From a local restaurant:
"The Chinese Zodiac consists of a 12 year cycle, each year of which is named after a different animal that imparts distinct characteristics to its year. Many Chinese believe that the year of the person's birth is the primary factor in determining that person's personality traits, physical and mental attributes and degree of success and happiness throughout his lifetime."
Mine reads like this:
Monkey: You're apt to be clever, and may have a bit of genius. You like to invent things, solve hard problems and think up new ideas. You're a good thinker and want to know all about things. You may become famous. You get along best with: Rat, Dragon