What's your animal sign?

Xin (pronounced "shin") nian kuai-le.

Happy new year to all 12 animals of the zodiac, with a special nod to sheep; it's our lucky year. To kick off the Chinese New Year Thursday's column reviewed the more numerological aspects of the Chinese Zodiac, and touched upon the earthly aspect (fire, water, wood, earth, and metal). To round out this cursory glance at the complex philosophies behind Chinese astrology, today's focuses on the animals.

While the Chinese zodiac calendar was not implemented until 2600 B.C.E. by Emperor Huang Ti, its traditions originated several thousand years earlier, to Buddha. Legend has it that he called animals to him before his death. The dozen who complied became the animals of the 12-year cycle, repeated five times for a 60-year cycle of the lunar calendar.

The lunar focus - shared by nearly all pre-Christian/Gregorian calendars - is why the Chinese New Year falls on a different date in January or February each year, this year on Feb. 19 (so if your birth date falls before that, your "year" is the previous one). Eastern civilizations believe that when a new year begins, one must silence the previous one. Over the two weeks of Chinese New Year celebrations, debts are paid; old wounds healed, forgiven and forgotten; doors painted; windows washed; even hair is cut or restyled.

New life, new hope.

Like Western astrology's associations with birth month, Chinese astrologists believe birth year tremendously influences personality. Each of the animals in the 12-year cycle corresponds with character traits. The year of birth is not the only animal association; each person also has an "inner animal," based upon birth month and listed in the Feb. 19 column.

The animals in order are:

Rat (said to be first because he tricked the others) - imaginative, witty, charming, generous, but quick-tempered and thrifty. Birth years: 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008. Lucky numbers: 2, 3; lucky colors: blue, gold, green. Best matches: dragon, monkey, ox. Avoid sheep, horses, and rabbits.

Ox - patient, speak little, conservative, methodical, good with hands. Hate to be contradicted. Born 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009. Lucky Numbers: 1, 9; lucky colors: blue, red, purple. Best matches: rat, snake, rooster. Avoid horses, dogs, and sheep.

Tiger - sensitive, deep-thinking, bold, loving. Not so good with authority (who'd mess with a tiger?). Born 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010. Lucky Numbers: 1, 3, 4; colors: blue, grey, white, orange. Best matches: horse, dog. Avoid snakes and monkeys.

Rabbit - articulate, talented, ambitious, self-controlled. Born 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011. Lucky numbers: 3, 4, 9; colors: red, pink, purple, blue. Best matches: sheep, pig, dog. Avoid rats and dragons.

Dragon - healthy, energetic, inspire confidence, eccentric, and stubborn. Born: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012. Lucky numbers: 1, 7, 6; colors: gold, silver, hoary (grayish white). Best matches: rat, monkey, rooster. Avoid oxen, rabbits, and dogs.

Snake - deep, financially well-off, intense, good-looking, but may be vain. Born 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013. Lucky numbers: 2, 8, 9; colors: red, light yellow, black. Best matches: ox, rooster. Avoid tigers and pigs.

Horse - popular, cheerful, talkative, independent, impatient. 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014. Lucky numbers: 2, 3, 7; colors: brown, yellow, purple. Best matches: tiger, sheep, dog. Avoid rats, oxen, and rabbits.

Sheep/ram/goat - It's your lucky year! Diplomatic, communicative, compassionate, elegant in appearance, but confused by life. Birth years: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015. Lucky Numbers: 3, 9, 4. Colors: green, red, purple. Best Matches: rabbit, horse, pig. Avoid ox, dog.

Monkey - inventive, clever, overly agreeable, strong-willed, but quick to let go of anger. 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016. Lucky numbers: 1, 8, 7; colors: white, golden, blue. Best matches: rat, dragon, snake. Avoid tigers and pigs.

Rooster - deep-thinking, capable, often right, emotional, lonely, but interesting. 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005. Lucky numbers: 7, 5, 8; colors: gold, brown, brownish yellow, yellow. Best matches: ox, dragon, snake. Avoid rats, rabbits, and dogs.

Dog - loyal, honest, non-materialistic, but can be selfish. 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006. Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 9; colors: green, red, purple. Best matches: tiger, rabbit, horse. Avoid oxen, dragons, and sheep.

Pig - honest, shy (but warm), and patient; tend to withdraw when harmed. 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007. Lucky numbers: 2, 5, 8; colors: yellow, grey, brown, gold. Best matches: sheep, rabbit. Avoid snakes, monkeys, and pigs.

Now as it's the Year of the Sheep, a few facts about the real deal: (1) According to scientific studies, sheep not only experience a full range of emotions (sad, happy, angry, lonely, bored, despair), can also detect and respond to human emotions; (2) sheep make good barnyard leaders, because they are good problem-solvers, remember and apply what they learn - better and faster than monkeys; and (3) they are friendly, know their names, and wag their tails when happy.

Note that a person may take on different animals' characteristics at different times of the Zodiac cycle, year, month, or day. These are mere glimpses; for a full picture of personality, strengths, and weaknesses, all aspects of Chinese astrology must be put together.

Sholeh Patrick is a sheepish columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.