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Tough, resilient, and headstrong, there's nothing ox can't accomplish!
By Jessica Xing — Written on Sep 03, 2020
The Year of the Ox, the second of twelve Chinese zodiac animals.
The Year of the Ox personality is strong, reliable, and dependent; however, the meaning of the Ox Chinese zodiac sign depends on its position in the calendar.
Year of the Ox, Chinese zodiac animal personality is strong and lucky.
Born in the years: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, and 2021, people under the Year of the Ox Chinese zodiac sign are some of the strongest people on Earth.
The Year of the Ox, in Chinese culture, is associated with persistence, skill, and hard work — the character for the Year of the Ox, or “niu” also means good and skillful, or an extraordinary person.
The Year of the Ox is favored for its resilience: Year of the Ox represents someone who works hard but doesn’t ask for much in return, so they are often praised for their gentle, yet noble character.
It is a symbol of a successful harvest, and so plays a large role in Chinese agriculture.
The Chinese Zodiac Calendar is a 12-year annual cycle represented by 12 zodiac animals.
These animals can tell a lot not only about a person’s personality but about their future.
Year of the Ox — Chinese zodiac personality
Ox Chinese zodiac signs are trustworthy.
People born under the Ox zodiac sign are reliable and trustworthy. They put their entire being into the work; because of this their loved ones often feel showered under the praise of their actions, if not so much their emotions.
Ox Chinese zodiac signs filial.
You feel great responsibility for their family. Ox children are very filial and will provide for their parents long past they’ve moved out of their home. The Ox is a great caretaker; silent, stoic, but devoted.
Ox Chinese zodiac signs know how to compose themselves.
Ox Chinese zodiac signs are often calm and gentle.
They will never surrender to any fate that isn’t theirs, which might lead them to a life of struggles.
But no matter what, they will be happy in the knowledge that the life they’ve built is theirs and theirs alone.
Ox Chinese zodiac signs are a little closed off.
However, if you are an Ox sign, people might struggle to connect emotionally with you. You are head-strong, a little stubborn.
Ox Chinese zodiac signs are very stubborn.
You have a very one-track mind, and you resist with equal strength when people try to expose you to a broader diversity of ideas.
You also tend to hold people (especially ones you work with) to a high standard, which can be tricky when you find that a lot of people can’t keep up with your bull-headedness.
Year Of The Ox — Chinese culture
In Chinese mythology: The Year of the Ox can be seen throughout Chinese mythology. In the zodiac myth, it represents diligence, but the ox also acts as one of the guardians of the underworld.
Guardians of the Underworld: The two guardians, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, are the first beings a dead soul encounters, and Ox-Head and Horse-Face directly escort the newly dead to the courts of Hell.
The story goes that the two animals: the Ox and the horse, were rewarded by the king of Hell after being worked to death with by their masters. Now, they protect the underworld with the head of an ox and a horse, and the body of a human man.
The Ox as a lesson in hard work: While the zodiac myth may make the Ox look like a bit of a fool, the ox is often rewarded for its hard work, both in Chinese myth and in culture.
The Ox as a lesson in honesty: The ox illustrates how East Asian cultures value hard work and honesty over trickery, as the Ox is rarely taken advantage of, despite its trusting nature.
The Ox as a Spiritual Guide: The Ox often acts as a spiritual guide; strong and stoic, when the ox shows up in your life you can trust that you will be able to safely reach your destination.
Even though you yourself aren’t sure of your end goal yet, the Ox will be able to take you to a place of safety and stability.
Year of the Ox Chinese zodiac personality — five elements
What you might not know is that each zodiac, in addition to their animal counterparts, also has a corresponding element sign. There are five elements: metal, water, wood, fire, and earth.
The Ox is associated with the Earthly Branch: it finds its strongest resonance in Earth and Metal element signs. But that doesn’t mean fire, water, and wood oxen won’t also live a good life.
1. Metal element oxen are born in 1961 and 2021.
These oxen will face many hurdles early in their life, but their difficult childhoods and young adulthood will be rewarded greatly later on. They will find an easier, comfortable retirement in comparison to their friends and family.
2. Water element oxen are born in 1973 and 2033.
They, in contrast to metal signs, will lead a comfortable early life and will be respected by their friends and family throughout. But, despite their loving family, many water oxen find love later on, often marrying late.
3. Wood element oxen are born in 1925 and 1985.
They will find a very easy life: they are multi-talented and unlike the other signs find great interests in a wide variety of interests. There are little hardships, in the beginning, but everything manages to work out for this hardy element sign.
4. Fire element oxen are born in 1937 and 1997.
They are passionate, stubborn, yet also some of the friendliest and most social people you will meet.
They rarely have financial troubles, but sometimes struggle with interpersonal relationships due to their somewhat overwhelming nature.
5. Earth element oxen are born in 1949 and 2009.
These people are born to be leaders.
They are very meticulous, detail-minded, and have a very magnetic, stoic charisma. They live their early lives grinding relentlessly hard: in their work, their studies.
Their success will come in great dividends, but considering how hard they work early on, you can’t say they didn’t deserve it. However, in their later years, they will be able to enjoy a much easier retirement.
Year of the Ox Chinese zodiac personality — Myths
In the Chinese zodiac calendar, the Ox’s position is funny, if not a little unfortunate.
The order of the zodiac calendar is, according to myth, determined by a race. The Jade Emperor originally had his bets on the Ox finishing first, due to his persistent and stubborn nature.
However, just as the Ox was about to cross the finish line, a rat suddenly leaped off his back and beat the Ox. As it turns out, the rat found that instead of racing himself, he could save a lot of energy by secretly riding on the ox’s back.
Because of this, the Ox is seen as slow and single-minded. While they are good workers, they are not particularly intelligent, and often accomplish tasks with a “one-track” mentality.
The Ox is an integral part of the zodiac calendar. It grounds many of the more flighty zodiac animals, such as the rat, rabbit, and horse.
Year of the Ox Chinese zodiac personality in 2020
As the year winds down, it may seem like every zodiac is cursed with bad luck.
But, oxen might find that 2020, the Year of the Rat, has been a touch easier in comparison to everyone else.
While the Year of the Pig meant bad luck for the Year of the Ox, the Rat and the Ox find a quiet kind of compatibility.
In the remainder of the year, people born under the Ox sign might find that they are getting more and more praise for their hard work: whether that be through wealth, or through promotions.
Your best character traits are finally being noticed and rewarded, a rarity for the quiet Ox. Remember this good fortune during harder times: your hard work, as unnoticed as it may be sometimes, will always come to fruition.
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Jessica Xing is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture, relationships and media.