The Chinese calendar, or the lunar calendar, is a fascinating system. All information about time, the year, month, day and hour, are presented in terms of the five elements -- metal, wood, water, fire, and earth -- which are believed to be basic components of everything in the universe.

    The Chinese calendar year functions with a 60-year cycle. Years are classified according to the 10 Heavenly Stems (jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin, ren and gui) and 12 Earthly Branches (zi, chou, yin, mao, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu and hai). The succession of Stems and Branches produces a 60-year cycle. The primary association of the Stems is with the five elements, which are divided into yang and yin forms.

    The Earthly Branches are more familiar, since one association is with 12 zodiacal animals, which in Buddhist tradition are supposed to be the animals that responded when the Buddha called to them.

    The 60-year cycle starts with jiazi, the first elements of Stems and Branches and ends with guihai, the last elements of Stems and Branches.