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It's the Year of the Dragon! What's Your Sign? Check it here!

Posted by Angi Ma Wong on Tuesday, 17 January 2012.

Dragon by Ambassador March Fong Eu

IT IS THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON!

   January 23, 2012 to February 9, 2013

What's your sign?

   If you don't know what your
Chinese zodiac animal is, 
check your birthdate with the chart below.*

Then read AsianConnections.com's 
14th annual Chinese Lunar New Year
Predictions for the Year of the Dragon
 by best-selling author and Feng Shui consultant, and AsianConnections.com columnist Feng Shui Lady® Angi Ma Wong.

AsianConnections.com thanks former Ambassador March Fong Eu for her Dragon art.

YearAssociated
Element		Heavenly
Stem		Earthly
Branch		Associated
Animal		Year
1924–19831984–2043
1 Feb  5, 1924 – Jan 23, 1925 Yang Wood 甲 子 鼠 Rat Feb  2, 1984 – Feb 19, 1985
2 Jan 24, 1925 – Feb 12, 1926 Yin Wood 乙 丑 牛 Ox Feb 20, 1985 – Feb  8, 1986
3 Feb 13, 1926 – Feb  1, 1927 Yang Fire 丙 寅 虎 Tiger Feb  9, 1986 – Jan 28, 1987
4 Feb  2, 1927 – Jan 22, 1928 Yin Fire 丁 卯 兔 Rabbit Jan 29, 1987 – Feb 16, 1988
5 Jan 23, 1928 – Feb  9, 1929 Yang Earth 戊 辰 龍 Dragon Feb 17, 1988 – Feb  5, 1989
6 Feb 10, 1929 – Jan 29, 1930 Yin Earth 己 巳 蛇 Snake Feb  6, 1989 – Jan 26, 1990
7 Jan 30, 1930 – Feb 16, 1931 Yang Metal 庚 午 馬 Horse Jan 27, 1990 – Feb 14, 1991
8 Feb 17, 1931 – Feb  5, 1932 Yin Metal 辛 未 羊 Goat Feb 15, 1991 – Feb  3, 1992
9 Feb  6, 1932 – Jan 25, 1933 Yang Water 壬 申 猴 Monkey Feb  4, 1992 – Jan 22, 1993
10 Jan 26, 1933 – Feb 13, 1934 Yin Water 癸 酉 鷄 Rooster Jan 23, 1993 – Feb  9, 1994
11 Feb 14, 1934 – Feb  3, 1935 Yang Wood 甲 戌 狗 Dog Feb 10, 1994 – Jan 30 1995
12 Feb  4, 1935 – Jan 23, 1936 Yin Wood 乙 亥 猪 Pig Jan 31, 1995 – Feb 18, 1996
13 Jan 24, 1936 – Feb 10 1937 Yang Fire 丙 子 鼠 Rat Feb 19, 1996 – Feb  6, 1997
14 Feb 11, 1937 – Jan 30 1938 Yin Fire 丁 丑 牛 Ox Feb  7, 1997 – Jan 27, 1998
15 Jan 31, 1938 – Feb 18, 1939 Yang Earth 戊 寅 虎 Tiger Jan 28, 1998 – Feb 15, 1999
16 Feb 19, 1939 – Feb  7, 1940 Yin Earth 己 卯 兔 Rabbit Feb 16, 1999 – Feb  4, 2000
17 Feb  8, 1940 – Jan 26, 1941 Yang Metal 庚 辰 龍 Dragon Feb  5, 2000 – Jan 23, 2001
18 Jan 27, 1941 – Feb 14, 1942 Yin Metal 辛 巳 蛇 Snake Jan 24, 2001 – Feb 11, 2002
19 Feb 15, 1942 – Feb  4, 1943 Yang Water 壬 午 馬 Horse Feb 12, 2002 – Jan 31, 2003
20 Feb  5, 1943 – Jan 24, 1944 Yin Water 癸 未 羊 Goat Feb  1, 2003 – Jan 21, 2004
21 Jan 25, 1944 – Feb 12, 1945 Yang Wood 甲 申 猴 Monkey Jan 22, 2004 – Feb  8, 2005
22 Feb 13, 1945 – Feb  1, 1946 Yin Wood 乙 酉 鷄 Rooster Feb  9, 2005 – Jan 28, 2006
23 Feb  2, 1946 – Jan 21, 1947 Yang Fire 丙 戌 狗 Dog Jan 29, 2006 – Feb 17, 2007
24 Jan 22, 1947 – Feb  9, 1948 Yin Fire 丁 亥 猪 Pig Feb 18, 2007 – Feb  6, 2008
25 Feb 10, 1948 – Jan 28, 1949 Yang Earth 戊 子 鼠 Rat Feb  7, 2008 – Jan 25, 2009
