2027 Forecast

Chinese new year dates

Every year from 1924 to 2033 with its animal, element and the exact date the year began. This is the table that settles January birthdays.

Chinese New Year Dates and Zodiac Years
YearBeganAnimalElement
1924 February 5 Rat Wood
1925 January 24 Ox Wood
1926 February 13 Tiger Fire
1927 February 2 Rabbit Fire
1928 January 23 Dragon Earth
1929 February 10 Snake Earth
1930 January 30 Horse Metal
1931 February 17 Goat Metal
1932 February 6 Monkey Water
1933 January 26 Rooster Water
1934 February 14 Dog Wood
1935 February 4 Pig Wood
1936 January 24 Rat Fire
1937 February 11 Ox Fire
1938 January 31 Tiger Earth
1939 February 19 Rabbit Earth
1940 February 8 Dragon Metal
1941 January 27 Snake Metal
1942 February 15 Horse Water
1943 February 5 Goat Water
1944 January 25 Monkey Wood
1945 February 13 Rooster Wood
1946 February 2 Dog Fire
1947 January 22 Pig Fire
1948 February 10 Rat Earth
1949 January 29 Ox Earth
1950 February 17 Tiger Metal
1951 February 6 Rabbit Metal
1952 January 27 Dragon Water
1953 February 14 Snake Water
1954 February 3 Horse Wood
1955 January 24 Goat Wood
1956 February 12 Monkey Fire
1957 January 31 Rooster Fire
1958 February 18 Dog Earth
1959 February 8 Pig Earth
1960 January 28 Rat Metal
1961 February 15 Ox Metal
1962 February 5 Tiger Water
1963 January 25 Rabbit Water
1964 February 13 Dragon Wood
1965 February 2 Snake Wood
1966 January 21 Horse Fire
1967 February 9 Goat Fire
1968 January 30 Monkey Earth
1969 February 17 Rooster Earth
1970 February 6 Dog Metal
1971 January 27 Pig Metal
1972 February 15 Rat Water
1973 February 3 Ox Water
1974 January 23 Tiger Wood
1975 February 11 Rabbit Wood
1976 January 31 Dragon Fire
1977 February 18 Snake Fire
1978 February 7 Horse Earth
1979 January 28 Goat Earth
1980 February 16 Monkey Metal
1981 February 5 Rooster Metal
1982 January 25 Dog Water
1983 February 13 Pig Water
1984 February 2 Rat Wood
1985 February 20 Ox Wood
1986 February 9 Tiger Fire
1987 January 29 Rabbit Fire
1988 February 17 Dragon Earth
1989 February 6 Snake Earth
1990 January 27 Horse Metal
1991 February 15 Goat Metal
1992 February 4 Monkey Water
1993 January 23 Rooster Water
1994 February 10 Dog Wood
1995 January 31 Pig Wood
1996 February 19 Rat Fire
1997 February 7 Ox Fire
1998 January 28 Tiger Earth
1999 February 16 Rabbit Earth
2000 February 5 Dragon Metal
2001 January 24 Snake Metal
2002 February 12 Horse Water
2003 February 1 Goat Water
2004 January 22 Monkey Wood
2005 February 9 Rooster Wood
2006 January 29 Dog Fire
2007 February 18 Pig Fire
2008 February 7 Rat Earth
2009 January 26 Ox Earth
2010 February 14 Tiger Metal
2011 February 3 Rabbit Metal
2012 January 23 Dragon Water
2013 February 10 Snake Water
2014 January 31 Horse Wood
2015 February 19 Goat Wood
2016 February 8 Monkey Fire
2017 January 28 Rooster Fire
2018 February 16 Dog Earth
2019 February 5 Pig Earth
2020 January 25 Rat Metal
2021 February 12 Ox Metal
2022 February 1 Tiger Water
2023 January 22 Rabbit Water
2024 February 10 Dragon Wood
2025 January 29 Snake Wood
2026 February 17 Horse Fire
2027 February 6 Goat Fire
2028 January 26 Monkey Earth
2029 February 13 Rooster Earth
2030 February 3 Dog Metal
2031 January 23 Pig Metal
2032 February 11 Rat Water
2033 January 31 Ox Water

Why these dates cannot be calculated by formula

The Chinese new year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Both events are astronomical, and neither recurs on a fixed calendar date — so the dates in the table come from astronomical computation (these are the Hong Kong Observatory's), not from arithmetic on the year number.

The rule held in every year from 1924 to 2033, and our own month-by-month computation from the NASA JPL DE440 ephemeris reproduces all 110 dates. Its next exception is 2034: a leap eleventh month at the end of 2033 pushes that new year to the third new moon, on February 19, 2034.

