Chinese New Year
28 January 1960Rat from this lunar-calendar boundary.
Geng Zi · 庚子
1960: Year of the Metal Rat
1960 is the year of the Metal Rat, from 28 Jan 1960 – 14 Feb 1961. A 1960 birth before 28 Jan 1960 belongs to the previous Earth Pig year.
- Animal
- Rat 鼠 The earthly branch—the second Gan-Zhi character—supplies the year's animal.
- Animal fixed element
- Water The Rat branch keeps this element in every Rat year.
- Gan-Zhi · what is this?
- Geng Zi 庚子 A heavenly stem plus an earthly branch: the traditional two-character year name.
- Na Yin · what is this?
- 壁上土 · Earth A separate named classification for a two-year Gan-Zhi pair.
- Age reached in 2026
- Born in 1960, a person turns 66 in 2026 Age attained in Gregorian 2026; the birthday sets the exact day.
The year's complete signature
What is specific to 1960
The Metal year stem and the Rat's fixed Water branch are different coordinates. Their element dynamic is Metal generates Water. In the Five Phases cycle, Metal feeds Water.
The complete 庚子 pillar carries Na Yin 壁上土, a Earth classification.
- Stem–branch element dynamic
- Metal generates Water
- Lunar leap month
- Leap month 6
- Li Chun · Start of Spring
- 5 February 1960 at 03:23 UTC+8
- Clashing animal
- Horse 马
- Ben ming nian
- Own animal year for people born under Rat
One year, two boundary conventions
Chinese New Year and Li Chun in 1960
Li Chun 立春
5 February 1960 at 03:23 China Standard Time (UTC+8)Rat from this solar-term boundary.
Between the two boundaries, Chinese New Year assigns Rat; Li Chun assigns Pig. On 5 February 1960, the solar answer changes at 5 February 1960 at 03:23 UTC+8.
The moving New Year boundary
Born early in 1960? You may be Pig, not Rat
Chinese New Year 1960 fell on 28 January 1960. Anyone born between 1 January 1960 and 27 January 1960 — a window of 27 days — belongs to the 1959 zodiac year, the Yin Earth Pig, and not to the Rat.
Check an exact birth date against the 28 January 1960 boundary.
Exact 1960 zodiac year dates
The 1960 lunar year carried leap month 6, stretching it to 384 days.
- Zodiac year beginsThe Chinese New Year boundary used for this site's animal sign.
- 28 January 1960
- Zodiac year endsThe day before the next Chinese New Year begins a new animal year.
- 14 February 1961
- Complete year namePolarity, year-stem element, and animal read together.
- Yang Metal RatOpen this year type →
- Day the year beganThe weekday on which this year's Chinese New Year fell.
- Thursday
- Lunar-year lengthLeap months occasionally add a thirteenth lunar month.
- 384 days · leap month 6 · thirteen lunar months
- Previous zodiac yearThe animal year immediately before this boundary.
- 1959 · Yin Earth PigOpen the previous record →
- Next zodiac yearThe animal year that starts at the following Chinese New Year.
- 1961 · Yin Metal OxOpen the next record →
The Gregorian year's solar clock
All 24 solar terms in Gregorian 1960
These are the calculated seasonal markers from January through December1960, shown in China Standard Time (UTC+8). Jie terms open solar months; qi terms fall between them.
春SpringWood season · six markers
The Tiger, Rabbit, and Dragon branch months form the spring meeting. Start of Spring opens it; the Spring Equinox is its midpoint.
Start of Spring 立春
Jie · month openingOpens traditional spring and the Tiger solar month. Four Pillars calendars also use this instant as their change of astrological year.
Rain Water 雨水
Qi · month midpointNames the early-spring turn toward rain and moisture. It is the Qi midpoint of the Tiger solar month.
Awakening of Insects 惊蛰
Jie · month openingEvokes hibernating life stirring as spring advances. This Jie opens the Rabbit solar month.
