A closer look at the rabbit sign and what it means

With the Year of the Rabbit about to begin, people born in previous years related to this floppy-eared animal – 2011, 1999 and 1987 for example – may think the next 12-months are tailored-made for them.

The truth is anything but.

In Chinese astrology, there is a belief that you will experience bad luck when it is the year of your birth-sign because you are offending the god of age, said Toronto-based Chinese astrologist Paul Ng. He uses the metaphor of walking into a room where there is only one chair left – a place of honour reserved for the year ahead – to explain this.

“When people born during the Year of the Rabbit enter the room, there’ll be no chairs available, and you’ll be forced to stand, which will impact your health,” Ng said.

He said while people born under this zodiac sign may want to tread carefully over the next 12 months, it shouldn’t be a tough year for most rabbits if they steer clear of any risky behavior. This is because this Year of the Rabbit is also associated with luck and learning.

Ng, who has been practicing Chinese astrology for 46 years, said typically people born under the rabbit sign have a magnetic and attractive personality. But, he said, they can also be moody and have trouble trusting others – often thinking people are talking about them behind their back.

“They can be soft and tender, but then also volatile,” said Ng.

Rabbits often will keep you guessing, he said, and can feel nervous even though they do not outwardly show it. Despite this enigmatic side, Ng said they can also be very charming and personable – qualities he also associates with their floppy-eared, real-world counterparts. “Whenever people encounter rabbits, they’re drawn to them and love them,” he said.  

Carol Tinga, a PhD candidate at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, studies rabbits and the people who keep them as companions. “They’re very unique, expressive and are observant,” said Tinga, who has two pet rabbits of her own.

She said pet rabbits can be reserved and cautious – traits also shared by wild rabbits. She said this is because they are such an important part of the food chain. ”They’re such a tasty morsel, and so many animals like to eat them,” she said, adding this means they notice everything around them.

“With rabbits, you have to learn how to read them, get to know them and like them,” Tinga said. They will come find you, though, she said, and nudge and bump you for attention.

She said there is a concept in science known as baby schema, where certain features in infants and babies – round faces and small noses, for example – are more appealing to humans. And, as you have guessed, rabbits have several of those qualities. “Rabbits have big round eyes, and they keep their cute looks into old age,” Tinga said.

So, while there’s no question that both those born during a Year of the Rabbit and their furry counterparts can be charming, real-life rabbits appear to be less moody and mysterious than their human counterparts.

And, with the birth sign having trouble trusting people, and the animals being part of the food chain, you can’t fault either for always being alert.