount_H%C3%B4rai-ji_Buddhist_Temple_-_Stone_monument_with_a_carving_of_a_mouse.jpg/220px-Mount_H%C3%B4rai-ji_Buddhist_Temple_-_Stone_monument_with_a_carving_of_a_mouse.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="293" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Mount_H%C3%B4rai-ji_Buddhist_Temple_-_Stone_monument_with_a_carving_of_a_mouse.jpg/330px-Mount_H%C3%B4rai-ji_Buddhist_Temple_-_Stone_monument_with_a_carving_of_a_mouse.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Mount_H%C3%B4rai-ji_Buddhist_Temple_-_Stone_monument_with_a_carving_of_a_mouse.jpg/440px-Mount_H%C3%B4rai-ji_Buddhist_Temple_-_Stone_monument_with_a_carving_of_a_mouse.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3096" data-file-height="4128" /></a><figcaption>Stone monument with a carving of a mouse, at Mount Hôrai-ji Buddhist Temple, <a href="/wiki/Aichi_Prefecture" title="Aichi Prefecture">Aichi Prefecture</a>, <a href="/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japan</a>, showing the <i>zǐ</i> (子) character designating the first of the twelve <a href="/wiki/Earthly_Branches" title="Earthly Branches">Earthly Branches</a></figcaption></figure> <p>The <b>Rat</b> or <b>Mouse</b> (<b><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%BC%A0" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:鼠">鼠</a></b>) is the first of the repeating 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the <a href="/wiki/Chinese_zodiac" title="Chinese zodiac">Chinese zodiac</a>, constituting part of the <a href="/wiki/Chinese_calendar" title="Chinese calendar">Chinese calendar</a> system (with similar systems in use elsewhere). The <b>Year of the Rat</b> in standard Chinese is <a href="/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a>: <span lang="zh">鼠年</span>; <a href="/wiki/Pinyin" class="mw-redirect" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>: <i><span lang="zh-Latn">shǔnián</span></i>. The rat is associated with the first branch of the <a href="/wiki/Earthly_Branches" title="Earthly Branches">Earthly Branch</a> <a href="/wiki/Symbol" title="Symbol">symbol</a> <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%AD%90" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:子">子</a> (<i>zǐ</i>), which starts a repeating cycle of twelve years. The Chinese word <i>shǔ</i> (<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%BC%A0" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:鼠">鼠</a>) refers to various small rodents (<a href="/wiki/Muroidea" title="Muroidea">Muroidea</a>), such as <a href="/wiki/Rat" title="Rat">rats</a> and <a href="/wiki/Mouse" title="Mouse">mice</a>. The term "<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zodiac" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:zodiac">zodiac</a>" ultimately derives from an <a href="/wiki/Ancient_Greek" title="Ancient Greek">Ancient Greek</a> term referring to a "circle of little animals". There are also a yearly month of the rat and a daily hour of the rat (<a href="/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_timekeeping#Dual_hour:_Shí" title="Traditional Chinese timekeeping">Chinese double hour</a>, midnight, 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.). Years of the rat are cyclically differentiated by correlation to the <a href="/wiki/Heavenly_Stems" title="Heavenly Stems">Heavenly Stems</a> cycle, resulting in a repeating cycle of five years of the rat (over a sixty-year period), each rat year also being associated with one of the Chinese <a href="/wiki/Wuxing_(Chinese_philosophy)" title="Wuxing (Chinese philosophy)">wu xing</a>, also known as the "five elements", or "phases": the "Five Phases" being <a href="/wiki/Fire_(wuxing)" title="Fire (wuxing)">Fire</a> (<span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%81%AB#Chinese" class="extiw" title="wikt:火">火</a></span> <i>huǒ</i>), <a href="/wiki/Water_(wuxing)" title="Water (wuxing)">Water</a> (<span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%B0%B4#Chinese" class="extiw" title="wikt:水">水</a></span> <i>shuǐ</i>), <a href="/wiki/Wood_(wuxing)" title="Wood (wuxing)">Wood</a> (<span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%9C%A8#Chinese" class="extiw" title="wikt:木">木</a></span> <i>mù</i>), <a href="/wiki/Metal_(wuxing)" title="Metal (wuxing)">Metal</a> (<span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%87%91#Chinese" class="extiw" title="wikt:金">金</a></span> <i>jīn</i>), and <a href="/wiki/Earth_(wuxing)" title="Earth (wuxing)">Earth</a> (<span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%9C%9F#Chinese" class="extiw" title="wikt:土">土</a></span> <i>tǔ</i>). </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="First_Year_of_the_Rat">First Year of the Rat</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: First Year of the Rat"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:%E9%BC%A0-oracle.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/%E9%BC%A0-oracle.svg/30px-%E9%BC%A0-oracle.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="30" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/%E9%BC%A0-oracle.svg/45px-%E9%BC%A0-oracle.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/%E9%BC%A0-oracle.svg/60px-%E9%BC%A0-oracle.