1974 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Tiger
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Tiger 虎
Element
Yang Wood
Stem-branch
甲寅 Jia-Yin
Zodiac year
Jan 23, 1974 to Feb 10, 1975
The 1974 Year of the Yang Wood Tiger (甲寅) began on Wednesday, January 23, 1974, and lasted until February 10, 1975. Births from January 1 to January 22, 1974, the first 22 days of 1974, belonged to the Water Ox year. Its Chinese New Year, Jan 23, is among the earliest possible (the earliest from 1900 to 2100 is Jan 21). The lunar year has a leap 4th month, starting May 22, 1974, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 1974 and Feb 4, 1975), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 1974 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 13:00 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 22, 1974 | Water Ox | Water Ox |
| Jan 23 to Feb 4, 1974, before 13:00 | Wood Tiger | Water Ox |
| Feb 4, 1974, from 13:00, to Dec 31 | Wood Tiger | Wood Tiger |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1974 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Wood Tiger (1974)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Water Ox (1973)
Chinese New Year 1974: 1974-01-23. Lichun 1974: 1974-02-04 13:00 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 1974 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 1974 was 13:00 Beijing time on February 4, 1974. In New York that was 01:00 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1974 | 13:00 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1974 | 14:00 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1974 | 13:00 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1974 | 12:30 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1974 | 14:00 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1974 | 14:00 |
| London | Feb 4, 1974 | 05:00 |
| New York | Feb 4, 1974 | 01:00 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 1974(day before) | 22:00 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1974 | 16:00 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1974, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1974 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 23, 1974 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 6, 1974 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1974 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 24, 1974 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 24, 1974 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Sep 1, 1974 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 30, 1974 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 23, 1974 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1974 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 19, 1975 |
The Tiger and 甲寅 in the calendar
The Tiger is the Earthly Branch 寅 (Yin); it also marks the double hour from 3 am to 5 am, the direction East-northeast and the fixed element Wood. 1974's own element, Wood, comes from the Heavenly Stem 甲. All Years of the Tiger.
甲寅 is the 51st year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1914 (see the Year of the Tiger table), 2034 and 2094 (see the Year of the Tiger table).
Lunar months of the 1974 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 4th month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 23, 1974 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Feb 22, 1974 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Mar 24, 1974 | 29 |
| 4th month | Apr 22, 1974 | 30 |
| Leap 4th month | May 22, 1974 | 29 |
| 5th month | Jun 20, 1974 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 19, 1974 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 18, 1974 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 16, 1974 | 29 |
| 9th month | Oct 15, 1974 | 30 |
| 10th month | Nov 14, 1974 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 14, 1974 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 12, 1975 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1974
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 | 01:19 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 18:45 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 13:00 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 08:58 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 07:07 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 08:06 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 12:05 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 19:18 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 05:33 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 18:36 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 09:51 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 22 | 02:37 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 20:11 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 13:30 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 05:57 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 20:28 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 08:45 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 17:58 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 9 | 00:14 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 03:10 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 03:17 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 23 | 00:38 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 20:04 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 13:55 |
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 1974?
The Year of the Tiger began on January 23, 1974. Anyone born from January 1 to January 22, 1974 belongs to the previous year, the Water Ox (癸丑); anyone born on or after January 23, 1974 is a Wood Tiger. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Tiger year began at 13:00 China Standard Time on February 4, 1974 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1974 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Monday, September 30, 1974. The next one, on September 20, 1975, comes 10 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1974 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 4th month followed the regular 4th month, starting May 22, 1974 and lasting 29 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 1974 in the Chinese zodiac?
1974 is a Yang Wood year: its Heavenly Stem 甲 (Jia) carries Wood, and its Earthly Branch 寅 (Yin) is the Tiger. Together they make 甲寅, the 51st year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1974?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 23, 1974 until Lichun (February 4, 1974 at 13:00) are a Wood Tiger under the popular New Year rule but a Water Ox 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.