Edutainer: Sin-Jae
📌 Heads up before you read
Every year from mid-December to February, you’ll notice something interesting across Korea—specific animals start popping up everywhere! Whether it is on merchandise or store displays, these animals take center stage. For example, in 2024, the spotlight is on the Blue Dragon!
Blue Dragon products everywhere in Korea—from stores to cafes
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But have you ever wondered why a different animal is celebrated each year? Is it just because they look cool? Or is there a deeper tradition behind it? Let’s break it down in a fun way!
I Looking back from 2021 to 2024:
🐂 2021: White Ox
🐅 2022: Black Tiger
🐇 2023: Black Rabbit
🐉 2024: Blue Dragon
🐂 → 🐅 → 🐇 → 🐉 → ❓
If you are in Korea in early 2025, what animal do you think will take the spotlight?
I The Cycle of 12 Animals
In Korea and some other Asian countries, there’s a concept called 십이지지=12지지[sip-i-ji-ji], which refers to the 12 Zodiac Animals. Each year is represented by a specific animal in a fixed order.
The [sip-i-ji-ji] consists of 12 animals, and they symbolize the year one by one. The order is as follows:
🐀 Rat → 🐂 Ox → 🐅 Tiger → 🐇 Rabbit → 🐉 Dragon → 🐍 Snake → 🐎 Horse → 🐑 Goat (or Sheep) → 🐒 Monkey → 🐓 Rooster → 🐕 Dog → 🐖 Pig
Based on this sequence, the animal changes every year. Recently:
2021 was the 🐂 Ox
2022 was the 🐅 Tiger
2023 was the 🐇 Rabbit
2024 is the 🐉 Dragon
So, what about 2025?
Take a closer look—can you spot the 🐍 Snake right after the Dragon?
I Why Do the Colors Change Each Year?
The reason the color of the animal changes every year is due to the combination of [sip-i-ji-ji] and 10천간[sip-cheon-gan]. [sip-cheon-gan] represents the energy of the heavens through ten elements (also known as the 10 Heavenly Stems). Combined with the animals of [sip-i-ji-ji], it determines the color for each year.
🔎 Tap the image to view it in full size
See? With the image above, it’s much easier to understand, isn’t it?
The combination of [sip-cheon-gan] and [sip-i-ji-ji], moving one step forward each year, creates the animal and color that represent the year.
Question!
Which animal represents the year 2025?
That’s right, it’s the year of the Blue Snake!
From mid-December 2024 to February 2025, you’ll find countless displays, events, and products across Korea featuring the Blue Snake.
Take a moment to appreciate the blend of traditional designs and the unique charm of the Blue Snake. As you do, think back to what you learned in this post. Understanding the deeper meaning behind Korea’s [sip-i-ji-ji] and [sip-cheon-gan] will give you a whole new perspective on everything you see! 😊✨
See you next year! 🐍💙
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