The Chinese new year begins on 22 January, 2023 and lasts until 9 February, 2024. While most of Asia celebrates the year of the rabbit, Vietnam celebrates the year of the cat. In the Chinese zodiac(十二生肖), there are 12 animals, and the 4th animal is the rabbit; while in the Vietnamese zodiac, the 4th position is occupied by the cat. How the cat covered for the rabbit in Vietnam's zodiac is still the subject of debate.
It was said the Jade Emperor organized a race across a river for all the animals in the world. The first 12 to reach the other side would appear in the zodiac. In the Chinese version of the story, the cat and the rat were riding across a river on an ox when the rat pushed the cat into the water. The rat won the race, turning the two animals into enemies. That is why cats have been hunting rats ever since. However, in the Vietnamese version—which did not have a rabbit—the cat could swim and ended up arriving.
One possible explanation for replacing rabbit with cat might have to do with language. In old Chinese, there is a word tied to the sign of the rabbit that is pronounced mao(卵). The pronunciation is similar to mèo, the Vietnamese word for cat.
Quyen Di, a lecturer at UCLA, said the custom has to do with the landscape of Vietnam. "Initially, the Chinese lived in the savanna(稀树草原) area, while the Vietnamese lived in the lowland area. The people of the savanna prefer a nomadic life, close to the wilderness, and they chose the rabbit as an animal that lived in the wild fields. In contrast, the lowland people of Vietnam consider rabbits as animals that are used for food and chose the cat because they believe cats are friends living in their house.
This year, many Vietnamese are buying new cat-themed cases for their mobile phones. And one of the top Google searches in Vietnam is "why there is no cat in the Chinese zodiac".
