1939 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Rabbit
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Rabbit 兔
Element
Yin Earth
Stem-branch
己卯 Ji-Mao
Zodiac year
Feb 19, 1939 to Feb 7, 1940
The 1939 Year of the Yin Earth Rabbit (己卯) began on Sunday, February 19, 1939, and lasted until February 7, 1940. Births from January 1 to February 18, 1939, the first 49 days of 1939, belonged to the Earth Tiger year. Its Chinese New Year, Feb 19, is among the latest possible (the latest from 1900 to 2100 is Feb 20). It has 12 lunar months and 354 days, with no leap month. It contains one Start of Spring term (Feb 5, 1940).
Which animal for a 1939 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 01:10 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 5, 1939, before 01:10 | Earth Tiger | Earth Tiger |
| Feb 5, 1939, from 01:10, to Feb 18 | Earth Tiger | Earth Rabbit |
| Feb 19 to Dec 31, 1939 | Earth Rabbit | Earth Rabbit |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1939 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Earth Tiger (1938)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Earth Rabbit (1939)
Chinese New Year 1939: 1939-02-19. Lichun 1939: 1939-02-05 01:10 Beijing time. The New Year rule compares your birth date with the New Year date; the Lichun rule compares the exact moment, converted from your local time.
Lichun 1939 in other time zones
The same moment in local time. Under the Lichun rule, a birth at or after this local time takes the new animal.
Lichun 1939 was 01:10 Beijing time on February 5, 1939. In New York that was 12:10 on February 4, 1939, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 4 at or after 12:10 is an Earth Rabbit under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 5, 1939 | 01:10 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 5, 1939 | 01:10 |
| Taipei | Feb 5, 1939 | 02:10 |
| Singapore | Feb 5, 1939 | 00:30 |
| Seoul | Feb 5, 1939 | 02:10 |
| Tokyo | Feb 5, 1939 | 02:10 |
| London | Feb 4, 1939(day before) | 17:10 |
| New York | Feb 4, 1939(day before) | 12:10 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 4, 1939(day before) | 09:10 |
| Sydney | Feb 5, 1939 | 03:10 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1939, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1939 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 19, 1939 |
| Lantern Festival | Mar 5, 1939 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 6, 1939 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 21, 1939 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 21, 1939 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 29, 1939 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 27, 1939 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 21, 1939 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 23, 1939 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 16, 1940 |
The Rabbit and 己卯 in the calendar
The Rabbit is the Earthly Branch 卯 (Mao); it also marks the double hour from 5 am to 7 am, the direction East and the fixed element Wood. 1939's own element, Earth, comes from the Heavenly Stem 己. All Years of the Rabbit.
己卯 is the 16th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1999 and 2059 (see the Year of the Rabbit table).
Lunar months of the 1939 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 19, 1939 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 21, 1939 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Apr 20, 1939 | 29 |
| 4th month | May 19, 1939 | 29 |
| 5th month | Jun 17, 1939 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jul 17, 1939 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 15, 1939 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 13, 1939 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 13, 1939 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 11, 1939 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 11, 1939 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 9, 1940 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1939
Beijing time. The 12 terms marked with a month begin the solar months that the Four Pillars use; Lichun opens the year. What each term means.
| Solar term | Date | Time | Four Pillars month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor Cold 小寒 Xiaohan | Jan 6 | 13:27 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 21 | 06:50 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 5 | 01:10 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 21:09 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 19:26 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 20:28 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 6 | 00:37 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 21 | 07:55 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 18:21 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 22 | 07:26 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 22:51 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 22 | 15:39 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 8 | 09:18 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 24 | 02:36 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 19:03 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 24 | 09:31 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 21:42 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 24 | 06:49 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 9 | 12:56 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 15:45 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 15:43 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 23 | 12:58 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 8 | 08:17 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 23 | 02:05 |
Dates are checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables; times are calculated. A dash means the term falls within minutes of midnight, where the calculated time and the Observatory's date disagree; the Observatory's date is shown.
FAQ
What Chinese zodiac sign is someone born in January or February 1939?
The Year of the Rabbit began on February 19, 1939. Anyone born from January 1 to February 18, 1939 belongs to the previous year, the Earth Tiger (戊寅); anyone born on or after February 19, 1939 is an Earth Rabbit. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Rabbit year began at 01:10 China Standard Time on February 5, 1939 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1939 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Wednesday, September 27, 1939. The next one, on September 16, 1940, comes 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1939 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 1939 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 1939 in the Chinese zodiac?
1939 is a Yin Earth year: its Heavenly Stem 己 (Ji) carries Earth, and its Earthly Branch 卯 (Mao) is the Rabbit. Together they make 己卯, the 16th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1939?
Lichun came first, on February 5, 1939 at 01:10. Births from then until February 18, 1939 are an Earth Tiger under the popular New Year rule but an Earth Rabbit under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule.
Nearby years
Dates are calculated with astronomical algorithms in China Standard Time (UTC+8) and checked against the Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table. Zodiac information describes the traditional calendar and is not a prediction.