1952 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Dragon
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Dragon 龙
Element
Yang Water
Stem-branch
壬辰 Ren-Chen
Zodiac year
Jan 27, 1952 to Feb 13, 1953
The 1952 Year of the Yang Water Dragon (壬辰) began on Sunday, January 27, 1952, and lasted until February 13, 1953. Births from January 1 to January 26, 1952, the first 26 days of 1952, belonged to the Metal Rabbit year. The lunar year has a leap 5th month, starting Jun 22, 1952, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 5, 1952 and Feb 4, 1953), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 1952 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 04:52 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 26, 1952 | Metal Rabbit | Metal Rabbit |
| Jan 27 to Feb 5, 1952, before 04:52 | Water Dragon | Metal Rabbit |
| Feb 5, 1952, from 04:52, to Dec 31 | Water Dragon | Water Dragon |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1952 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Water Dragon (1952)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Water Dragon (1952)
Chinese New Year 1952: 1952-01-27. Lichun 1952: 1952-02-05 04:52 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 1952 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 1952 was 04:52 Beijing time on February 5, 1952. In New York that was 15:52 on February 4, 1952, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 4 at or after 15:52 is a Water Dragon under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 5, 1952 | 04:52 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 5, 1952 | 04:52 |
| Taipei | Feb 5, 1952 | 04:52 |
| Singapore | Feb 5, 1952 | 04:22 |
| Seoul | Feb 5, 1952 | 05:52 |
| Tokyo | Feb 5, 1952 | 05:52 |
| London | Feb 4, 1952(day before) | 20:52 |
| New York | Feb 4, 1952(day before) | 15:52 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 4, 1952(day before) | 12:52 |
| Sydney | Feb 5, 1952 | 06:52 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1952, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1952 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 27, 1952 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 10, 1952 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1952 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | May 28, 1952 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 26, 1952 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Sep 3, 1952 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Oct 3, 1952 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 27, 1952 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1952 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 22, 1953 |
The Dragon and 壬辰 in the calendar
The Dragon is the Earthly Branch 辰 (Chen); it also marks the double hour from 7 am to 9 am, the direction East-southeast and the fixed element Earth. 1952's own element, Water, comes from the Heavenly Stem 壬. All Years of the Dragon.
壬辰 is the 29th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 2012 and 2072 (see the Year of the Dragon table).
Lunar months of the 1952 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 5th month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 27, 1952 | 29 |
| 2nd month | Feb 25, 1952 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Mar 26, 1952 | 29 |
| 4th month | Apr 24, 1952 | 30 |
| 5th month | May 24, 1952 | 29 |
| Leap 5th month | Jun 22, 1952 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jul 22, 1952 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 20, 1952 | 30 |
| 8th month | Sep 19, 1952 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 19, 1952 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 17, 1952 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 17, 1952 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 15, 1953 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1952
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 | 17:09 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 21 | 10:38 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 5 | 04:52 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 20 | 00:56 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 23:07 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 00:13 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 04:15 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 11:36 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 21:54 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 11:03 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 02:20 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 19:12 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 12:44 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 06:07 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 22:30 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 13:02 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 01:13 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 10:23 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 16:32 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 19:22 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 19:21 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 16:35 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 11:55 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 05:43 |
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 1952?
The Year of the Dragon began on January 27, 1952. Anyone born from January 1 to January 26, 1952 belongs to the previous year, the Metal Rabbit (辛卯); anyone born on or after January 27, 1952 is a Water Dragon. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Dragon year began at 04:52 China Standard Time on February 5, 1952 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1952 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Friday, October 3, 1952. The next one, on September 22, 1953, comes 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1952 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 5th month followed the regular 5th month, starting June 22, 1952 and lasting 30 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 1952 in the Chinese zodiac?
1952 is a Yang Water year: its Heavenly Stem 壬 (Ren) carries Water, and its Earthly Branch 辰 (Chen) is the Dragon. Together they make 壬辰, the 29th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1952?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 27, 1952 until Lichun (February 5, 1952 at 04:52) are a Water Dragon under the popular New Year rule but a Metal 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.