Skeptical about astrology? Try asking someone their birth month

"What's your birth month?" For many people, this is a much less daunting question to answer than "What's your zodiac sign?" Not to mention, anyone can answer it, while some people know nothing about astrology. 

Now, everyone on TikTok is also asking about birthdays. A new trend has popped up on the platform with videos titled, "Your Birth Month Your ... " Suddenly, users aren't being assessed based on their sign but being compared to outlandish things like characters or colors based on their birth month.

So, why is this? Culturally, flowers and gemstones, or birthstones, have been associated with each birth month. Birthstones have even been around for so long that there are both "modern" and "traditional" options. 

Numbers have also been linked to character traits and personality. According to AstroTalk, numerology is a system that "assigns a unique vibration or energy to each number" and "holds that these numbers have a direct influence on our lives, personality traits and even our destinies." For example, if you were born in March, you'd be considered an "artistic" person.

So, the concept of your birth month relating to you to something else isn't exactly new — people are just getting more creative. Some examples on TikTok include connecting your birth month to fictional worlds and fantasy animals. 

It's not hard to see why this trend has taken off — it's much more accessible than astrology. A 2022 study shows that 27 percent of Americans believe in astrology, while 51 percent don't and 22 percent are unsure.

There's also an element of humor surrounding these videos. Some TikTok accounts take this trend seriously, while others try to get as ridiculous as possible and arbitrarily assign their least favorite months the worst comparisons.

For example, TikTok user @moolifantasy, who has centered their account around this trend, assigns viewers different fantasy roles and roles based on their birthday. They've become notorious for assigning May babies the role of "peasant," while everyone else gets to be extravagant characters like princesses or knights. 

People in July often get bad results in these videos, too, but it's all in good fun. TikTok user @mistress_mortis has made videos reacting to the trend. In a video where each month is assigned a cow, she laughs when July birthdays are given a cow holding a cheeseburger.

Additionally, users who get a less-than-desirable result on these videos often comment on them or send them to friends, increasing the popularity of the trend.

So, is birth month the new zodiac sign? 

While this trend might be having a lot of success online, astrology is still the far more serious, respected option. But in a way, the two metrics work together to make the concept more understandable, and there's something more relatable about comparing yourself to a fictional character than studying the planets and stars.

So, the next time you meet someone new or go on a date, consider asking them for their birthday month.