A fire monkey can usher in chaos, so can 600 macaques

What do Julius Caesar, Miley Cyrus and a village in Sichuan province, China, have in common? The Year of the Monkey. Generations of Americans were introduced to the Chinese zodiac by way of restaurant place mats, perused while waiting for platters of kung pao chicken and lo mein.

Those exotic 12-year cycles, with their hints of destiny and personality predictions, basically said, “Capricorn? What. Ever!” as they replaced Western horoscopes with animal mascots.

If you happened to be born in 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956 or 1944, you’re a monkey, and your time is now.

Chinese tradition says people born in the Year of the Monkey are natural-born leaders: highly intelligent, innovative and influential. But they can also be arrogant and envious.

This lunar year, which began in February, is being celebrated as the Year of the Fire Monkey. This is based on the tenets of feng shui, which ascribe luck and prosperity based on the balance of fire, water, wood, metal and earth in the universe.

Fortunetellers point ominously to the last time the fire monkey occurred, in 1956. That was the year of the Suez Canal crisis — when Britain, France and Israel invaded Egypt — and the start of the Cuban revolution.

If you’re looking for evidence that the fire monkey — with its attendant bad luck — is already ascendant, you can find it in Xianfeng, a village in central Sichuan province.

In June, China state television reported that the town had been virtually taken over by macaque monkeys.

Lured from the mountains into the village in an effort to increase tourism, the monkeys soon took over.

The once-small troop quickly grew to more than 600 members, eating up villagers’ food and making a riot that keeps people from sleeping.

Astrologers advise that those born under the monkey sign be extra cautious with money, focus on their health and, perhaps most important for the fiery among us, make sure not to lose their tempers.

That’s easier said than done, especially when you’ve got 600 macaques keeping you up all night.

Astrologers advise that those born under the monkey sign be extra cautious with money, focus on their health and, perhaps most important for the fiery among us, make sure not to lose their tempers.