In Latin sex is six, sexagenary is sixty

The Chinese sexagenary cycle, lunisolar calender, (Chinese: 干支; pinyin: gānzhī) is a cyclic numeral system of sixty combinations of the two basic cycles, the ten Heavenly Stems (天干; tiāngān) and the twelve Earthly Branches (地支; dìzhī). These have been traditionally used as a means of numbering days and years, not only in China but also in other East Asian nations like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. It is also an important part of Chinese astrology.

The sixty-year cycle consists of two separate cycles interacting with each other. The first is the cycle of ten heavenly stems, namely the Five Elements

(In the order of:- Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) in their Yin and Yang forms.

The second is the cycle of the Twelve Animals Representing Years (生肖 shēngxiāo) or Earthly Branches. They are, in correct order, as follows:

Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep (Ram or Goat), Monkey, Rooster, Dog, & Boar.

This combination of 5 elements × 12 animals creates the 60-year cycle, which always starts with Wood Rat and ends with Water Boar.

Since the representing animal cycle of 12 is divisible by two, every zodiac sign can also only occur in either yin or yang: the dragon is always yang; the snake is always yin, etc. The current cycle began in the year 1948.

When trying to calculate the relevant year, an easy rule to follow is that the years (Chinese year or year Anno Domini) which end in an even number are yang, those that end with an odd number are yin. The cycle is as follows:

• If the year ends in 0 it is Yang Metal.
• If the year ends in 1 it is Yin Metal.
• If the year ends in 2 it is Yang Water.
• If the year ends in 3 it is Yin Water.
• If the year ends in 4 it is Yang Wood.
• If the year ends in 5 it is Yin Wood.
• If the year ends in 6 it is Yang Fire.
• If the year ends in 7 it is Yin Fire.
• If the year ends in 8 it is Yang Earth.
• If the year ends in 9 it is Yin Earth.

Note: since the (traditional) Chinese zodiac follows the (lunisolar) Chinese calendar, the switch over date is the Chinese Lunar New Year, not on 1st January as in the Gregorian calendar.

This year, 2008, [or year 5706] the Lunar New Year begins on 7th February in the Gregorian calender.

Gan Bei!