Dog Year

This is the year of the DOG. Why is that so? Cause it's all right there in the Chinese Lunar calender.

According to Chinese legend, the twelve animals quarreled one day as to who was to head the cycle of years. (Why only twelve? What happened to the elephants, hippo, crocodiles, kangaroos, etc?? Maybe they're across the river already.) The gods were asked to decide and they held a contest. Whoever was to reach the opposite bank of the river would be first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish.

All the twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox's back, and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, followed by the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and the pig last.

The rotating cycle of twelve animal signs was a folk method for naming the years in traditional China. The animal signs for one another in an established order, and are repeated every twelve year cycle.

Anyhoo, dog year maketh dog sites popular, here's two more ~
DogBlog & Herbiesphere

Happy Lunar New Year to all you Woofs out there.
新年快乐, 恭喜发财, 万事如意!