1963 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Rabbit
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Rabbit 兔
Element
Yin Water
Stem-branch
癸卯 Gui-Mao
Zodiac year
Jan 25, 1963 to Feb 12, 1964
The 1963 Year of the Yin Water Rabbit (癸卯) began on Friday, January 25, 1963, and lasted until February 12, 1964. Births from January 1 to January 24, 1963, the first 24 days of 1963, belonged to the Water Tiger year. The lunar year has a leap 4th month, starting May 23, 1963, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 1963 and Feb 5, 1964), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 1963 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 21:07 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 24, 1963 | Water Tiger | Water Tiger |
| Jan 25 to Feb 4, 1963, before 21:07 | Water Rabbit | Water Tiger |
| Feb 4, 1963, from 21:07, to Dec 31 | Water Rabbit | Water Rabbit |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1963 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Water Rabbit (1963)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Water Tiger (1962)
Chinese New Year 1963: 1963-01-25. Lichun 1963: 1963-02-04 21:07 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 1963 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 1963 was 21:07 Beijing time on February 4, 1963. In New York that was 08:07 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1963 | 21:07 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1963 | 21:07 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1963 | 21:07 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1963 | 20:37 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1963 | 22:07 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1963 | 22:07 |
| London | Feb 4, 1963 | 13:07 |
| New York | Feb 4, 1963 | 08:07 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 4, 1963 | 05:07 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1963 | 23:07 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1963, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1963 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 25, 1963 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 8, 1963 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1963 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 25, 1963 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 25, 1963 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Sep 2, 1963 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Oct 2, 1963 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 25, 1963 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1963 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 22, 1964 |
The Rabbit and 癸卯 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. 1963's own element, Water, comes from the Heavenly Stem 癸. All Years of the Rabbit.
癸卯 is the 40th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1903 (see the Year of the Rabbit table), 2023 and 2083 (see the Year of the Rabbit table).
Lunar months of the 1963 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 4th month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 25, 1963 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Feb 24, 1963 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Mar 25, 1963 | 30 |
| 4th month | Apr 24, 1963 | 29 |
| Leap 4th month | May 23, 1963 | 29 |
| 5th month | Jun 21, 1963 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jul 21, 1963 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 19, 1963 | 30 |
| 8th month | Sep 18, 1963 | 29 |
| 9th month | Oct 17, 1963 | 30 |
| 10th month | Nov 16, 1963 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 16, 1963 | 30 |
| 12th month | Jan 15, 1964 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1963
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 | 09:26 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 21 | 02:53 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 21:07 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 17:08 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 15:17 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 16:19 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 20:18 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 21 | 03:36 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 13:51 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 22 | 02:58 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 18:14 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 22 | 11:04 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 8 | 04:37 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 21:59 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 14:25 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 24 | 04:57 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 17:11 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 24 | 02:23 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 9 | 08:36 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 11:28 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 11:32 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 23 | 08:49 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 8 | 04:12 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 22:01 |
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 1963?
The Year of the Rabbit began on January 25, 1963. Anyone born from January 1 to January 24, 1963 belongs to the previous year, the Water Tiger (壬寅); anyone born on or after January 25, 1963 is a Water Rabbit. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Rabbit year began at 21:07 China Standard Time on February 4, 1963 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1963 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Wednesday, October 2, 1963. The next one, on September 20, 1964, comes 12 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1963 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 4th month followed the regular 4th month, starting May 23, 1963 and lasting 29 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 1963 in the Chinese zodiac?
1963 is a Yin Water year: its Heavenly Stem 癸 (Gui) carries Water, and its Earthly Branch 卯 (Mao) is the Rabbit. Together they make 癸卯, the 40th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1963?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 25, 1963 until Lichun (February 4, 1963 at 21:07) are a Water Rabbit under the popular New Year rule but a Water Tiger 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.