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="300" /></a><figcaption>The ancient <a href="/wiki/Oracle_bone_script" title="Oracle bone script">shell end bone</a> style Chinese character <i>shǔ</i> (鼠), for rat/mouse</figcaption></figure> <p>In Chinese tradition, the first year was the equivalent of 2637 BCE (although others give other dates). The Prime Minister of the first emperor, <a href="/wiki/Yellow_Emperor" title="Yellow Emperor">Huangdi</a> (also known as the Yellow Emperor), is said in this year to have worked out the <a href="/wiki/Sexagenary_cycle" title="Sexagenary cycle">sixty-year</a> zodiacal cycle. Part of this achievement was the discovery and incorporation of the <a href="/wiki/Metonic_cycle" title="Metonic cycle">nineteen-year</a> so-called Metonic cycle which correlates lunar and solar dates, as part of the system (using leap months).<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Years_and_the_Five_Elements">Years and the Five Elements</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Years and the Five Elements"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Sexagenary_cycle_years_spirals.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Sexagenary_cycle_years_spirals.svg/220px-Sexagenary_cycle_years_spirals.svg.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="220" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Sexagenary_cycle_years_spirals.svg/330px-Sexagenary_cycle_years_spirals.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Sexagenary_cycle_years_spirals.svg/440px-Sexagenary_cycle_years_spirals.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="512" /></a><figcaption>Sexagenary cycle years</figcaption></figure> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Sexagenary_cycle" title="Sexagenary cycle">Sexagenary cycle</a></div> <p>People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "Year of the Rat", while bearing the following <a href="/wiki/Wuxing_(Chinese_philosophy)" title="Wuxing (Chinese philosophy)">elemental</a> sign:<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The following is a <a href="/wiki/Chart" title="Chart">chart</a> of the dates of the <a href="/wiki/Gregorian_calendar" title="Gregorian calendar">Gregorian calendar</a>. </p> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <th>Start date</th> <th>End date</th> <th>Heavenly branch </th></tr> <tr> <td>11 February 1804</td> <td>30 January 1805</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Wood_(wuxing)" title="Wood (wuxing)">Wood</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>23 January 1816</td> <td>16 January 1817</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Fire_(wuxing)" title="Fire (wuxing)">Fire</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>14 February 1828</td> <td>3 January 1829</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Earth_(wuxing)" title="Earth (wuxing)">Earth</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>2 February 1840</td> <td>22 January 1841</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Metal_(wuxing)" title="Metal (wuxing)">Metal</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>20 February 1852</td> <td>3 February 1853</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Water_(wuxing)" title="Water (wuxing)">Water</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>8 February 1864</td> <td>26 January 1865</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Wood_(wuxing)" title="Wood (wuxing)">Wood</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>26 January 1876</td> <td>12 February 1877</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Fire_(wuxing)" title="Fire (wuxing)">Fire</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>12 February 1888</td> <td>30 January 1889</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Earth_(wuxing)" title="Earth (wuxing)">Earth</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>31 January 1900</td> <td>18 February 1901</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Metal_(wuxing)" title="Metal (wuxing)">Metal</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>18 February 1912</td> <td>5 February 1913</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Water_(wuxing)" title="Water (wuxing)">Water</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>5 February 1924</td> <td>23 January 1925</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Wood_(wuxing)" title="Wood (wuxing)">Wood</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>24 January 1936</td> <td>10 February 1937</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Fire_(wuxing)" title="Fire (wuxing)">Fire</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>10 February 1948</td> <td>28 January 1949</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Earth_(wuxing)" title="Earth (wuxing)">Earth</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>28 January 1960</td> <td>14 February 1961</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Metal_(wuxing)" title="Metal (wuxing)">Metal</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>15 February 1972</td> <td>2 February 1973</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Water_(wuxing)" title="Water (wuxing)">Water</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>2 February 1984</td> <td>19 February 1985</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Wood_(wuxing)" title="Wood (wuxing)">Wood</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>19 February 1996</td> <td>6 February 