Generally speaking, how much importance do the Chinese place on their zodiac?

[ouijaboard]

I don't know if this is a "Society" issue exactly, but I'm wondering what the general attitude toward Chinese zodiac is. Do most people know what their zodiac is but don't care much about what it implies, or do most people actually accept the typical characterization of a certain animal as fact? (I know a few people who would refer to someone's zodiac to jokingly explain their behavior, but I also know a few people who would take great care to avoid getting pregnant until a certain year so their kid would have a certain sign.) Are older people or women maybe more likely to take these things seriously, or is it common for all sorts of people to identify themselves as a pig or a rat or whatever animal they are?

[imron]

Everyone will know what their animal is, but I don't think people pay so much attention to what characteristics they are supposed to have because of it, no more than say the majority of western people would about their western zodiac, so perhaps a mild curiousity but place no real import on it.

However the zodiac is still something that people take seriously in that for the duration of their animal year (i.e. one year every twelve), most people (on the mainland at least) will wear a red belt, red underwear, or some other item of red.

[gato]

A lot of young people in China believes in Western zodiac. They think it determines one's personality somehow.

[大肚男]

I asked my girlfriend and her friends the same question. They said that they don't take it seriously. The answer was the same for Chinese Kodiak and western horoscopes.

However, they mostly agreed that older generations put more stock in it.

[imron]

I asked my girlfriend and her friends the same question. They said that they don't take it seriously.

Ask her if she wears red socks/underwear/belt during her 本命年. Many people *say* they don't take it seriously, but watch how many (young people included) wear some item of red throughout their animal year.

[skylee]

Personally I don't believe in it at all. Several years ago it was my 本命年. I was very surprised that my mother gave me a small gold coin-like pendant with a design of another animal to ward off anything bad. I was surprised that she thought that it was necessary to do something about it. What she said was 寧可信其有. She expected me to wear (戴) it, but I said ok I would carry (帶) it, and then put it in my wallet. Gold should be put in a wallet. Haha.

I don't know where that gold coin is now.

[大肚男]

fuuny That you say that imron. She is a dragon, and since the new year began , she has been wearing red. Her mom even sent her a lot of red socks and under wear.

I also have a friend that wore a red anklet during her year, and she would even shower with it.