Why do people in China have zodiac signs?

The reason why people in China all have the Zodiac is related to the Zodiac belief of people in China.

Zodiac was originally a set of symbols used in chronology, which was a part of ancient astronomical calendar, and later became a widely recognized zodiac calendar. China's ancient philosophy is "harmony between man and nature" and "Yin and Yang and five elements are the foundation of the universe". They believe that the yin and yang and the five elements determine the survival and development of everything in the world. They believe that the sun and the moon are the source of yin and yang, and Jin Mu's five elements of fire, water and soil are the foundation of all things, which are combined into seven evils. The sun, moon and stars are called obsidian, and the sun, moon, Jin Mu, fire, water and soil are collectively called seven obsidian. In the past, people used to call it seven days a week, the sun is Sunday, the moon is Monday, and so on. It dominates everything, and the zodiac is located in the sky, which is unified with the twelfth day of the year and the seven wonders. Therefore, the zodiac is influenced by the concept of yin and yang and the five elements and becomes a part of folk religious beliefs.

Since the concept of the zodiac appeared in the folk, it has been circulated among the people with the prevalence of fortune telling. Folk superstition holds that every element in the five elements is mutually restrictive and will have a great influence on people's life. People can use different five elements to coordinate, so that their life and work can be satisfactory. Folks classify the animals of the zodiac as yin and yang, corresponding to the five elements, thus producing a set of fortune-telling techniques that determine the fate of the zodiac. At the same time, people also believe that the zodiac has a certain relationship with people's personality. Even people with the same zodiac sign have different personalities and fates because of their different birth times. ? A very important part of the belief in the zodiac is China people's concept of the zodiac. The birth year of the Han nationality is based on the zodiac, which is closely related to the zodiac. When a person is born in the lunar calendar, then every year of this zodiac will be the year of his birth. Because of the cycle of the zodiac, every 12 years, people will meet their own birth years and introduce them in turn. The birth years of life are 12 years old, 24 years old, 36 years old, 48 years old and 60 years old respectively. People think that the year of birth is a bad year, so we should seek good fortune and avoid evil. Every animal year in the north of Han nationality, no matter adults or children, they should wear red belts, which is called "tying red". Children should wear red vests and red shorts, thinking that only in this way can they make money and avoid disasters. This custom is still popular all over the country. During the Spring Festival, red and yellow ribbons of "auspicious ribbon" and "auspicious knot" are sold everywhere in the market. People in this animal year tie them around their waists and wrists, which can resolve disasters and turn evil into good. Many ethnic groups in our country attach great importance to the 60th birthday of the elderly, calling it "flower flower flower". Huahuahua is the sixth animal year in a person's life, and it is also the reincarnation of a dry year, so we should celebrate it well to pin people's wishes for longevity, health and good luck.

Taoism is a native religion born and bred in China. Founded in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it has been circulated 1800 years. Taoism takes Yin-Yang and Five Elements as its core teachings. Under the influence of the concept of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, Taoism has a close natural relationship with heavenly stems and earthly branches and the Zodiac. ……

According to Taoist teachings, the cultivation of truth and refinement must be dedicated to Yuan in the core monument of life, and only by removing distractions and selfishness can we live forever. It has become a custom to worship the birthday of the core monument of life. Every year on the seventh and eighth day of the first month, Beijingers will go to the Chenyuan Temple in Baiyunguan to "worship the stars" and pray for a year of peace, which means that even in bad years, they can be protected by the god of life's core monuments through prayer. The 60 life-core tablet gods enshrined in the temple are all clay sculptures with heavy colors and statues, which absorb the animal images of their respective zodiac signs. Some of the names of these 60 statues are historical figures, and their images bear obvious signs of the zodiac, such as Jia Zi's old age, golden age, distinguished generals, rat appearance, holding peaches and so on.

From the contents of Taoism about the core of life, the tablet god and the sixty sons, we can see the relationship between the belief in the zodiac and Taoism. Taoism believes in Laozi's Tao, which is everywhere and the beginning of all things. Everything in the world is dominated by it, and life is no exception. The idea that the Chinese zodiac cooperates with heavenly stems and earthly branches to form the sixties is a manifestation of the combination of the Chinese zodiac and Taoism. People worship the core monument of Chen Yuan, the god of life, in order to pray for the blessing of the gods. It can be seen that the zodiac has become a dominant factor in people's lives and a part of life beliefs.

In China, a multi-ethnic country, the zodiac is not a patent of the Han nationality, and many ethnic minorities use the zodiac calendar.