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Dating back to the 14th century BC, the Chinese Lunar calendar is the longest chronological record in history.
Although noone is certain who created the calendar, legend has it that Emperor Huang Ti invented it in 2600 BC.
Like Western calendars, the Chinese Lunar calendar is a yearly one. However, the start of the lunar year is based on
the cycles of the moon, thus the beginning of the year can fall anywhere between late January and mid-February. A
complete cycle lasts 60 years and is made up of five 12-year cycles.
Each year of the Chinese Lunar calendar is named after an animal. There is a rich assortment of myths and legends
about why these animals were honoured in this way but one common belief is that a Buddha summoned all the animals to
visit him on New Years Day. Only twelve came. The Buddha decided to honour his guests by awarding each a year of its
own. These animals are: the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Sheep, the Monkey,
the Rooster, the Dog and the Pig.
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