What year of the dog was 2018? - briefly
2018 was the Year of the Dog in the Chinese zodiac calendar. According to tradition, each year is associated with one of twelve animals, and 2018 corresponded to the dog.
What year of the dog was 2018? - in detail
The Chinese zodiac, also known as Sheng Xiao, is based on a twelve-year cycle and each year in that cycle relates to an animal sign. Among these, the Year of the Dog occurs every twelfth year. To determine which year corresponds to the Year of the Dog for any given Gregorian calendar year, one must consider the starting point of this zodiac cycle.
Traditionally, the Chinese New Year begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which falls between January 21 and February 20 in the Gregorian calendar. The exact date varies each year because the lunar calendar is used to calculate it. For instance, the Year of the Dog began on February 16, 2018, according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
To find out which specific year of the dog cycle 2018 was part of, we need to look at the sequence of the twelve animal signs in the zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The Dog is the eleventh sign in this cycle. Therefore, 2018 was the eleventh year in the current twelve-year cycle, which began in 2002 and will end in 2023.
Thus, 2018 was indeed the Year of the Dog according to the Chinese zodiac.