About the Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese (Eastern) zodiac is a 12-year cycle of animal signs — Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig — overlaid with a 10-year cycle of five elements. Together they form the 60-year sexagenary cycle, the basis for traditional East Asian astrology and timekeeping.
AstroTypeDB computes each celebrity's Chinese zodiac animal and element from their birth date using a lunar new year lookup table. This matters: someone born in early February of a Tiger year may actually be an Ox in the Chinese tradition, because the lunar new year hadn't fallen yet. Births before that year's lunar new year roll back to the previous animal.