生肖，又称属相或十二年兽，是以十二种动物代表年份，称为十二生肖，各文化有不同的动物，其中汉文化为鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪。它们依次与十二地支（子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥）相配，形成子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔、辰龙、巳蛇、午马、未羊、申猴、酉鸡、戌狗、亥猪。华人常以农历新年作新一年的生肖，及作其出生年的象征动物为生肖，循环一次为一轮。
The Chinese zodiac, also known as the zodiac or the twelve-year animal, is the twelve kinds of animals representing the year, called the twelve zodiac. There are different animals in each culture. Among them, the Chinese culture is rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, and horse. , Sheep, monkey, chicken, dog, pig. They are matched with the twelve earthly branches (Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai) in turn, forming Zimo, Chou Niu, Yinhu, Maotu, Chenlong, Si Snake, Wuma, Weiyang, Shenhou, Youji, Xugou, Haizhu. Chinese people often use the Lunar New Year as the new year’s zodiac and the symbolic animal for their birth year as the zodiac.
十二生肖的起源与动物崇拜有关。据湖北云梦睡虎地和甘肃天水放马滩出土的秦简可知，先秦时期即有比较完整的生肖系统存在。最早记载与现代相同的十二生肖的传世文献是东汉王充的《论衡》。
十二生肖随着历史的发展逐渐融合到相生相克的民间信仰观念，表现在婚姻、人生、年运等，每一种生肖都有丰富的传说，并以此形成一种观念阐释系统，成为民间文化中的形象哲学，如婚配上的属相、庙会祈祷、本命年等。现代，更多人把生肖作为春节的吉祥物，成为娱乐文化活动的象征。
生肖作为悠久的民俗文化符号，历代留下了大量描绘生肖形象和象征意义的诗歌、春联、绘画、书画和民间工艺作品。除中国外，世界多国在春节期间发行生肖邮票，以此来表达对中国新年的祝福。
The origin of the Chinese zodiac is related to animal worship. According to the Qin bamboo slips unearthed from Yunmengshuihudi in Hubei and Fangmatan in Tianshui, Gansu, a relatively complete zodiac system existed in the pre-Qin period. The earliest document handed down to record the twelve zodiac signs that are the same as modern ones is “Lunheng” by Wang Chong of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
With the development of history, the twelve zodiac signs have gradually merged into the folk belief concept of mutual generation and mutual restraint, which are manifested in marriage, life, and year fortune. Each zodiac has rich legends, and forms a conceptual interpretation system based on this, which becomes folk culture Philosophy of image in Chinese, such as the zodiac signs in marriage, temple prayer, natal year, etc. In modern times, more people regard the Chinese zodiac as a mascot for the Spring Festival and a symbol of entertainment and cultural activities.
As a long-standing folk cultural symbol, the Chinese zodiac has left a large number of poetry, spring couplets, paintings, calligraphy and folk crafts depicting the image and symbolic meaning of the zodiac. In addition to China, many countries in the world issue zodiac stamps during the Spring Festival to express their blessings for the Chinese New Year.