1997</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Fire_(wuxing)" title="Fire (wuxing)">Fire</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>7 February 2008</td> <td>25 January 2009</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Earth_(wuxing)" title="Earth (wuxing)">Earth</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>25 January 2020</td> <td>11 February 2021</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Metal_(wuxing)" title="Metal (wuxing)">Metal</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>11 February 2032</td> <td>30 January 2033</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Water_(wuxing)" title="Water (wuxing)">Water</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>30 January 2044</td> <td>16 February 2045</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Wood_(wuxing)" title="Wood (wuxing)">Wood</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>15 February 2056</td> <td>3 February 2057</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Fire_(wuxing)" title="Fire (wuxing)">Fire</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>3 February 2068</td> <td>22 January 2069</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Earth_(wuxing)" title="Earth (wuxing)">Earth</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>22 January 2080</td> <td>8 February 2081</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Metal_(wuxing)" title="Metal (wuxing)">Metal</a> Rat </td></tr> <tr> <td>7 February 2092</td> <td>26 January 2093</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Water_(wuxing)" title="Water (wuxing)">Water</a> Rat </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Lunar_Mansion">Lunar Mansion</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Lunar Mansion"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Twenty-Eight_Mansions" title="Twenty-Eight Mansions">Twenty-Eight Mansions</a></div> <p>In traditional <a href="/wiki/Chinese_astrology" title="Chinese astrology">Chinese astrology</a> as well as traditional <a href="/wiki/Chinese_astronomy" title="Chinese astronomy">Chinese astronomy</a> the sky was mapped into various <a href="/wiki/Asterism_(astronomy)" title="Asterism (astronomy)">asterisms</a> or what are sometimes referred to as <a href="/wiki/Chinese_constellations" title="Chinese constellations">Chinese constellations</a>. This is actually more similar to the zodiac of <a href="/wiki/Western_astrology" title="Western astrology">Western astrology</a> than is the 12-animal cycle. The stars along the plane of the ecliptic were divided into groups known as the <a href="/wiki/Twenty-Eight_Mansions" title="Twenty-Eight Mansions">Twenty-Eight Mansions</a>. Because the moon during its monthly cycle could be observed to appear to move from one mansion (or "camp") into the next each night in turn, they are also known as Lunar Mansions. Traditionally, these mansions were divided into four groups of seven each, and associated with one of <a href="/wiki/Four_Symbols" title="Four Symbols">four spiritual entities</a>. The rat is generally associated with the celestial region of the <a href="/wiki/Black_Tortoise" class="mw-redirect" title="Black Tortoise">Mystical Warrior</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Xuanwu_(god)" title="Xuanwu (god)">Xuánwǔ</a> ((玄武)), and specifically with the mansion <a href="/wiki/Emptiness_(Chinese_constellation)" title="Emptiness (Chinese constellation)">Xū (虛)</a>, which in turn is associated with the direction North and the darkest part of the winter season, in the northern hemisphere.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> (Xū (虛) is more-or-less equivalent to <a href="/wiki/Beta_Aquarii" title="Beta Aquarii">Beta Aquarii</a>, also known as Sadalsuud). </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Hour_of_the_Rat">Hour of the Rat</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Hour of the Rat"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_timekeeping" title="Traditional Chinese timekeeping">Traditional Chinese timekeeping</a></div> <p>In old Chinese tradition, the hours of a day-night period were divided into 12 <a href="/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_timekeeping" title="Traditional Chinese timekeeping">double-hours</a>, each corresponding to one of the twelve signs of the <a href="/wiki/Chinese_astrology" title="Chinese astrology">Chinese zodiac</a>, with similar symbolic motif and astrological significance. The first of the twelve double hours encompasses midnight, at the middle of the double hour, corresponding with 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., with midnight being the midpoint of the first double-hour, which is the Hour of the Rat, or the hour <i>zǐ</i> (<span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%AD%90#Chinese" class="extiw" title="wikt:子">子</a></span>).<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Popular_culture">Popular culture</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Popular culture"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:2016_Singapur,_Gardens_by_the_Bay,_Wewn%C4%85trz_Kwiatowej_Kopu%C5%82y_(53).