As we count down to the new lunar year, Chinese families all over the world will be busy spring-cleaning and preparing for the feasting and extended family gatherings over the festive period. For some, the Year of the Tiger is best forgotten, with depressing global developments and a lingering shadow of the pandemic.

Whether one puts any store by astrological signs, it is fascinating to register that a few countries in East Asia – from Thailand and Vietnam to Japan and Korea – also observe the Chinese zodiac signs as part of their cultural beliefs and mark the passing of time in 12-year cycles. How did this come to be?