So what can we expect from the upcoming year? The Dog is an ethical and idealistic sign, and the year that bears its name will also bring increased social awareness and interest in society's less powerful members. Any tendencies to take, take, take will be replaced by a widespread sentiment of generosity and selflessness. In general, we will all be imbued with the Dog's keen sense of right and wrong. You can also get a feel for the year to come by checking the compatibility between your Chinese sign and the sign of the dog -- the better your compatibility, the better your year.

Background
The Chinese have named years after animals for thousands of years. In fact, the Chinese zodiac system is extremely complex, based on an ancient agricultural calendar. In addition to the twelve animals, there are the elements (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal), hours (12 two hour periods), directions, stones, months and seasons. Add to this the influence of Ying and Yang, representing male and female forces and you will see that there is much more to the Chinese Zodiac than first meets the eye.

The origins of the twelve animals which are honoured with a year each is rich in legends and myths. A commonly held belief is that the Buddha decided to invite all the animals of the earth to visit him on New Years Day. However, despite preparing for the biggest party since the disembarkation of Noah's Ark, only 12 animals arrived. They were 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.

The Buddha decided to honour his guests by awarding each a year of its own. The system is influenced by Yin (female) and Yang (male) cosmic force which is said to be an interpretation of universal harmony and balance.