Chinese New Year
23 January 2012Dragon from this lunar-calendar boundary.
Ren Chen · 壬辰
2012: Year of the Water Dragon
2012 is the year of the Water Dragon, from 23 Jan 2012 – 9 Feb 2013. A 2012 birth before 23 Jan 2012 belongs to the previous Metal Rabbit year.
- Animal
- Dragon 龙 The earthly branch—the second Gan-Zhi character—supplies the year's animal.
- Animal fixed element
- Earth The Dragon branch keeps this element in every Dragon year.
- Gan-Zhi · what is this?
- Ren Chen 壬辰 A heavenly stem plus an earthly branch: the traditional two-character year name.
- Na Yin · what is this?
- 长流水 · Water A separate named classification for a two-year Gan-Zhi pair.
- Age reached in 2026
- Born in 2012, a person turns 14 in 2026 Age attained in Gregorian 2026; the birthday sets the exact day.
The year's complete signature
What is specific to 2012
The Water year stem and the Dragon's fixed Earth branch are different coordinates. Their element dynamic is Earth controls Water. In the Five Phases cycle, Earth regulates Water.
The complete 壬辰 pillar carries Na Yin 长流水, a Water classification.
- Stem–branch element dynamic
- Earth controls Water
- Lunar leap month
- Leap month 4
- Li Chun · Start of Spring
- 4 February 2012 at 18:22 UTC+8
- Clashing animal
- Dog 狗
- Ben ming nian
- Own animal year for people born under Dragon
One year, two boundary conventions
Chinese New Year and Li Chun in 2012
Li Chun 立春
4 February 2012 at 18:22 China Standard Time (UTC+8)Dragon from this solar-term boundary.
Between the two boundaries, Chinese New Year assigns Dragon; Li Chun assigns Rabbit. On 4 February 2012, the solar answer changes at 4 February 2012 at 18:22 UTC+8.
The moving New Year boundary
Born early in 2012? You may be Rabbit, not Dragon
Chinese New Year 2012 fell on 23 January 2012. Anyone born between 1 January 2012 and 22 January 2012 — a window of 22 days — belongs to the 2011 zodiac year, the Yin Metal Rabbit, and not to the Dragon.
Check an exact birth date against the 23 January 2012 boundary.
Exact 2012 zodiac year dates
The 2012 lunar year carried leap month 4, stretching it to 384 days.
- Zodiac year beginsThe Chinese New Year boundary used for this site's animal sign.
- 23 January 2012
- Zodiac year endsThe day before the next Chinese New Year begins a new animal year.
- 9 February 2013
- Complete year namePolarity, year-stem element, and animal read together.
- Yang Water DragonOpen this year type →
- Day the year beganThe weekday on which this year's Chinese New Year fell.
- Monday
- Lunar-year lengthLeap months occasionally add a thirteenth lunar month.
- 384 days · leap month 4 · thirteen lunar months
- Previous zodiac yearThe animal year immediately before this boundary.
- 2011 · Yin Metal RabbitOpen the previous record →
- Next zodiac yearThe animal year that starts at the following Chinese New Year.
- 2013 · Yin Water SnakeOpen the next record →
The Gregorian year's solar clock
All 24 solar terms in Gregorian 2012
These are the calculated seasonal markers from January through December2012, 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 Dragon years through the cycle
The Dragon branch repeats every twelve years. Across five returns, the year stem moves through all five elements; the exact Yang Water Dragon signature comes back after sixty years.
12Years between Dragon returns
5Elements across five returns
60Years to the same signature
1964–2012Selected pass · 5 Dragon returns
Each point is twelve years apart. Element names describe the changing heavenly stem; the animal branch remains Dragon. Open a year or complete name for its full record.
The exact pairing 壬辰 — Yang Water Dragon — returns only once every sixty years: 1952, 2072. Open the complete Dragon year history →