What’s the Story Behind the Zodiac? Why is it the Year of the Cat in Vietnam?
Lunar New Year is January 22 this year. It is officially the year of the Rabbit in many East Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and Korea. In Vietnam, however, they welcome the year of the Cat.
When I was growing up, one of my favorite things to ask new people I met was their Chinese zodiac sign. It was not until later, through pop culture and the Internet in general, that I realized that there are myths behind how the zodiac came about and why the animals appear in the order that they are. Today, I will recount my personal favorite story behind the race for first place in the zodiac.
The legend goes like this….The Jade Emperor (other sources say Buddha) called upon the animals to have a race to the Heavenly Palace to celebrate his birthday. The cat, who sleeps during the day, asked the rat to wake him up when the race begins tomorrow. The next day, the rat left without a word, and so the cat overslept and missed the race. This is why they are now mortal enemies and cats chase rats whenever they meet.
In other versions of the story, the cat and rat both headed off together and decided to ask the kind-hearted ox if they could ride on him as they cross the river on the way to the Heavenly Palace. The ox agreed. With the finish line in sight, the rat was too eager to reach the end of the race. He jumped off the ox’s head and pushed the cat onto the river as he landed on land. The rat was the victor of the race.
The Jade Emperor, fulfilling his promise, said “Rat, the first year of the zodiac will be named after you.” The ox naturally came next, and the tiger and the rabbit soon arrived. The dragon, who was busy extinguishing fire in a burning village, came fifth. The horse and snake arrived after. The snake wrapped itself around the horse and when it slithered out from behind him, the horse jumped back in surprise. So the snake was rewarded sixth place and the horse seventh. The next three animals came on a raft. The sheep, monkey, and rooster are the next animals to arrive, in that order. Unsurprisingly, the pig came last in the race.
According to the myths, the reason why cats are not included in the Chinese zodiac is because they were originally tricked by the rat and couldn’t make it to the race. The straight-forward, perhaps more historically-based, reason is that cats were simply introduced to China after the stories of the zodiac were solidified. In Vietnam, this is not the case. Perhaps the word for rabbit was lost in translation as the myth made its way from China to Vietnam, or because cats were beloved protectors of the rice fields from pests; either way, the cat replaces the rabbit as the fourth zodiac in Vietnamese culture.
To those who celebrate, Happy Lunar New Year! Make sure to wear lots of red, eat good food, and spend time with your family! If you are interested in learning more about Lunar New Year customs and more, check out our other blog here. 新年快乐!