People & Culture - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 1020

Animism
Both Hinduism and Buddhism fused with the animist beliefs already present in the
Mekong region before Indianisation. Local beliefs didn't simply fade away, but were in-
corporated into the new religions. The purest form of animism is practised among the eth-
nic minorities or hill tribes of the region.
THE LUNAR CALENDAR
Astrology has a long history in China and Vietnam (plus in the Chinese communities of Cambodia,
Laos and Thailand), and is intricately linked to religious beliefs. There are 12 zodiacal animals, each
of which represents one year in a 12-year cycle. If you want to know your sign, look up your year of
birth in the following chart. Don't forget that the Chinese/Vietnamese New Year falls in late January
or early February. If your birthday is in the first half of January, it will be included in the zodiac year
before the calendar year of your birth. To check the Gregorian (solar) date corresponding to a lunar
date, pick up any Vietnamese or Chinese calendar.
Rat (generous, social, insecure, idle) 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
Cow (stubborn, conservative, patient) 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009
Tiger (creative, brave, overbearing) 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010
Rabbit (timid, affectionate, amicable) 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011
Dragon (egotistical, strong, intelligent) 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012
Snake (luxury seeking, secretive, friendly) 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
Horse (emotional, clever, quick thinker) 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002
Goat (charming, good with money, indecisive) 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
Monkey (confident, humorous, fickle) 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
Rooster (diligent, imaginative, needs attention) 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005
Dog (humble, responsible, patient) 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
Pig (materialistic, loyal, honest) 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
Buddhism
The sedate smile of the Buddhist statues decorating the landscapes and temples character-
ise the nature of the religion in Southeast Asia. Religious devotion within the Buddhist
countries is highly individualistic, omnipresent and nonaggressive, with many daily rituals
rooted in the indigenous religions of animism and ancestor worship.