# What Chinese Zodiac Year Is It?

> The Year of the Fire Horse (丙午, Bing Wu) runs from February 17, 2026 to February 5, 2027. It is the Yang Fire year of the sexagenary cycle. The next Lunar New Year is on February 6, 2027, when the Year of the Fire Goat begins.

Today in Beijing (October 4, 2026) is the eighth month, day 24 of the Year of the Fire Horse, a Xin Hai (辛亥) day. The current solar term is Autumn Equinox (Qiufen), and Cold Dew begins on October 8, 2026 at 2:29 PM Beijing time (06:29 UTC).

Canonical page: https://www.selfgazer.com/chinese-zodiac

## The Current 12-Year Cycle

| Year | Animal | Sexagenary | Starts | Ends |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2020 | Metal Rat | Geng Zi (庚子) | 2020-01-25 | 2021-02-11 |
| 2021 | Metal Ox | Xin Chou (辛丑) | 2021-02-12 | 2022-01-31 |
| 2022 | Water Tiger | Ren Yin (壬寅) | 2022-02-01 | 2023-01-21 |
| 2023 | Water Rabbit | Gui Mao (癸卯) | 2023-01-22 | 2024-02-09 |
| 2024 | Wood Dragon | Jia Chen (甲辰) | 2024-02-10 | 2025-01-28 |
| 2025 | Wood Snake | Yi Si (乙巳) | 2025-01-29 | 2026-02-16 |
| 2026 | Fire Horse | Bing Wu (丙午) | 2026-02-17 | 2027-02-05 |
| 2027 | Fire Goat | Ding Wei (丁未) | 2027-02-06 | 2028-01-25 |
| 2028 | Earth Monkey | Wu Shen (戊申) | 2028-01-26 | 2029-02-12 |
| 2029 | Earth Rooster | Ji You (己酉) | 2029-02-13 | 2030-02-02 |
| 2030 | Metal Dog | Geng Xu (庚戌) | 2030-02-03 | 2031-01-22 |
| 2031 | Metal Pig | Xin Hai (辛亥) | 2031-01-23 | 2032-02-10 |

## Upcoming Solar Terms

| Term | Begins (UTC) |
| --- | --- |
| Cold Dew (Hanlu, 寒露) | 2026-10-08 06:29 |
| Frost's Descent (Shuangjiang, 霜降) | 2026-10-23 09:38 |
| Start of Winter (Lidong, 立冬) | 2026-11-07 09:52 |
| Minor Snow (Xiaoxue, 小雪) | 2026-11-22 07:23 |
| Major Snow (Daxue, 大雪) | 2026-12-07 02:52 |
| Winter Solstice (Dongzhi, 冬至) | 2026-12-21 20:50 |

## Questions

### What Chinese Zodiac Year Is It?

The Year of the Fire Horse (丙午, Bing Wu) runs from February 17, 2026 to February 5, 2027. It is the Yang Fire year of the sexagenary cycle. The next Lunar New Year is on February 6, 2027, when the Year of the Fire Goat begins.

### When Is Chinese New Year 2027?

Chinese New Year 2027 is on February 6, 2027. It begins the Year of the Fire Goat (丁未), which lasts until January 25, 2028.

### What Is Today's Date in the Chinese Calendar?

Today in Beijing (October 4, 2026) is the eighth month, day 24 of the Year of the Fire Horse, a Xin Hai (辛亥) day. The current solar term is Autumn Equinox (Qiufen), and Cold Dew begins on October 8, 2026 at 2:29 PM Beijing time (06:29 UTC).

### Which Signs Are in Conflict With Tai Sui This Year?

In the Year of the Fire Horse, the signs traditionally said to be in conflict with Tai Sui, the year's ruling deity, are Horse (birth year and punishment), Rat (clash), Ox (harm) and Rabbit (break).

### Why Does My Chinese Zodiac Depend on My Birthday in January or February?

Your Chinese zodiac animal changes at Lunar New Year, not on January 1. Lunar New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, between January 21 and February 20, so anyone born in January or early February may belong to the previous year's animal. BaZi (Four Pillars) charts use a second boundary, the solar term Li Chun (Start of Spring), on February 3, 4 or 5. Look up your exact birth date to see both.

### How Are These Dates Calculated?

Dates are computed astronomically, following the rules of the modern Chinese calendar (GB/T 33661-2017): days in China Standard Time (UTC+8), months starting on the day of the new moon, the winter solstice always in the eleventh month, and leap months placed in the first month without a principal solar term. Solar terms are the moments the Sun reaches each 15 degree point of its path, computed with the Astronomy Engine library. Years before 1929 used Beijing local time, so a handful of historical dates can differ by one day from older almanacs.

## Method

Dates are computed astronomically, following the rules of the modern Chinese calendar (GB/T 33661-2017): days in China Standard Time (UTC+8), months starting on the day of the new moon, the winter solstice always in the eleventh month, and leap months placed in the first month without a principal solar term. Solar terms are the moments the Sun reaches each 15 degree point of its path, computed with the Astronomy Engine library. Years before 1929 used Beijing local time, so a handful of historical dates can differ by one day from older almanacs.

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