In addition to the cycle of 60 elements, The Chinese also mark a cycle of 12 years, giving each one a name of a specific animal. The years mentioned are Gregorian equivalent years. Thus, the year of the horse (馬) is at year 2002. The year of the Goat (羊) is 2003. ... etc.

Please Note: The years indicated here are Gregorian years, not Chinese years. For the most part, an event (like a date of birth say between March-December) is a simple matter of looking at this table. By way of example, those born in 1956 are generally considered to be born in the year of the Monkey. But the year of the Monkey didn't officially begin until February 12, 1956. Those born between January 1, 1956 and February 11, 1956 are actually born in the year of the Goat.

So When Does the Chinese New Year Begin? As a As a general rule of thumb, the Chinese New Year occurs on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice, as calculated from 120°E. There are some exceptions, but our calendar products will have those covered for you.