26 Jan 29, 1949 – Feb 16, 1950 Yin Earth 己 丑 牛 Ox Jan 26, 2009 – Feb 13, 2010
27 Feb 17, 1950 – Feb  5, 1951 Yang Metal 庚 寅 虎 Tiger Feb 14, 2010 – Feb  2, 2011
28 Feb  6, 1951 – Jan 26, 1952 Yin Metal 辛 卯 兔 Rabbit Feb  3, 2011 – Jan 22, 2012
29 Jan 27, 1952 – Feb 13, 1953 Yang Water 壬 辰 龍 Dragon Jan 23, 2012 – Feb  9, 2013
30 Feb 14, 1953 – Feb  2, 1954 Yin Water 癸 巳 蛇 Snake Feb 10, 2013 – Jan 30 2014
31 Feb  3, 1954 – Jan 23, 1955 Yang Wood 甲 午 馬 Horse Jan 31, 2014 – Feb 18, 2015
32 Jan 24, 1955 – Feb 11, 1956 Yin Wood 乙 未 羊 Goat Feb 19, 2015 – Feb  7, 2016
33 Feb 12, 1956 – Jan 30 1957 Yang Fire 丙 申 猴 Monkey Feb  8, 2016 – Jan 27, 2017
34 Jan 31, 1957 – Feb 17, 1958 Yin Fire 丁 酉 鷄 Rooster Jan 28, 2017 – Feb 18, 2018
35 Feb 18, 1958 – Feb  7, 1959 Yang Earth 戊 戌 狗 Dog Feb 19, 2018 – Feb  4, 2019
36 Feb  8, 1959 – Jan 27, 1960 Yin Earth 己 亥 猪 Pig Feb  5, 2019 – Jan 24, 2020
37 Jan 28, 1960 – Feb 14, 1961 Yang Metal 庚 子 鼠 Rat Jan 25, 2020 – Feb. 11, 2021
38 Feb 15, 1961 – Feb  4, 1962 Yin Metal 辛 丑 牛 Ox Feb 12, 2021 – Jan 31, 2022
39 Feb  5, 1962 – Jan 24, 1963 Yang Water 壬 寅 虎 Tiger Feb  1, 2022 – Jan 21, 2023
40 Jan 25, 1963 – Feb 12, 1964 Yin Water 癸 卯 兔 Rabbit Jan 22, 2023 – Feb  9, 2024
41 Feb 13, 1964 – Feb  1, 1965 Yang Wood 甲 辰 龍 Dragon Feb 10, 2024 – Jan 28, 2025
42 Feb  2, 1965 – Jan 20 1966 Yin Wood 乙 巳 蛇 Snake Jan 29, 2025 – Feb 16, 2026
43 Jan 21, 1966 – Feb  8, 1967 Yang Fire 丙 午 馬 Horse Feb 17, 2026 – Feb  5, 2027
44 Feb  9, 1967 – Jan 29, 1968 Yin Fire 丁 未 羊 Goat Feb  6, 2027 – Jan 25, 2028
45 Jan 30, 1968 – Feb 16, 1969 Yang Earth 戊 申 猴 Monkey Jan 26, 2028 – Feb 12, 2029
46 Feb 17, 1969 – Feb  5, 1970 Yin Earth 己 酉 鷄 Rooster Feb 13, 2029 – Feb  2, 2030
47 Feb  6, 1970 – Jan 26, 1971 Yang Metal 庚 戌 狗 Dog Feb  3, 2030 – Jan 22, 2031
48 Jan 27, 1971 – Feb 14, 1972 Yin Metal 辛 亥 猪 Pig Jan 23, 2031 – Feb 10 2032
49 Feb 15, 1972 – Feb  2, 1973 Yang Water 壬 子 鼠 Rat Feb 11, 2032 – Jan 30 2033
50 Feb  3, 1973 – Jan 22, 1974 Yin Water 癸 丑 牛 Ox Jan 31, 2033 – Feb 18, 2034
51 Jan 23, 1974 – Feb 10 1975 Yang Wood 甲 寅 虎 Tiger Feb 19, 2034 – Feb  7, 2035
52 Feb 11, 1975 – Jan 30 1976 Yin Wood 乙 卯 兔 Rabbit Feb  8, 2035 – Jan 27, 2036
53 Jan 31, 1976 – Feb 17, 1977 Yang Fire 丙 辰 龍 Dragon Jan 28, 2036 – Feb 14, 2037
54 Feb 18, 1977 – Feb  6, 1978 Yin Fire 丁 巳 蛇 Snake Feb 15, 2037 – Feb  3, 2038
55 Feb  7, 1978 – Jan 27, 1979 Yang Earth 戊 午 馬 Horse Feb  4, 2038 – Jan 23, 2039
56 Jan 28, 1979 – Feb 15, 1980 Yin Earth 己 未 羊 Goat Jan 24, 2039 – Feb 11, 2040
57 Feb 16, 1980 – Feb  4, 1981 Yang Metal 庚 申 猴 Monkey Feb 12, 2040 – Jan 31, 2041
58 Feb  5, 1981 – Jan 24, 1982 Yin Metal 辛 酉 鷄 Rooster Feb  1, 2041 – Jan 21, 2042
59 Jan 25, 1982 – Feb 12, 1983 Yang Water 壬 戌 狗 Dog Jan 22, 2042 – Feb  9, 2043
60 Feb 13, 1983 – Feb  1, 1984 Yin Water 癸 亥 猪 Pig Feb 10, 2043 – Jan 29, 2044