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/2016_Singapur%2C_Gardens_by_the_Bay%2C_Wewn%C4%85trz_Kwiatowej_Kopu%C5%82y_%2853%29.jpg/220px-2016_Singapur%2C_Gardens_by_the_Bay%2C_Wewn%C4%85trz_Kwiatowej_Kopu%C5%82y_%2853%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/2016_Singapur%2C_Gardens_by_the_Bay%2C_Wewn%C4%85trz_Kwiatowej_Kopu%C5%82y_%2853%29.jpg/330px-2016_Singapur%2C_Gardens_by_the_Bay%2C_Wewn%C4%85trz_Kwiatowej_Kopu%C5%82y_%2853%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/2016_Singapur%2C_Gardens_by_the_Bay%2C_Wewn%C4%85trz_Kwiatowej_Kopu%C5%82y_%2853%29.jpg/440px-2016_Singapur%2C_Gardens_by_the_Bay%2C_Wewn%C4%85trz_Kwiatowej_Kopu%C5%82y_%2853%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4181" data-file-height="2787" /></a><figcaption>A sign in <a href="/wiki/Gardens_by_the_Bay" title="Gardens by the Bay">Gardens by the Bay</a>, <a href="/wiki/Singapore" title="Singapore">Singapore</a>, 2016</figcaption></figure> <p>In popular culture, the zodiacal idea of year of the rat is associated with various beliefs about prognostications for the upcoming year, lucky numbers, lucky colors, auspicious romantic connections, similarities between persons born in those years, correlations between <a href="/wiki/Chinese_astrology" title="Chinese astrology">Chinese astrology</a> and <a href="/wiki/Astrology" title="Astrology">Western astrology</a> and the like. Traditional Chinese astrology and horoscope has paid much more attention to the <a href="/wiki/Heavenly_Stems" title="Heavenly Stems">Heavenly Stems</a> and <a href="/wiki/Earthly_Branches" title="Earthly Branches">Earthly Branches</a> than to the zoology or symbolism of the 12 animals; rather the reference to the animals was more of a way of <a href="/wiki/Horology" class="mw-redirect" title="Horology">horology</a>, keeping track of time. Nevertheless, modern times have shown an increased interest in the zodiacal animals, with a great deal of popular interest, in various places of the world. In any case, the rat has long been associated with keen and quick intelligence.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Basic_astrology_elements">Basic astrology elements</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Basic astrology elements"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Earthly_Branches" title="Earthly Branches">Earthly Branches</a> of Birth Year: </td> <td>子 Zi </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Wuxing_(Chinese_philosophy)" title="Wuxing (Chinese philosophy)">The Five Elements</a>: </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Water_(wuxing)" title="Water (wuxing)">Water</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Cardinal_direction" title="Cardinal direction">Cardinal Point</a>: </td> <td><b>N</b>orth (<b>N</b>) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Yin_and_yang" title="Yin and yang">Yin / Yang</a>:</td> <td>Yang </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Chinese_Lunar_Calendar" class="mw-redirect" title="Chinese Lunar Calendar">Lunar</a> Month:</td> <td>Eleventh </td></tr> <tr> <td>Season:</td> <td>Winter </td></tr> <tr> <td>Closest Western Zodiac:</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Sagittarius_(astrology)" title="Sagittarius (astrology)">Sagittarius</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Earthly_Branches" title="Earthly Branches">Earthly Branch</a> Ruling Hours: </td> <td>23:00 to 00:59 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Twelve_Heavenly_Generals" title="Twelve Heavenly Generals">Twelve Heavenly Generals</a>: </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Sanskrit" title="Sanskrit">Sanskrit</a><i>: <a href="/wiki/Twelve_Heavenly_Generals" title="Twelve Heavenly Generals">Vikala</a></i> (<a href="/wiki/Chinese_characters" title="Chinese characters">Hanzi</a>: <i>毘羯羅</i>) </td></tr> <tr> <td>Lucky Flowers:</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Lilium" title="Lilium">Lily</a> of each and every <a href="/wiki/Species" title="Species">species</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td>Lucky Numbers:</td> <td>2, 3, 6, 8; Avoid: 4, 5, 9 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Lucky Colors:</td> <td>black, gold, blue, green; Avoid: yellow, brown </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="The_Jade_Emperor_and_the_race_for_zodiacal_place">The Jade Emperor and the race for zodiacal place</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: The Jade Emperor and the race for zodiacal place"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Year-of-the-Rat-2020_(1).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Year-of-the-Rat-2020_%281%29.jpg/220px-Year-of-the-Rat-2020_%281%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="220" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Year-of-the-Rat-2020_%281%29.jpg/330px-Year-of-the-Rat-2020_%281%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Year-of-the-Rat-2020_%281%29.jpg/440px-Year-of-the-Rat-2020_%281%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1023" data-file-height="1024" /></a><figcaption>The rat and the other animals as shown on a Romanian postage stamp</figcaption></figure> <p>A popular modern story has it that the order of the animals in the twelve-year cycle was due to a competition between animal candidates, held by the ruler of <a href="/wiki/Tian" title="Tian">Heaven</a>, <a href="/wiki/Di_(Chinese_concept)" title="Di (Chinese concept)">Earth</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Diyu" title="Diyu">Hell</a> — the <a href="/wiki/Jade_Emperor" title="Jade