As the legend goes, more than five thousand years ago, the great Buddha invited all of the animals of creation to come and join him for the New Year.
Only twelve species came at his invitation and to reward them, the divine wise man offered to name a year after each animal. From then on any person born in a year associated with that animal would share that animal's qualities. Those Animals were: the Rat, the OX, the TIGER, the RABBIT, the DRAGON, the SNAKE, the HORSE, the GOAT, the MONKEY, the ROOSTER, the DOG and the BOAR.