Changes

With regards to time, the day starts at midnight, which is designated ''ne'' (rat, the first sign of the zodiac) and progress to each subsequent sign every two hours. Thus, 2pm would be the "Hour of the Horse".

With regards to time, the day starts at midnight, which is designated ''ne'' (rat, the first sign of the zodiac) and progress to each subsequent sign every two hours. Thus, 2pm would be the "Hour of the Horse".

Days of the month would also cycle through the 12 signs, a tradition which still holds in many [[shrine|shrines]] and [[temple|temples]] to this day. For example, ''Inari'' shrines (<font size=3>稲荷</font>, dedicated to the fax deity of harvests) would hold their annual festival on the first Horse Day of February and ''Benten'' shrines (<font size=3>弁天</font>, the goddess of Arts and Wisdom) hold theirs on the first Snake Day of February.

Days of the month would also cycle through the 12 signs, a tradition which still holds in many [[shrine|shrines]] and [[temple|temples]] to this day. For example, ''Inari'' shrines (<font size=3>稲荷</font>, dedicated to the fox deity of harvests) would hold their annual festival on the first Horse Day of February and ''Benten'' shrines (<font size=3>弁天</font>, the goddess of Arts and Wisdom) hold theirs on the first Snake Day of February.

The same principle applies to direction, with ''ne'' pointing due north, and each subsequent sign being assigned to the next 30 degree arc.  

The same principle applies to direction, with ''ne'' pointing due north, and each subsequent sign being assigned to the next 30 degree arc.

==Superstition==

==Superstition==