Emperor">Jade Emperor</a>. According to one version of this tale, the emperor's advisors selected twelve candidates from among the animal types, including the rat and the cat. The winner was to be selected based upon merit, as to personal appearance, lifestyle, and contributions to the world. Before the competition, the cat asked the rat for a wake up call in order to get to the show on time; however, the rat apprehensive of the competition, especially as to the cat's apparent beauty, did not wake the cat, who then overslept (and, ever afterwards, the embittered cat became a ratter and a mouser). The Jade Emperor mystified as to why there were only eleven candidate animals to show up inquired of his servants. These servants hastily acquired the first possible replacement animal which they encountered, (a <a href="/wiki/Pig_(Zodiac)" class="mw-redirect" title="Pig (Zodiac)">pig</a>). After the start of the competition, the rat achieved first place by performing on the flute while upon the back of the <a href="/wiki/Ox_(zodiac)" title="Ox (zodiac)">ox</a>. Impressed, the Jade Emperor placed the rat at the beginning of the twelve-year cycle (and the ox second, for being so generous as to allow the rat to play the flute upon the ox's back). Then the other animals were placed in order according to the Jade Emperor's judgment.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="The_zodiacal_rat_around_the_world">The zodiacal rat around the world</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: The zodiacal rat around the world"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Stamps_of_Indonesia,_011-08.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Stamps_of_Indonesia%2C_011-08.jpg/220px-Stamps_of_Indonesia%2C_011-08.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="134" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Stamps_of_Indonesia%2C_011-08.jpg/330px-Stamps_of_Indonesia%2C_011-08.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Stamps_of_Indonesia%2C_011-08.jpg/440px-Stamps_of_Indonesia%2C_011-08.jpg 2x" data-file-width="982" data-file-height="597" /></a><figcaption>Postal stamp issued in Indonesia, commemorating the Year of the Rat/Mouse, 2008</figcaption></figure> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Chinese_zodiac#In_other_countries" title="Chinese zodiac">Chinese zodiac § In other countries</a></div> <p>The zodiacal rat is known in other cultures besides China, in Asia and beyond. Generally, the rat/mouse is the first of a twelve-year animal cycle, although some of the other animals tend to vary. In Japan, the rat is known as <i>nezumi</i>, and is the first in a twelve-year zodiacal cycle of animals.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Year of the Rat and the years of the subsequent other zodiacal animals is celebrated during <a href="/wiki/Chinese_New_Year" title="Chinese New Year">Chinese New Year</a>, in many parts of the world, with the animal appropriate to each new year serving as an artistic motif for decorations. The Rat and other zodiacal animals are also a popular motif on <a href="/wiki/Chinese_lunar_coins" title="Chinese lunar coins">Chinese lunar coins</a> and other coin series minted by various countries and also on various internationally issued <a href="/wiki/Postage_stamp" title="Postage stamp">postage stamps</a>. </p><p>In English, Rat Years are sometimes referred to as Mouse Years instead, although in Chinese there is no distinction between the terms.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Burmese_zodiac" title="Burmese zodiac">Burmese zodiac</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_astrology" title="Chinese astrology">Chinese astrology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_calendar" title="Chinese calendar">Chinese calendar</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Martin_Palmer" title="Martin Palmer">Palmer, Martin</a>, editor, <i>et al</i>, (1986). <i><a href="/wiki/Tung_Shing" title="Tung Shing">T'ung Shu</a>: The Ancient Chinese Almanac</i>. Boston: Shambala, <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-394-74221-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-394-74221-4">0-394-74221-4</a>, 29-30.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://pinyin.info/chinese_new_year/">"Chinese New Year"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">9 June</span> 2017</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Chinese+New+Year&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fpinyin.info%2Fchinese_new_year%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARat+%28zodiac%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.yourchineseastrology.com/zodiac/rat.htm">"Chinese Zodiac - Rat"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">9 June</span> 2017</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Chinese+Zodiac+-+Rat&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yourchineseastrology.com%2Fzodiac%2Frat.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARat+%28zodiac%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Wu, Zhonxian and Karin Wu (2014, 2016). <i>Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches:TianGan DiZhi</i>. London and Philadelphia: Singing Dragon, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84819-208-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84819-208-9">978-1-84819-208-9</a>, 25-28 and 98</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Martin_Palmer" title="Martin Palmer">Palmer, Martin</a>, editor, <i>et al</i>, (1986). <i><a href="/wiki/Tung_Shing" title="Tung Shing">T'ung Shu</a>: The Ancient Chinese Almanac</i>. Boston: Shambala. