汉族民间故事说:当年轩辕黄帝要选十二动物担任宫廷卫士,猫托老鼠报名,老鼠给忘了,结果猫没有选上,从此与鼠结下冤家。大象也来参赛,被老鼠钻进鼻子,给赶跑了,其余的动物,原本推牛为首,老鼠却窜到牛背上,猪也跟着起哄 ,于是老鼠排第一,猪排最后。虎和龙不服,被封为山中之王和海中之王,排在鼠和牛的后面。兔子又不服,和龙赛跑,结果排在了龙的前面。狗又不平,一气之下咬了兔子,为此被罚在了倒数第二。蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡也经过一番较量,一一排定了位置,最后形成了鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪的顺序。
The Chinese animal signs are a 12-year cycle used for dating the years. Every year is assigned an animal name or "sign" according to a repeating cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. Therefore, every twelve years the same animal name or "sign" would reappear.