the cat could not make it to the gathering on time and did not get a year.

The rat made it first to the assembly and became the first Chinese New Year animals. This is the reason why the first of the twelve years is the Year of the Rat followed by the year of Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

As a token of appreciation, Lord Buddha named a year after each of the twelve animals in the order of their arrival. According to Chinese myth, it is believed that people born in that year share different traits.