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-394-74221-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-394-74221-4">0-394-74221-4</a>, pp. 34-35</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Martin_Palmer" title="Martin Palmer">Palmer, Martin</a>, editor, <i>et al</i>, (1986). <i><a href="/wiki/Tung_Shing" title="Tung Shing">T'ung Shu</a>: The Ancient Chinese Almanac</i>. Boston: Shambala, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-394-74221-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-394-74221-4">0-394-74221-4</a>, 35</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Alston, Isabella and Kathryn Dixon (2014). <i>Chinese Zodiac</i>. (China: TAJ Books International) <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84406-246-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84406-246-1">978-1-84406-246-1</a>, pp. 14-15</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://japanesezodiac.org/">"Japanese Zodiac Signs and Symbols"</a>. japanesezodiac.org/. 5 January 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">24 March</span> 2020</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Japanese+Zodiac+Signs+and+Symbols&rft.pub=japanesezodiac.org%2F&rft.date=2012-01-05&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fjapanesezodiac.org%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARat+%28zodiac%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLary2022" class="citation book cs1">Lary, Diana (2022). <i>China's grandmothers : gender, family, and aging from late Qing to twenty-first century</i>. Cambridge, United Kingdom: <a href="/wiki/Cambridge_University_Press" title="Cambridge University Press">Cambridge University Press</a>. p. 37. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-009-06478-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-009-06478-1"><bdi>978-1-009-06478-1</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1292532755">1292532755</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=China%27s+grandmothers+%3A+gender%2C+family%2C+and+aging+from+late+Qing+to+twenty-first+century&rft.place=Cambridge%2C+United+Kingdom&rft.pages=37&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=2022&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F1292532755&rft.isbn=978-1-009-06478-1&rft.aulast=Lary&rft.aufirst=Diana&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARat+%28zodiac%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading_and_references_consulted">Further reading and references consulted</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Further reading and references consulted"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Alston, Isabella and Kathryn Dixon (2014). <i>Chinese Zodiac</i>. (China: TAJ Books International) <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84406-246-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84406-246-1">978-1-84406-246-1</a></li> <li>Hale, Gill (2002). <i>The Practical Encyclopedia of Feng Shui</i>. New York: Barnes and Noble Books. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7607-3741-X" title="Special:BookSources/0-7607-3741-X">0-7607-3741-X</a></li> <li>Wu, Zhonxian and Karin Wu (2014, 2016). <i>Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches:TianGan DiZhi</i>. London and Philadelphia: Singing Dragon. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84819-208-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84819-208-9">978-1-84819-208-9</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rat_(zodiac)&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Commons-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/12px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="16" class="mw-file-element" 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.navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Chinese_zodiac" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Chinese_zodiac" title="Template:Chinese zodiac"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Chinese_zodiac" title="Template talk:Chinese zodiac"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Chinese_zodiac" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Chinese zodiac"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Chinese_zodiac" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Chinese_zodiac" title="Chinese zodiac">Chinese zodiac</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Chinese Zodiac members</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Rat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ox_(zodiac)" title="Ox (zodiac)">Ox</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tiger_(zodiac)" title="Tiger (zodiac)">Tiger</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rabbit_(zodiac)" title="Rabbit (zodiac)">Rabbit</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac)" title="Dragon (zodiac)">Dragon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Snake_(zodiac)" title="Snake (zodiac)">Snake</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Horse_(zodiac)" title="Horse (zodiac)">Horse</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Goat_(zodiac)" title="Goat (zodiac)">Goat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Monkey_(zodiac)" title="Monkey (zodiac)">Monkey</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rooster_(zodiac)" title="Rooster (zodiac)">Rooster</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dog_(zodiac)" title="Dog (zodiac)">Dog</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pig_(zodiac)" title="Pig (zodiac)">Pig</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other Zodiac members</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Korean</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Sheep (<a href="/wiki/Goat_(zodiac)" title="Goat (zodiac)">Goat</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Japanese</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Sheep (<a href="/wiki/Goat_(zodiac)" title="Goat (zodiac)">Goat</a>)</li> <li>Wild Boar (<a href="/wiki/Pig_(zodiac)" title="Pig (zodiac)">Pig</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Filipino</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Ram or Sheep (<a href="/wiki/Goat_(zodiac)" title="Goat (zodiac)">Goat</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Vietnamese</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Water_buffalo_(zodiac)" title="Water buffalo (zodiac)">Water buffalo</a> (<a href="/wiki/Ox_(zodiac)" title="Ox (zodiac)">Ox</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cat_(zodiac)" title="Cat (zodiac)">Cat</a> (<a href="/wiki/Rabbit_(zodiac)" title="Rabbit (zodiac)">Rabbit</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Cham</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Turtle (<a href="/wiki/Monkey_(zodiac)" title="Monkey (zodiac)">Monkey</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Malay</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Nāga (<a href="/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac)" title="Dragon (zodiac)">Dragon</a>)</li> <li>Mousedeer (<a href="/wiki/Rabbit_(zodiac)" title="Rabbit (zodiac)">Rabbit</a>)</li> <li>Tortoise (<a href="/wiki/Pig_(zodiac)" title="Pig (zodiac)">Pig</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Khmer</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Nāga (<a href="/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac)" title="Dragon (zodiac)">Dragon</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Thai</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Nāga (<a href="/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac)" title="Dragon (zodiac)">Dragon</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Tai Lue</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Elephant (<a href="/wiki/Pig_(zodiac)" title="Pig (zodiac)">Pig</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Gurung</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Cow (<a href="/wiki/Ox_(zodiac)" title="Ox (zodiac)">Ox</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cat_(zodiac)" title="Cat (zodiac)">Cat</a> (<a href="/wiki/Rabbit_(zodiac)" title="Rabbit (zodiac)">Rabbit</a>)</li> <li>Eagle (<a href="/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac)" title="Dragon (zodiac)">Dragon</a>)</li> <li>Bird (<a href="/wiki/Chicken_(zodiac)" class="mw-redirect" title="Chicken (zodiac)">Chicken</a>)</li> <li>Deer (<a href="/wiki/Pig_(zodiac)" title="Pig (zodiac)">Pig</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Bulgar</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Wolf (<a href="/wiki/Tiger_(zodiac)" title="Tiger (zodiac)">Tiger</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Tibetan</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Bird (<a href="/wiki/Chicken_(zodiac)" class="mw-redirect" title="Chicken (zodiac)">Chicken</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Old Mongol</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Leopard (<a href="/wiki/Tiger_(zodiac)" title="Tiger (zodiac)">Tiger</a>)</li> <li>Crocodile (<a href="/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac)" title="Dragon (zodiac)">Dragon</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Kazakh and Kyrgyz</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Snail (<a href="/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac)" title="Dragon (zodiac)">Dragon</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Turkic peoples<br />(<a href="/wiki/Volga_Bulgars" class="mw-redirect" title="Volga Bulgars">Volga Bulgars</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kazars" class="mw-redirect" title="Kazars">Kazars</a>, etc.)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Camel (<a class="mw-selflink selflink">Rat</a>)</li> <li>Leopard (<a href="/wiki/Tiger_(zodiac)" title="Tiger (zodiac)">Tiger</a>)</li> <li>Fish or Crocodile (<a href="/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac)" title="Dragon (zodiac)">Dragon</a>)</li> <li>Hedgehog (<a href="/wiki/Monkey_(zodiac)" title="Monkey (zodiac)">Monkey</a>)</li> <li>Elephant (<a href="/wiki/Pig_(zodiac)" title="Pig (zodiac)">Pig</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Persian</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Whale or Crocodile (<a href="/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac)" title="Dragon (zodiac)">Dragon</a>)</li></ul> 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