Like our Western calendar, the Chinese lunar calendar is a yearly one, but the Chinese calendar is also divided into twelve-year cycles, and each of the twelve years is named for an animal. Legend has it that long ago many animals were invited to meet the Lord Buddha, but only twelve came. These twelve were given the reward of having a year named for them, in the order that they arrived at the dinner.
The Chinese believe that the animal ruling the year in which a person is born has a profound influence on personality, saying “This is the animal that hides in your heart”. Each animal has a traditional poem. This poem describes the rabbit:
i am in tune with the pulse of the universe.
in my quiet and solitude,
i hear the melodies of the soul.
i float above commonplace dissent and decay.
i subdue by my ability to conform.
i color my world in delicate pastel hues.
i epitomize harmony and inner peace.
i am the rabbit.
