Myths, folklore, and symbolism
Ox: In contrast to the steer, the ox is a symbol of peaceableness and good-natured strength. Ox and water buffalo are sacred and beloved sacrificial animals in the Far East and in Greece. In the Far East the water buffalo is the steed of sages...Like the ass, the ox almost always appears in depictions of the nativity of Christ. The ox is the second sign of the Chinese zodiac and corresponds to Taurus. (Herder)