
Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Especially to my Chinese friends and readers who are celebrating today! 2009 is the year of the Ox. But what do the animals of the Chinese Zodiac represent? I’ll tell you! In honor of today’s event I went right to the source (one of those paper placemats you get at a Chinese restaurant that my mom folded up and put in her pocketbook saying “This will make a great post.” about five months ago) to teach you what these years mean to you. I also looked up celebrities who were born in each of the years, to see if they match. Let me know if your’s matches too!
OX: 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009
CELEBRITIES: Meryl Streep, Seth MacFarlane, Heidi Klum, Sigourney Weaver, George Takei, Barrack Obama
PLACEMAT SAYS: Bright, patient, and inspiring to others. You can be happy by yourself, yet make an outstanding parent. Marry a Snake or Cock. The Sheep will bring trouble.
TIGER: 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010
CELEBRITIES: Tom Cruise, Jay Leno, Steve Carell, Leonardo DiCaprio, William H. Macy, Ryan Phillippe, Amanda Bynes
PLACEMAT SAYS: Tiger people are aggressive, courageous, candid, and sensitive. Look to the Horse or Dog for happiness. Beware of the Monkey.
RABBIT: 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011
CELEBRITIES: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Ian McKellen, Conan O’Brien, Kate Winslet, Tara Reid, Quentin Tarantino, Mark Hamill
PLACEMAT SAYS: Luckiest of all signs, you are also talented and articulate. Affectionate, yet shy, you seek peace throughout your life. Marry a Sheep or Boar. Your Opposite is the Cock.
DRAGON: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012
CELEBRITIES: David Hasselhoff, Chuck Norris, Mary McDonnell, Reese Witherspoon, Haley Joel Osment, Wanda Sykes, Sarah Palin
PLACEMAT SAYS: You are eccentric and your life complex. You have a very passionate nature and abundant health. Marry a Monkey of Rat late in life. Avoid the Dog.
SNAKE: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
CELEBRITIES: Martha Stewart, Tim Gunn, Sarah Michelle Gellar, J.K. Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe, Robert Downey Jr.
PLACEMAT SAYS: Wise and intense with a tendency towards physical beauty. Vain and high tempered. The Boar is your enemy. The Cock or Ox are your best signs.
HORSE: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002
CELEBRITIES: Denzel Washington, Katie Holmes, Joe Biden, Oprah Winfrey, Clint Eastwood, John Travolta, Harrison Ford
PLACEMAT SAYS: Popular and attractive to the opposite sex. You are often ostentatious and impatient. You need people. Marry a Tiger or a Dog early, but never a Rat.
SHEEP: 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
CELEBRITIES: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Pamela Anderson, Mo’Nique, John Barrowman, John Krasinski, Will Ferrell
PLACEMAT SAYS: Elegant and creative, you are timid and prefer anonymity. You are most compatible with Boars and Rabbits, but never the Ox.
MONKEY: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
CELEBRITIES: Miley Cyrus, Kristen Bell, George Lucas, Will Smith, Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Jake Gyllenhaal
PLACEMAT SAYS: You are very intelligent and are able to influence people. An enthusiastic achiever, you are easily discouraged and confused. Avoid Tigers. Seek a Dragon or Rat.
COCK: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005
CELEBRITIES: Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston, Paris Hilton, Jack Black, Steve Martin, Jason Bateman, Jessica Alba
PLACEMAT SAYS: A pioneer in spirit, you are devoted to work and quest after knowledge. You are selfish and eccentric. Rabbits are trouble. Snakes and Oxen are fine.
DOG: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
CELEBRITIES: Cher, Madonna, Matt Damon, Steven Spielberg, Queen Latifah, Tina Fey, Ellen DeGeneres, George W. Bush
PLACEMAT SAYS: Loyal and honest you work well wit others. Generous yet stubborn and often selfish. Look to the Horse or Tiger. Watch out for Dragons.
BOAR: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
CELEBRITIES: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jada Pinkett Smith, Joel McHale, Sam Neill, Amy Poehler, Hillary Clinton
PLACEMAT SAYS: Noble and chivalrous. Your friends will be lifelong, yet you are prone to marital strife. Avoid other Boars. Marry a Rabbit or a Sheep.
RAT: 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
CELEBRITIES: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Samuel L. Jackson, Cameron Diaz, Ashlee Simpson, John McCain
PLACEMAT SAYS: You are ambitious yet honest. Prone to spend freely. Seldom make lasting friendships. Most compatible with Dragons and Monkeys. Least compatible with Horses.
So what year are you? Does your personality match up with what the wise Chinese food placemat says? I’m the Cock, and it sounds about right. I can be a little too devoted to school and work, and anyone who reads this blog might think I’m a bit eccentric.