1973 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Ox
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Ox 牛
Element
Yin Water
Stem-branch
癸丑 Gui-Chou
Zodiac year
Feb 3, 1973 to Jan 22, 1974
The 1973 Year of the Yin Water Ox (癸丑) began on Saturday, February 3, 1973, and lasted until January 22, 1974. Births from January 1 to February 2, 1973, the first 33 days of 1973, belonged to the Water Rat year. It has 12 lunar months and 354 days, with no leap month. It contains one Start of Spring term (Feb 4, 1973).
Which animal for a 1973 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 07:04 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 2, 1973 | Water Rat | Water Rat |
| Feb 3 to Feb 4, 1973, before 07:04 | Water Ox | Water Rat |
| Feb 4, 1973, from 07:04, to Dec 31 | Water Ox | Water Ox |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1973 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Water Ox (1973)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Water Ox (1973)
Chinese New Year 1973: 1973-02-03. Lichun 1973: 1973-02-04 07:04 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 1973 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 1973 was 07:04 Beijing time on February 4, 1973. In New York that was 18:04 on February 3, 1973, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 18:04 is a Water Ox under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1973 | 07:04 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1973 | 07:04 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1973 | 07:04 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1973 | 06:34 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1973 | 08:04 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1973 | 08:04 |
| London | Feb 3, 1973(day before) | 23:04 |
| New York | Feb 3, 1973(day before) | 18:04 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 1973(day before) | 15:04 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1973 | 10:04 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1973, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1973 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 3, 1973 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 17, 1973 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1973 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 5, 1973 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 5, 1973 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 13, 1973 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 11, 1973 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 4, 1973 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1973 |
| Laba Festival | Dec 31, 1973 |
The Ox and 癸丑 in the calendar
The Ox is the Earthly Branch 丑 (Chou); it also marks the double hour from 1 am to 3 am, the direction North-northeast and the fixed element Earth. 1973's own element, Water, comes from the Heavenly Stem 癸. All Years of the Ox.
癸丑 is the 50th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1913 (see the Year of the Ox table), 2033 and 2093 (see the Year of the Ox table).
Lunar months of the 1973 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 3, 1973 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 5, 1973 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Apr 3, 1973 | 30 |
| 4th month | May 3, 1973 | 29 |
| 5th month | Jun 1, 1973 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jun 30, 1973 | 30 |
| 7th month | Jul 30, 1973 | 29 |
| 8th month | Aug 28, 1973 | 29 |
| 9th month | Sep 26, 1973 | 30 |
| 10th month | Oct 26, 1973 | 30 |
| 11th month | Nov 25, 1973 | 29 |
| 12th month | Dec 24, 1973 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1973
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 5 | 19:25 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 12:48 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 07:04 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 03:01 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 01:12 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 02:12 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 06:13 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 13:30 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 23:46 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 12:53 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 04:06 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 21:00 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 14:27 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 07:55 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 00:12 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 14:53 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 02:59 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 12:21 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 18:27 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 21:30 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 21:27 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 18:54 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 14:10 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 08:07 |
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 1973?
The Year of the Ox began on February 3, 1973. Anyone born from January 1 to February 2, 1973 belongs to the previous year, the Water Rat (壬子); anyone born on or after February 3, 1973 is a Water Ox. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Ox year began at 07:04 China Standard Time on February 4, 1973 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1973 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Tuesday, September 11, 1973. The next one, on September 30, 1974, comes 19 days later in the Gregorian calendar, because a leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1973 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 1973 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 1973 in the Chinese zodiac?
1973 is a Yin Water year: its Heavenly Stem 癸 (Gui) carries Water, and its Earthly Branch 丑 (Chou) is the Ox. Together they make 癸丑, the 50th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1973?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from February 3, 1973 until Lichun (February 4, 1973 at 07:04) are a Water Ox under the popular New Year rule but a Water Rat 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.