For thousands of years the Chinese have tried to gain insight into the
course of human life. Astrology has appeared to be a useful means for
them to achieve this goal.
In Chinese culture, a great influence is ascribed to the moon. The magnetic
pull of the moon is not only responsible for the tides of the oceans,
because our bodies consist of three-quarters liquid, this lunar influence
is also said to affect humans. Chinese astrology is therefore based on
the year of the moon and Chinese people count in lunar years. Consequently
their calendar does not start on the first of January, like the western
calendar does. The lunar year is divided into twelve months of twenty
nine and a half days. Every Chinese year begins on the date of what western
astrologers would call 'the New Moon in Aquarius'. This phenomenon occurs
on a different day every year, somewhere between the end of January and
the middle of February. Consequently the dates in the following list (see
'first day of the year') will differ every year.
A Chinese animal sign can therefore for example run from the 5th of February
to the 24th of January of the next year (Rooster, 1981-1982).
The following table offers an overview of the Chines year animal signs
according to date.
First day of the year
Element
Animal sign
31-01-1900
metal
Rat
19-02-1901
metal
Ox
08-02-1902
water
Tiger
29-01-1903
water
Rabbit
16-02-1904
wood
Dragon
04-02-1905
wood
Snake
25-01-1906
fire
Horse
13-02-1907
fire
Goat
02-02-1908
earth
Monkey
22-01-1909
earth
Rooster
10-02-1910
metal
Dog
30-01-1911
metal
Pig
18-02-1912
water
Rat
06-02-1913
water
Ox
26-01-1914
wood
Tiger
14-02-1915
wood
Rabbit
03-02-1916
fire
Dragon
23-01-1917
fire
Snake
11-02-1918
earth
Horse
01-02-1919
earth
Goat
20-02-1920
metal
Monkey
08-02-1921
metal
Rooster
28-01-1922
water
Dog
16-02-1923
water
Pig
05-02-1924
wood
Rat
25-01-1925
wood
Ox
13-02-1926
fire
Tiger
02-02-1927
fire
Rabbit
23-01-1928
earth
Dragon
10-02-1929
earth
Snake
30-01-1930
metal
Horse
17-02-1931
metal
Goat
06-02-1932
water
Monkey
26-01-1933
water
Rooster
04-02-1934
wood
Dog
04-02-1935
wood
Pig
24-01-1936
fire
Rat
11-02-1937
fire
Ox
31-01-1938
earth
Tiger
19-02-1939
earth
Rabbit
08-02-1940
metal
Dragon
27-01-1941
metal
Snake
30-01-1942
water
Horse
05-02-1943
water
Goat
25-01-1944
wood
Monkey
13-02-1945
wood
Rooster
02-02-1946
fire
Dog
22-01-1947
fire
Pig
10-02-1948
earth
Rat
29-01-1949
earth
Ox
17-02-1950
metal
Tiger
06-02-1951
metal
Rabbit
27-01-1952
water
Dragon
14-02-1953
water
Snake
03-02-1954
wood
Horse
24-01-1955
wood
Goat
12-02-1956
fire
Monkey
31-01-1957
fire
Rooster
18-02-1958
earth
Dog
08-02-1959
earth
Pig
28-01-1960
metal
Rat
15-02-1961
metal
Ox
05-02-1962
water
Tiger
25-01-1963
water
Rabbit
13-02-1964
wood
Dragon
02-02-1965
wood
Snake
23-01-1966
fire
Horse
09-02-1967
fire
Goat
30-01-1968
earth
Monkey
17-02-1969
earth
Rooster
06-02-1970
metal
Dog
27-01-1971
metal
Pig
15-02-1972
water
Rat
03-02-1973
water
Ox
23-01-1974
wood
Tiger
11-02-1975
wood
Rabbit
31-01-1976
fire
Dragon
18-02-1977
fire
Snake
07-02-1978
earth
Horse
28-01-1979
earth
Goat
16-02-1980
metal
Monkey
05-02-1981
metal
Rooster
25-01-1982
water
Dog
13-02-1983
water
Pig
02-02-1984
wood
Rat
20-02-1985
wood
Ox
08-02-1986
fire
Tiger
29-01-1987
fire
Rabbit
17-02-1988
earth
Dragon
06-02-1989
earth
Snake
27-01-1990
metal
Horse
15-02-1991
metal
Goat
04-02-1992
water
Monkey
23-01-1993
water
Rooster
10-02-1994
wood
Dog
31-01-1995
wood
Pig
19-02-1996
fire
Rat
07-02-1997
fire
Ox
28-01-1998
earth
Tiger
16-02-1999
earth
Rabbit
05-02-2000
metal
Dragon
24-01-2001
metal
Snake
12-02-2002
water
Horse
01-02-2003
water
Goat
22-01-2004
wood
Monkey
09-02-2005
wood
Rooster
29-01-2006
fire
Dog
18-02-2007
fire
Pig
One might have noticed that a different element has been assigned assigned
to each single year. To find out more about these elements of nature,
check the 'elements' - section.