The animal itself
Bears lose up to 30% of body weight in hibernation without losing muscle mass or bone density, which is why the mechanism is studied for spaceflight and for treating osteoporosis.1 of 2 calendars · 1,970 searches a month
Bear
Practical strength held in reserve.
Which calendar assigns it, and when
Native American calendar
22 August – 21 September
Its zodiac sign
Virgo
Only the Native American calendar assigns this one. Anyone born in these dates gets a different animal from the other system — the two agree on 4.7% of days →
What it stands for, and where that came from
Practical strength held in reserve — force that does not need to be shown.
Honoured in: Finnish and Sami traditions treated the bear as sacred enough that its real name was avoided; Artemis and the constellation Ursa Major.
The symbolism usually grew out of the behaviour rather than the other way round — which is the part worth keeping when the rest is set aside.