Chinese zodiac in other countries

The Chinese zodiac signs are also used by cultures other than Chinese. For one example, they usually appear on Korean New Year and Japanese New Year's cards and stamps. The United States Postal Service and those of several other countries issue a "Year of the ____" postage stamp each year to honor this Chinese heritage. However, those unfamiliar with the use of the Chinese lunar calendar usually just assume that the signs switch over on January 1 of each year. Those who are serious about the fortune telling aspect of the signs can consult a table, such as the one above.

The Chinese lunar coins, depicting the zodiac animals, inspired the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins, as well as varieties from Australia, Korea, and Mongolia. The Chinese zodiac is an internationally popular theme, available from many of the world's government and private mints.

The Chinese zodiac is also used in some other Asian countries that have been under the cultural influence of China. However, some of the animals in the Zodiac may differ by country.

East Asia

The Korean zodiac is identical to the Chinese one. The Vietnamese zodiac is almost identical to Chinese zodiac except that the second animal is the Water Buffalo instead of the Ox, and the fourth animal is the Cat instead of the Rabbit. The Japanese zodiac includes the Wild Boar instead of the Pig. The Thai zodiac includes a Naga in place of the Dragon. Furthermore, the Thais reckon that the new zodiac year starts, not at Chinese New Year, but at either on the first day of fifth month in Thai lunar calendar, or during the Songkran festival (now celebrated every 13-15 April), depending on the purpose of the use.[5]

Bulgars, Huns and Turkic people

The European Huns used the Chinese Zodiac complete with "Dragon", "Pig". This common Chinese-Turkic Zodiac was in use in Balkan Bulgaria well into the Bulgars' adoption of Slavic language and Orthodox Christianity. Following is the Hunnish or Turkic Bulgarian Pagan zodiac calendar, distinctive from the Greek zodiac but much in conformity with the Chinese one:

Torè calendar

Names of years

  1. Kuzgé – [Year of] Saravana - Mouse
  2. Shiger (Syger) – Artom (Taurus)
  3. Kuman (Imén)
  4. Ügur – Tiger, Myachè Ügur – Tiger
  5. Taushan – Rabbit
  6. Samar – Dragon Birgün (Bergen, Birig, Baradj) – Dragon
  7. Dilan – Snake
  8. Tykha – Horse
  9. Téké – Sheep
  10. Bichin, Michin – Monkey
  11. Tavuk – Rooster, Hen (also written tağuk—ğ is pronounced as v in Turk. verbs döğmek and öğmek)
  12. It – Dog
  13. Shushma – Pig (many mistake it as boar though)(Turk., Russ. "Kaban"—Translator's Note, also cognate of Turkish şişman, "fat")

In Kazakhstan, an animal cycle similar to the Chinese is used, but the dragon is substituted by a snail (Kazakh: улу), and tiger appears as a leopard (Kazakh: барыс).

In Mongolia 12 year beasts are called "Арван хоёр жил" meaning "12 years"

  1. Hulgana - Хулгана - Mouse
  2. Ukher - Үхэр - Cattle (Ukher is general name for cows)
  3. Bar - Бар - Tiger (Mongolian : Барс -leopard )
  4. Tuulai - Туулай - Rabbit
  5. Luu - Луу - Dragon
  6. Mogoi - Могой - Snake
  7. Mori - Морь - Horse
  8. Honi - Хонь - Sheep
  9. Bichin, Michin, Mechin - Бичин, Мичин, Мэчин - Monkey
  10. Tahiya - Тахиа - Chicken
  11. Nohai - Нохой - Dog
  12. Gahai - Гахай - Pig (Gahai is general name for pig, it can be wild boar)

    *Source courtesy by Wikipedia reprinted under the Creative Commons Attributions-ShareAlike License. Donate to Wikipedia