Lunar Calendar and Animal Signs
In the lunar calendar, the beginning of a month coincides with the appearance of the New Moon and each month has 29½ days. In this way, a lunar year of twelve months would be shorter than the solar year of 365¼ days, causing the lunar month to shift around the seasons. To avoid this, a leap month is added every two and a half years to synchronize the lunar calendar with the solar cycle. This is similar to the Gregorian Calendar, where one leap day is added every four years. The difference between lunar and solar year is also the reason why the Chinese New Year's Day - also known as Spring Festival - moves slightly between January and February in the solar calendar. If you are born in these months you must check the Chinese calendar carefully.
Please, look in the following list to find your correct year of birth and personal animal sign of the Chinese Zodiac! The list gives the date of the Chinese New Year's Day in the common solar calendar.
Example: if you are born in 1940 earlier than Feb. 8th (according to solar calendar) your animal sign is rabbit, if you are born on Feb. 8th or later in that year your animal sign is dragon.
For animal signs of other years you can use the Chinese Calendar Converter or simply add multiples of twelve to one of the years given.
| Year | Animal | Chinese New Year's Day | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 | Monkey Rooster Dog Pig Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig Rat | February 20. February 8. January 28. February 16. February 5. January 24. February 13. February 2. January 23. February 10. January 30. February 17. February 6. January 26. February 14. February 4. January 24. February 11. January 31. February 19. February 8. January 27. February 15. February 5. January 25. February 13 February 2. January 22. February 10. January 29. February 17. February 6. January 27. February 14. February 3. January 24. February 12. January 31. February 18. February 8. January 28. February 15. February 5. January 25. February 13. February 2. January 21. February 9. January 30. February 17. February 6. January 27. February 15. February 3. January 23. February 11. January 31. February 18. February 7. January 28. February 16. February 5. January 25. February 13. February 2. February 20. February 9, January 29. February 17. February 6. January 27. February 15. February 4. January 23. February 10. January 31. February 19. February 7. January 28. February 16. February 5. January 24. February 12. February 1. January 22. February 9. January 29. February 18. February 7. January 26. February 14. February 3. January 23. February 10. January 31. February 19. February 8. January 28. February 16. February 5. January 25. | Yin metal Yang metal Yin water Yang water Yin wood Yang wood Yin fire Yang fire Yin earth Yang earth Yin metal Yang metal Yin water Yang water Yin wood Yang wood Yin fire Yang fire Yin earth Yang earth Yin metal Yang metal Yin water Yang water Yin wood Yang wood Yin fire Yang fire Yin earth Yang earth Yin metal Yang metal Yin water Yang water Yin wood Yang wood Yin fire Yang fire Yin earth Yang earth Yin metal Yang metal Yin water Yang water Yin wood Yang wood Yin fire Yang fire Yin earth Yang earth Yin metal Yang metal Yin water Yang water Yin wood Yang wood Yin fire Yang fire Yin earth Yang earth Yin metal Yang metal Yin water Yang water Yin wood Yang wood Yin fire Yang fire Yin earth Yang earth Yin metal Yang metal Yin water Yang water Yin wood Yang wood Yin fire Yang fire Yin earth Yang earth Yin metal Yang metal Yin water Yang water Yin wood Yang wood Yin fire Yang fire Yin earth Yang earth Yin metal Yang metal Yin water Yang water Yin wood Yang wood Yin fire Yang fire Yin earth Yang earth Yin metal |