The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, features 12 animal signs in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake according to Chinese zodiac, starting from the 2025 Chinese New Year on Jan. 29th and lasting to 2026 Lunar New Year's Eve on Feb. 16. 2026 is the Year of the Horse. Each Chinese lunar year has a Chinese zodiac sign animal. The Chinese zodiac year's stsarting date is a little different from the Gregorian year. It starts from Chinese New Year. The Chinese zodiac years chart below is provided to help you find out the exact starting and ending dates of the Chinese zodiac years. (This is especially useful for The Chinese zodiac includes 12 animal signs, in order they are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, marks the transition from one animal to the next—2024 is the year of the Dragon, which began on February 10th, 2024, and ends on February 24th, 2024. What are the animals of the zodiac? Each year honors an animal based on the Chinese zodiac. The circle of 12 animals — the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig — measure the cycles of time. For the starting date of a zodiac year, there are two schools of thought in Chinese astrology: Chinese New Year or the Start of Spring. Chinese New Year, day 1 of the Chinese lunar year, falls somewhere in the period January 21 st to February 20 th. The Start of Spring is the 1 st of the 24 Solar Terms, beginning on February 3 rd or 4 th. Most The ox is another New Year animal found on the Chinese zodiac and is the second animal after the rat. The ox can also be identified as the cow or the water buffalo. The year of the ox is observed after the completion of the year of the rat and the years of the ox in the past include 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, and 2009. Below are listed the Chinese zodiac 2026 ruling animals and elements for each month of the year.* According to the Chinese New Year 2026 calendar, February 17, 2026 is the Lunar New Year celebration day, which marks the start of the Year of the Fire Horse 2026 (the Horse being the ruling animal of the year 2026) and the first day of the Month Just like New Year according to the Gregorian calendar (January 1), Lunar New Year celebrations start on the night before the first day of the new year. ( Note: China follows the Gregorian calendar for daily business but still follows the Chinese calendar for important festivals, auspicious dates for events such as weddings, and the Moon phases.) The Chinese zodiac, also known as Shengxiao (“born resembling”), is a repeating cycle of 12 years, with each year represented by a different animal. In order, the 12 zodiac animals are: In That’s because each year is represented by an animal, called a Chinese zodiac sign, and legend has it that people born under that sign have similar traits to the animal. (The year 2024—starting February 10—is the Year of the Dragon.) These ancient zodiac signs probably weren’t based on real animal species. For the starting date of a zodiac year, there are two schools of thought in Chinese astrology: Chinese New Year or the Start of Spring. Chinese New Year, day 1 of the Chinese lunar year, falls somewhere in the period January 21 st to February 20 th. The Start of Spring is the 1 st of the 24 Solar Terms, beginning on February 3 rd or 4 th. Most Every year, the Lunar New Year marks the transition from one animal to another. The Year of the Dragon, which began on Feb. 10, 2024, ended Tuesday to begin the Year of the Snake. People born in the year of 1966 (Jan. 21, 1966 - Feb. 08, 1967) Bing Wu year are members of the Fire Horse. For those born before Jan. 21, 1966, they belong to the zodiac animal of Wood Snake . Personality and Horoscope for the Fire Horse The ox is another New Year animal found on the Chinese zodiac and is the second animal after the rat. The ox can also be identified as the cow or the water buffalo. The year of the ox is observed after the completion of the year of the rat and the years of the ox in the past include 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, and 2009. "Babies born between Feb. 4, 2024 to Feb. 3, 2025 will have the Wood Dragon as the animal sign of their birth year," says Iskandar. "Since the astrological year starts on Feb. 4 each year, those What are the animals of the zodiac? Each year honors an animal based on the Chinese zodiac. The circle of 12 animals — the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig — measure the cycles of time. With Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) quickly approaching, some may wonder why this coming year is the Year of the Snake, why each year is represented by an animal and the story behind it all People born in the year of 1973 (Feb. 03, 1973 - Jan. 22, 1974) which is Gui Chou Year are members of the Water Ox. For those born before Feb. 03, 1973, they belong to the zodiac animal of Water Rat. Every Chinese zodiac year from 1900–2031, full table and broken down by each zodiac. Find your year, animal, dates and element (metal, water, wood, fire, earth). Chinese New Year The lunar calendar is also associated with 12 animal signs in Chinese zodiac, so every 12 years is regarded as a cycle. 2025 is a Year of the Snake, while 2026 turns to be a Year of the Horse. Chinese New Year Calendar (1930 - 2030)
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