Spring Equinox 春分
Qi · month midpointThe equinox at the middle of traditional spring, when day and night are close to equal in length.
Pure Brightness 清明
Jie · month openingNames the clear, bright interval of later spring. This Jie opens the Dragon solar month and also names the Qingming observance.
Grain Rain 谷雨
Qi · month midpointThe final spring term, named for rains associated with the growth of grain. It is the Qi midpoint of Dragon month.
夏SummerFire season · six markers
The Snake, Horse, and Goat branch months form the summer meeting. Start of Summer opens it; the Summer Solstice is its midpoint.
Start of Summer 立夏
Jie · month openingOpens traditional summer and the Snake solar month, before the June solstice rather than on it.
Grain Buds 小满
Qi · month midpointDescribes grain beginning to fill without yet being fully ripe. It is the Qi midpoint of Snake month.
Grain in Ear 芒种
Jie · month openingNames the time of awned grains in the seasonal sequence. This Jie opens the Horse solar month.
Summer Solstice 夏至
Qi · month midpointThe June solstice and midpoint of traditional summer, with the longest daylight of the Northern Hemisphere year.
Minor Heat 小暑
Jie · month openingIntroduces the hotter part of the traditional calendar. This Jie opens the Goat solar month.
Major Heat 大暑
Qi · month midpointThe closing term of traditional summer, named for the season's strongest heat and placed at the midpoint of Goat month.
秋AutumnMetal season · six markers
The Monkey, Rooster, and Dog branch months form the autumn meeting. Start of Autumn opens it; the Autumn Equinox is its midpoint.
Start of Autumn 立秋
Jie · month openingOpens traditional autumn and the Monkey solar month, well before the September equinox.
End of Heat 处暑
Qi · month midpointIts name marks summer heat beginning to withdraw. It is the Qi midpoint of Monkey month.
White Dew 白露
Jie · month openingEvokes the more visible dew of cooler early-autumn nights. This Jie opens the Rooster solar month.
Autumn Equinox 秋分
Qi · month midpointThe equinox at the middle of traditional autumn, when day and night are close to equal in length.
Cold Dew 寒露
Jie · month openingNames the deepening chill signalled by cold dew. This Jie opens the Dog solar month.
Frost Descent 霜降
Qi · month midpointThe final autumn term, named for the arrival of frost in the traditional seasonal vocabulary and placed at the midpoint of Dog month.
冬WinterWater season · six markers
The Pig, Rat, and Ox branch months form the winter meeting. Start of Winter opens it; the Winter Solstice is its midpoint. In a Gregorian-year record, its January terms appear before the four markers in November and December.
Minor Cold 小寒
Jie · month openingBegins the final solar month of winter. This Jie opens the Ox month near the start of January.
Major Cold 大寒
Qi · month midpointThe twenty-fourth term closes the traditional winter sequence before Start of Spring begins it again.
Start of Winter 立冬
Jie · month openingOpens traditional winter and the Pig solar month, before the December solstice rather than on it.
Minor Snow 小雪
Qi · month midpointIntroduces snow imagery into the winter sequence. It is the Qi midpoint of Pig month, not a promise of local snowfall.
Major Snow 大雪
Jie · month openingNames a deeper-cold stage in the traditional calendar. This Jie opens the Rat solar month.
Winter Solstice 冬至
Qi · month midpointThe December solstice and midpoint of traditional winter, with the shortest daylight of the Northern Hemisphere year.
The repeating earthly branch
Follow Rat years through the cycle
The Rat branch repeats every twelve years. Across five returns, the year stem moves through all five elements; the exact Yang Metal Rat signature comes back after sixty years.
12Years between Rat returns
5Elements across five returns
60Years to the same signature
1912–1960Selected pass · 5 Rat returns
Each point is twelve years apart. Element names describe the changing heavenly stem; the animal branch remains Rat. Open a year or complete name for its full record.
The exact pairing 庚子 — Yang Metal Rat — returns only once every sixty years: 2020, 2080. Open the complete Rat year history →