[source](https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/chinese-zodiac-animals-red-set-rabbit-dog-monkey-pig-tiger-horse-dragon-goat-snake-rooster-ox-rat-isolated-cartoon_15405982.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=9&uuid=1d076951-31ce-4e1f-968e-b833d1aa26f8)
If you are a curious person who loves to explore, you will realize that people's lives are influenced by a variety of cultural beliefs. You could be avoiding something in your society due to your cultural beliefs, while that same thing is something that another society embraces and honors. It always fascinates me to read about the beliefs of different cultures around the world.
One of the beliefs that I read about that has seemed to impact my life is The 12 Chinese Zodiac. On one fateful day in the year 2015, when I was in my second year of junior high school, our English teacher introduced us to an interesting story about the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. It was indeed a great read that ignited my mind to a completely different cultural dimension.
The story was about the history of the Chinese zodiac signs, complete with picture illustrations of all 12 signs and the animals that represent them in a calendar with the birth years that correspond to them. For more context, the 12 Chinese zodiac signs are a system used in Chinese astrology that assigns one of 12 animal symbols to each year in a 12-year cycle. These animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each sign is believed to influence a person's personality and behavior based on the year they were born. People often look at their zodiac sign to understand themselves better or to find compatibility with others. For example, if you were born in the Year of the Rat, you might be seen as clever and quick-witted, while someone born in the Year of the Horse might be considered energetic and outgoing.
Upon reading the story, I developed a strong interest in the Chinese zodiacs and astrology, and I was compelled to believe all that was narrated in the story about all the signs. Based on the Chinese zodiac signs, I belong to the Year of the Dragon, and almost all the descriptions of people born in the Year of the Dragon fit me perfectly. What convinced me even more was the ending part of the story when the author wrote, and I quote: "I am a dragon myself, and the description of people born in the Year of Dragons fits me perfectly."
According to the Chinese zodiac signs, people born in the Year of the Dragon are curious, innovative, and always focused on personal advancement. Examples of some years of dragons are 1988, 2000, 2012, and 2024.
As I grew and explored, I began to realize these are all myths that people have incorporated into their lives. Even though the descriptions may fit me, I realized it is not logical to base my life on that because we are all different and have special traits based on the environment in which we find ourselves. But above all, the Chinese 12 zodiac signs are an interesting topic to read about. You can check it out if you have never read about it before.
This post is an entry to #octoberinleo in #inleo, can I invite my readers to also check it out to take part in interesting writing prompts.