As legend would have it, it was Buddha himself who gave each animal its place in the Asian zodiac. When he called all the animals together following the creation, only twelve felt it necessary to attend the meeting. As a reward for their effort in making the long journey, Buddha offered each of them their own year, which would from then on bear the name of that animal. In addition, each animal was also given the opportunity to directly influence history during that time – and thus, in turn, the fate of those humans born in that year. Analogous to the characteristics of the respective animal symbol, and by means of your date of birth, you too can read those characteristic traits that may – or may not – apply to you. 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001—People born in the Year of the Snake are deep. They say little and possess great wisdom. They never have to worry about money; they are financially fortunate. Snake people are often quite vain, selfish, and a bit stingy. Yet they have tremendous sympathy for others and try to help those less fortunate. Snake people tend to overdo, since they have doubts about other people’s judgment and prefer to rely on themselves. They are determined in whatever they do and hate to fail. Although calm on the surface, they are intense and passionate. Snake people are usually good-looking and sometimes have marital problems because they are fickle. They are most compatible with the Ox and Rooster.