That is why calculators that work from the year number alone fail for early-year births. Taking the year modulo twelve is fast, simple, and wrong for roughly one person in ten.

Find your animal from your full birth date →

Stems, branches and the sixty-year cycle

Every Chinese year is named by two characters: one of ten heavenly stems and one of twelve earthly branches. The stem carries the element and its yin or yang side; the branch carries the animal. The two lists advance together, one step a year, so a given pair only comes around again after sixty years.

That is why two people born twelve years apart share an animal but not an element, and why only someone born sixty years later shares the whole year name.

Na yin: the second element of a year

Alongside the element of its stem, each pair of years in the cycle carries a traditional “sounding” element called na yin, described through an image — gold in the sea, willow wood, water of the heavenly river. There are thirty images for sixty years. Na yin is used in fortune-telling and in matching birth years; it plays no part in choosing the animal.

Double spring and blind years

Li Chun, the solar term that opens spring, falls when the Sun reaches 315° of longitude, around February 4. Because the lunar new year moves by weeks, a lunar year can contain two Li Chun dates, one or none. Folk custom calls a year with two a double spring and treats it as good for weddings; a year with none is called blind, and some families avoid marrying in it. Neither is a rule of the calendar itself.

Clashes and harmonies between branches

Arranged in a circle of twelve, branches directly opposite each other are said to clash — Rat with Horse, Ox with Goat, and so on — while six fixed pairs are said to support each other. Year pages list both for the animal of that year.

Why a lunar year is 354 or 384 days

Twelve lunar months come to about 354 days, eleven short of a solar year, so a thirteenth month is inserted every two or three years to keep the calendar in step with the seasons. That is why the new year date moves back about eleven days in an ordinary year and jumps forward by roughly nineteen when a leap month arrives.

