They began recording time as soon as they could write, and they recorded time using a sun and moon model that takes into account the orbits of both of these heavenly bodies. The Chinese year has 354 days and 12 months that align perfectly with the cycle of the moon. Roughly half of the months have 30 days, while the rest have 29 days. To make up for this loss, every two to three years an extra month is added to the year. The Chinese calendar is rooted in Chinese astrology and philosophy.
Chinese astrology has twelve signs, each corresponding to a single year.
An ancient legend tells that the Buddha once called out to all the animals of the world to come take their place in the zodiac calendar. The Boar, the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Ram, the Monkey, the Rooster, and the Dog all came for their place. Buddha assigned a year to each of them. Every person is born in the year of one of the 12 zodiac animals. The belief is that you possess the characteristics of the zodiac animal from the year in which you were born.