The Chinese Calendar 华人日历

The Chinese calendar follows a 60-year cycle. Within this cycle, there are two separate sub-cycles, which interact with one another. The first sub-cycle comprises of the ten heavenly stems, namely the Five Elements in their Yin and Yang forms. These elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The second sub-cycle comprise of the twelve zodiac animal signs, also known as the Earthly Branches.
Because the Chinese calendar is based on the moon's rotation, the new year can occur anytime from mid-January to late February.
The twelve animals are arranged in the following order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. These 12 animals represent the rotating 12-year cycle that is the basis of the Chinese Zodiac. You’ve likely heard reference to a particular year being the "Year of the Rabbit" or "Year of the Pig."　 　
The system of the twelve-year cycle of animal signs was built from observations of the orbit of Jupiter (the Year Star 岁星).
Each animal in the zodiac is associated with its own element — metal, wood, earth, water or fire - while each year is assigned an element. The combination of these two elements is said to define a person's personality.
Much of Chinese philosophy is built around the belief in the five elements and their abilities to interact with and create relationships between natural phenomena. The five elements have been part of Chinese culture almost from the beginning. Interestingly, few people outside the Asian world understand the importance of the five elements, especially how each relates to the workings of the Chinese Zodiac.
This can be illustrated with the example of wood which can be used to spark a fire. Water can then be used to overcome fire and fire can help in the production of metal. Thus we find that the Chinese philosophers drew out their parallels from the natural behavior and processes of the five elements with each other.
Generally speaking, the years ending in odd numbers are Yin, while the years ending in even numbers are represented by Yang. 2009 is the Yin Earth Ox year. This means that 2009, is an Ox year that will have the Yin influence or a quieter, slower and tranquil feel.
The Ox symbolizes the attainment of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. The underlying tone of the Ox year is patience, perseverance, dependability and dedication. The Earth OX energy in particular is about ideals and principles; therefore, you may notice these attributes being very important in whatever you pursue for 2009.
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华人日历以六十年为一周期。在这周期里，有含有两个分周期。这两个分周期相互交流。第一个分周期由十个天干所组成，也就是五行的阴与阳。五行是：木、火、土、金、水。另一个分周期由十二生肖所组成，亦称为十二地支。
有为华历史根据月亮的运转来计算，新年会在阳历一月中至二月尾间的任何一天。
十二生肖动物的排列次序是：鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪。这十二动物代表十二年的运转周期，成为华历的主成分。所以你经常会听到说某年是兔年或猪年。
以动物生肖为符号的十二的周年时根据观察到的岁星轨道而建立起来的，所谓十二黄道带也。
每一个生肖动物都与五行（金木土水火）中一个元素相连，每年指定一个五行元素。据说这两个元素的结合就决定了一个人的个性。
中国哲学大部分是基于对五行的信仰与它们同大自然的交流与所建起的关系。五行几乎是从开始就是中国文化的一部分。有趣的是，在亚洲以外，很少人了解五行元素的重要性，尤其是每个元素与华人生肖运作的关系。
可以说明的例子是，木可以用来生火；水可以用来制火与火可以用来冶金。所以我们可以看到，中国哲学家把自然界的行为与五行元素的运作对等来看待。
一般来说，单数年属阴，双数年属阳。2009年是阴土的牛年。就是说，这个牛年受阴的影响，相对会平静、缓慢、安静。
牛年代表必须坚忍不拔与勤劳奋力争取幸福。牛年的基调是耐心、耐性、可靠、献身。土牛的能量特别适合用于理想性与原则性的东西；所以，在2009年，无论做任何事，都要牢记这些属性很重要。