Which month was doubled: leap months of the Chinese calendar, 1924–2033
Which month was doubled: leap months of the Chinese calendar, 1924–2033Grid of years by decade; years with a thirteenth, leap month are highlighted and labeled with the number of the month that was repeated.…0…1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…91920s1924: 12 months19241925: leap fourth month, 13 monthsLeap 41926: 12 months19261927: 12 months19271928: leap second month, 13 monthsLeap 21929: 12 months19291930s1930: leap sixth month, 13 monthsLeap 61931: 12 months19311932: 12 months19321933: leap fifth month, 13 monthsLeap 51934: 12 months19341935: 12 months19351936: leap third month, 13 monthsLeap 31937: 12 months19371938: leap seventh month, 13 monthsLeap 71939: 12 months19391940s1940: 12 months19401941: leap sixth month, 13 monthsLeap 61942: 12 months19421943: 12 months19431944: leap fourth month, 13 monthsLeap 41945: 12 months19451946: 12 months19461947: leap second month, 13 monthsLeap 21948: 12 months19481949: leap seventh month, 13 monthsLeap 71950s1950: 12 months19501951: 12 months19511952: leap fifth month, 13 monthsLeap 51953: 12 months19531954: 12 months19541955: leap third month, 13 monthsLeap 31956: 12 months19561957: leap eighth month, 13 monthsLeap 81958: 12 months19581959: 12 months19591960s1960: leap sixth month, 13 monthsLeap 61961: 12 months19611962: 12 months19621963: leap fourth month, 13 monthsLeap 41964: 12 months19641965: 12 months19651966: leap third month, 13 monthsLeap 31967: 12 months19671968: leap seventh month, 13 monthsLeap 71969: 12 months19691970s1970: 12 months19701971: leap fifth month, 13 monthsLeap 51972: 12 months19721973: 12 months19731974: leap fourth month, 13 monthsLeap 41975: 12 months19751976: leap eighth month, 13 monthsLeap 81977: 12 months19771978: 12 months19781979: leap sixth month, 13 monthsLeap 61980s1980: 12 months19801981: 12 months19811982: leap fourth month, 13 monthsLeap 41983: 12 months19831984: leap tenth month, 13 monthsLeap 101985: 12 months19851986: 12 months19861987: leap sixth month, 13 monthsLeap 61988: 12 months19881989: 12 months19891990s1990: leap fifth month, 13 monthsLeap 51991: 12 months19911992: 12 months19921993: leap third month, 13 monthsLeap 31994: 12 months19941995: leap eighth month, 13 monthsLeap 81996: 12 months19961997: 12 months19971998: leap fifth month, 13 monthsLeap 51999: 12 months19992000s2000: 12 months20002001: leap fourth month, 13 monthsLeap 42002: 12 months20022003: 12 months20032004: leap second month, 13 monthsLeap 22005: 12 months20052006: leap seventh month, 13 monthsLeap 72007: 12 months20072008: 12 months20082009: leap fifth month, 13 monthsLeap 52010s2010: 12 months20102011: 12 months20112012: leap fourth month, 13 monthsLeap 42013: 12 months20132014: leap ninth month, 13 monthsLeap 92015: 12 months20152016: 12 months20162017: leap sixth month, 13 monthsLeap 62018: 12 months20182019: 12 months20192020s2020: leap fourth month, 13 monthsLeap 42021: 12 months20212022: 12 months20222023: leap second month, 13 monthsLeap 22024: 12 months20242025: leap sixth month, 13 monthsLeap 62026: 12 months20262027: 12 months20272028: leap fifth month, 13 monthsLeap 52029: 12 months20292030s2030: 12 months20302031: leap third month, 13 monthsLeap 32032: 12 months20322033: leap eleventh month, 13 monthsLeap 11Source: NASA JPL DE440 new moons and solar termsastrohot.com
Which month was doubled: leap months of the Chinese calendar, 1924–2033Grid of years by decade; years with a thirteenth, leap month are highlighted and labeled with the number of the month that was repeated.01234567891920s1924: 12 months1925: leap fourth month, 13 months41926: 12 months1927: 12 months1928: leap second month, 13 months21929: 12 months1930s1930: leap sixth month, 13 months61931: 12 months1932: 12 months1933: leap fifth month, 13 months51934: 12 months1935: 12 months1936: leap third month, 13 months31937: 12 months1938: leap seventh month, 13 months71939: 12 months1940s1940: 12 months1941: leap sixth month, 13 months61942: 12 months1943: 12 months1944: leap fourth month, 13 months41945: 12 months1946: 12 months1947: leap second month, 13 months21948: 12 months1949: leap seventh month, 13 months71950s1950: 12 months1951: 12 months1952: leap fifth month, 13 months51953: 12 months1954: 12 months1955: leap third month, 13 months31956: 12 months1957: leap eighth month, 13 months81958: 12 months1959: 12 months1960s1960: leap sixth month, 13 months61961: 12 months1962: 12 months1963: leap fourth month, 13 months41964: 12 months1965: 12 months1966: leap third month, 13 months31967: 12 months1968: leap seventh month, 13 months71969: 12 months1970s1970: 12 months1971: leap fifth month, 13 months51972: 12 months1973: 12 months1974: leap fourth month, 13 months41975: 12 months1976: leap eighth month, 13 months81977: 12 months1978: 12 months1979: leap sixth month, 13 months61980s1980: 12 months1981: 12 months1982: leap fourth month, 13 months41983: 12 months1984: leap tenth month, 13 months101985: 12 months1986: 12 months1987: leap sixth month, 13 months61988: 12 months1989: 12 months1990s1990: leap fifth month, 13 months51991: 12 months1992: 12 months1993: leap third month, 13 months31994: 12 months1995: leap eighth month, 13 months81996: 12 months1997: 12 months1998: leap fifth month, 13 months51999: 12 months2000s2000: 12 months2001: leap fourth month, 13 months42002: 12 months2003: 12 months2004: leap second month, 13 months22005: 12 months2006: leap seventh month, 13 months72007: 12 months2008: 12 months2009: leap fifth month, 13 months52010s2010: 12 months2011: 12 months2012: leap fourth month, 13 months42013: 12 months2014: leap ninth month, 13 months92015: 12 months2016: 12 months2017: leap sixth month, 13 months62018: 12 months2019: 12 months2020s2020: leap fourth month, 13 months42021: 12 months2022: 12 months2023: leap second month, 13 months22024: 12 months2025: leap sixth month, 13 months62026: 12 months2027: 12 months2028: leap fifth month, 13 months52029: 12 months2030s2030: 12 months2031: leap third month, 13 months32032: 12 months2033: leap eleventh month, 13 months11Source: NASA JPL DE440 new moons and solar termsastrohot.com

Of the 110 lunar years, 41 carried a leap month. The fourth month was doubled most often, 8 times, most recently in 2020; the ninth, tenth and eleventh only once each, in 2014, 1984 and 2033; the first and twelfth never in this span.

Cite this page

AstroHot. “Chinese New Year Dates and Zodiac Years.” Accessed October 30, 2026. https://astrohot.com/chinese-horoscope/year/

For Wikipedia {{cite web |title=Chinese New Year Dates and Zodiac Years |url=https://astrohot.com/chinese-horoscope/year/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-30}}