Chinese Zodiac

chinese lanterns

Diagrams for Chinese Zodiac Animals:
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Sheep
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Pig

The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar; thus, new year day is usually in late January or early February and it is on a day with a new moon (no moon). No one knows when the Chinese calendar officially began, but it is generally accepted that Year One corresponds to the time when Emperor Huang Di began ruling China (equivalent to 2697 BC). Thus, 2023 (after Jan 22) corresponds to the Chinese year 4721.

Januray 22, 2023 also begins the year of the Rabbit. In Chinese astrology, the zodiac is represented by a 12-year cycle of 12 animals (see below for list of animals).

Of all the animals in the world, why were these 12 chosen? There are many stories explaining this and they all share a similar theme: there was a race and the first 12 animals who arrived at the finish line were chosen.

chinese horoscope
Rat is small but he is clever. He convinces Ox to give him a ride, but just as Ox approaches the finish line, Rat jumps ahead of Ox making Rat 1st on the list and Ox 2nd.

One story says that Snake was curled around Horse’s leg, as Horse approached the finish line, Snake quickly sprang forward and arrived before Horse. That is why Snake is 6th on the list and Horse is 7th. See more about Chinese zodiac from wikipedia.com’s Chinese astrology.

Chinese astrology is a 60-year cycle because it involves 12 zodiac animals and 5 Earthly elements (5 x 12 = 60). In fact, your horoscope is determined by many aspects related to when you were born:

  • odd-numbered years are “Yin” while even-numbered years are “Yang”
    yin yang
  • 5 elements (metal, water, wood, fire, earth)
  • 12 animals represent the year you were born
  • the same 12 animals represent the month you were born
  • and the same 12 animals represent the hour you were born
    (2 hours per animal: 2 x 12 = 24 hours).

Thus, two people born in the same year do not share the same fate because their fortune is also determined by the month and hour in which they were born.

Chinese Zodiac Origami Diagrams:

Rat

  • Maus 96/Mouse (P Forcher)
  • Maus 98/Mouse (P Forcher)
  • Mouse (CY Hung)
  • Mouse; pg 7 (J Koppel)
  • Mouse pg 30 (J Montroll)
  • Mouse (H Tahir)
  • Mouse: pg 1, 2 (SW Seon)
  • Mouse (T Gotani)
  • Mouse for Cat (Donahue/Torres)
  • Little Mouse (F Scalambra)
  • Loitering Mouse (F Shingu)
  • Tanaka Mouse (M Tanaka)
  • La Petite Souris (R Donachie)
  • Rat (LI Alemany)
  • Rat (E Kofman)
  • Rat (M Vigo)
  • Rata (FM Salinas)
  • Rata/Rat (E Joisel)
  • Raton/Rat (JA Iranzo)

  • origami rat

    origami rat

    origami rat

    origami mouse


    Years of the Rat

    1912, 1924, 1936, 1948,
    1960, 1972, 1984, 1996,
    2008, 2020, 2032,…

    Ox


    chinese zodiac animals

    chinese zodiac animals

    chinese zodiac animals

    chinese zodiac animals


    Years of the Ox
    …1901, 1913, 1925, 1937,
    1949, 1961, 1973, 1985,
    1997, 2009, 2021,…

    Tiger


    chinese zodiac animals


    Years of the Tiger
    …1902, 1914, 1926, 1938,
    1950, 1962, 1974, 1986,
    1998, 2010, 2022,…

    Rabbit

  • Bunny (T Stamm)
  • Bunny (TP Kong)
  • Ballon Bunny (Orc)
  • Blow-p Bunny (Orc)
  • Business Card Hopping Bunny (GM Gross)
  • Hare or here (S O’Hanlon)
  • Hare/Liebre (L Montoya) & here
  • Hare Sitting (B Dunkan)
  • Shy Little Hare (T Yenn)
  • Rabbit (K Kasahara)
  • Rabbit (J Zsebe)
  • Rabbit (HT Quyet)
  • Rabbit (HT Quyet)
  • Rabbit (CY Hung)
  • Rabbit (T Gotani)
  • Rabbit (X Arena)
  • Rabbit (J Langeveld)
  • Rabbit/Conejo: page 1 , 2 (J Caboblanco)
  • Rabbit 1/Kelinci (H Tahir)
  • Rabbit 2/Kelinci (H Tahir)
  • Rabbit; pg 1 , pg 2 (J Maekawa)
  • Jack Rabbit pg 27 (J Montroll)
  • Little Rabbit (B Dunkan)
  • Easy Origami Rabbit (Orc)
  • Origami Rabbit (A Leong/S O’Hanlon)
    with template
  • Tea-bag Rabbit (B Dunkan)
  • Traditional Rabbit (Orc)
  • Running Rabbit (A Barbour): pg 1 , pg 2
  • Happy Easter (Sanja)
  • $ Bunny (C Tessier)
  • $Bunny Bill (R Neale)
  • Bunny Money (C Esseltine)
  • $Rabbit (P Bailey)

  • easter origami

    easter origami

    easter origami

    easter origami

    easter origami

    easter origami

    easter origami

    origami bunny

    origami rabbit


    Years of the Rabbit
    …1903, 1915, 1927, 1939,
    1951, 1963, 1975,
    1987, 1999, 2011, 2023,…

    Dragon


    origami dragon

    origami dragon

    origami dragon

    Origami Dragon

    origami dragon

    origami dragon

    origami dragon

    origami dragon


    Years of the Dragon
    …1904, 1916, 1928, 1940,
    1952, 1964, 1976, 1988,
    2000, 2012, 2024,…

    Snake


    origami snake

    origami snake

    origami snake


    Years of the Snake
    …1905, 1917, 1929, 1941,
    1953, 1965, 1977, 1989,
    2001, 2013, 2025,…

    Horse


    origami horse

    origami horse

    origami horse

    origami horse


    Years of the Horse
    …1906, 1918, 1930, 1942,
    1954, 1966, 1978, 1990,
    2002, 2014, 2026,…


    Sheep


    origami goat

    origami sheep


    Years of the Sheep
    …1907, 1919, 1931, 1943,
    1955, 1967, 1979, 1991,
    2003, 2015, 2027,…

    Monkey


    chinese zodiac animals

    chinese zodiac animals

    chinese zodiac animals


    Years of the Monkey
    …1908, 1920, 1932, 1944,
    1956, 1968, 1980, 1992,
    2004, 2016, 2028,…

    Rooster


    origami rooster

    origami rooster


    Years of the Rooster
    …1909, 1921, 1933, 1945,
    1957, 1969, 1981, 1993,
    2005, 2017, 2029,…

    Dog


    origami dog

    origami puppy

    origami dog

    origami dog

    origami puppy


    Years of the Dog
    …1910, 1922, 1934, 1946,
    1958, 1970, 1982, 1994,
    2006, 2018, 2030,…

    Pig


    origami pig

    origami pig

    origami pig

    origami pig


    Years of the Pig
    …1911, 1923, 1935, 1947,
    1959,1971, 1983, 1995,
    2007, 2019, 2031,…

     

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      Books about Chinese Zodiac Origami

      • Mythological Creatures and the Chinese Zodiac in Origami by John Montroll
      • Mythological Creatures and the Chinese Zodiac in Origami by John Montroll
      • Perfectly Mindful Origami – Origami Zodiac East and West by Mark Bolitho
      • Chinese Origami for Children: Fold Zodiac Animals, Festival Decorations and Other Creations by Hu Yue and Lin Xin
      • Hsi Min Tai’s Origami Masks of Chinese zodiac animal by Hsi Min Tai

       

      Books about Chinese Zodiac Origami

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