My Chinese New Year Horoscope: 3 lucky and 2 unlucky animals in ...

The Chinese New Year officially begins on Sunday (January 22), as the next 12 months are already hailed as the year of the rabbit, and like every period, the year is dedicated to an animal. It has been promised as "a year of hope," with the cottontail creature symbolizing peace, longevity and prosperity in Chinese culture.

The Chinese zodiac runs on a 12-year cycle, attributing an animal to each year. In addition to rabbits, there are the monkey, ox, snake, goat, tiger, rat, dragon, rooster, horse, dog and pig.

Like the astrological zodiac signs, the Chinese believe that people born in the years of each of the 12 animals possess specific personality traits, while their sign also determines their fortune in love and how compatible they are with other signs.

Twelve Chinese zodiac animals are used to represent the years of the lunar calendar, in order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

A person born in the year of the monkey (1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016), for example, is blessed with a "magnetic personality" and supposedly witty and intelligent. Each Chinese New Year also predicts the outlook for the coming year for other signs, with oxen, tigers and snakes on track for a lucky 2023.

Fortune for Oxes is "on the rise" this year, but astrologers suggest working hard and "seizing opportunities to advance your career." As for love, "luck is also on the rise for Oxes," but they should be "especially careful" about their health in the coming months. It is advisable to "get early medical attention" if a problem is detected.