This week, on Myths and Legends, we're talking about the Chinese zodiac, and we'll see how the

years got their animals, a race full of threats, betrayal, raft building, and naps, and how,

if you see that beautiful swan, maybe leave it alone, unless you want to be responsible for burning

down the world. The creature this time is that dragon

that makes a bleak winter even worse

by forcing you to feed it your friends.

This is Myths and Legends,

episode 401, rat race.

Music Legends. Episode 401, Rat Race. This is a podcast where we tell stories from mythology and folklore. Some are incredibly popular tales you might think you know, but with surprising origins.

Others are stories that might be new to you, but are definitely worth a listen.

Today, we're roughly in Chinese legend slash mythology, telling the story of the Chinese

zodiac and how the years got their animals.

And that's because the day this episode drops is actually the Lunar New Year, or the Chinese New Year.

I think that's the first time this has happened on this podcast,

and it's even more rare now that we're every two weeks,

so I figured I should use this opportunity to tell this story.

The Lunar Year tracks the year based on new moons.

The Gregorian calendar is based on the solar year,

so how the Earth moves around the sun.

Real quickly about the name, the holiday

we're talking about today is celebrated across many cultures, and it's often referred to as the

Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year. The term Chinese New Year reflects its historical origins

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