How your Chinese zodiac animal is chosen

Twelve animals, twelve years

The animals take turns, one year each, always in the same order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. After the Pig the cycle starts again with the Rat. 2020 was a Rat year, so 2032 will be too.

The year starts at Lunar New Year

The Chinese calendar follows the Moon as well as the Sun. Its new year falls on a new Moon between 21 January and 20 February, so the date moves every year. In 2026 it fell on 17 February.

That means anyone born in January or early February may belong to the previous animal. For example:

• Born 10 February 2026: before Lunar New Year, so a Snake (the 2025 animal).
• Born 20 February 2026: after Lunar New Year, so a Horse.

Starlight checks the exact date for you, using Lunar New Year dates from 1900 to 2100.

What about Li Chun?

Some astrologers, especially in the Four Pillars (Ba Zi) tradition, start the year at Li Chun, the “start of spring”, around 4 February, rather than at Lunar New Year. For most people the answer is the same. If your birthday falls between those two dates, you might see a different animal elsewhere. Starlight follows Lunar New Year, as most popular guides and family traditions do.

Your animal, element and yin or yang

Each year also has an element (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water) and is either yin or yang. The element changes every two years; yang years end in an even number and yin years in an odd one. So 2026 is a Fire Horse, yang. See Year elements and the 60-year cycle.

Meet the animals

Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.