1979 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Goat
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Goat (Sheep) 羊
Element
Yin Earth
Stem-branch
己未 Ji-Wei
Zodiac year
Jan 28, 1979 to Feb 15, 1980
The 1979 Year of the Yin Earth Goat (己未) began on Sunday, January 28, 1979, and lasted until February 15, 1980. Births from January 1 to January 27, 1979, the first 27 days of 1979, belonged to the Earth Horse year. The lunar year has a leap 6th month, starting Jul 24, 1979, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 1979 and Feb 5, 1980), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 1979 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 18:12 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 27, 1979 | Earth Horse | Earth Horse |
| Jan 28 to Feb 4, 1979, before 18:12 | Earth Goat | Earth Horse |
| Feb 4, 1979, from 18:12, to Dec 31 | Earth Goat | Earth Goat |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1979 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Earth Goat (1979)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Earth Horse (1978)
Chinese New Year 1979: 1979-01-28. Lichun 1979: 1979-02-04 18:12 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 1979 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 1979 was 18:12 Beijing time on February 4, 1979. In New York that was 05:12 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1979 | 18:12 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1979 | 18:12 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1979 | 18:12 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1979 | 17:42 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1979 | 19:12 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1979 | 19:12 |
| London | Feb 4, 1979 | 10:12 |
| New York | Feb 4, 1979 | 05:12 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 4, 1979 | 02:12 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1979 | 21:12 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1979, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1979 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 28, 1979 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 11, 1979 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1979 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | May 30, 1979 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 29, 1979 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Sep 6, 1979 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Oct 5, 1979 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 29, 1979 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1979 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 25, 1980 |
The Goat and 己未 in the calendar
The Goat is the Earthly Branch 未 (Wei); it also marks the double hour from 1 pm to 3 pm, the direction South-southwest and the fixed element Earth. 1979's own element, Earth, comes from the Heavenly Stem 己. All Years of the Goat.
己未 is the 56th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1919 (see the Year of the Goat table), 2039 and 2099 (see the Year of the Goat table).
Lunar months of the 1979 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 6th month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 28, 1979 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Feb 27, 1979 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Mar 28, 1979 | 29 |
| 4th month | Apr 26, 1979 | 30 |
| 5th month | May 26, 1979 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jun 24, 1979 | 30 |
| Leap 6th month | Jul 24, 1979 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 23, 1979 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 21, 1979 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 21, 1979 | 30 |
| 10th month | Nov 20, 1979 | 29 |
| 11th month | Dec 19, 1979 | 30 |
| 12th month | Jan 18, 1980 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1979
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 | 06:31 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 21 | – | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 18:12 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 14:13 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 12:19 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 13:21 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 17:17 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 21 | 00:35 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 10:47 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 23:53 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 15:05 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 22 | 07:56 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 8 | 01:24 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 18:48 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 11:10 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 24 | 01:46 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 13:59 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 23:16 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 9 | 05:30 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 08:27 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 08:32 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 23 | 05:54 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 8 | 01:17 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 19:09 |
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 1979?
The Year of the Goat began on January 28, 1979. Anyone born from January 1 to January 27, 1979 belongs to the previous year, the Earth Horse (戊午); anyone born on or after January 28, 1979 is an Earth Goat. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Goat year began at 18:12 China Standard Time on February 4, 1979 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1979 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Friday, October 5, 1979. The next one, on September 23, 1980, comes 12 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1979 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 6th month followed the regular 6th month, starting July 24, 1979 and lasting 30 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 1979 in the Chinese zodiac?
1979 is a Yin Earth year: its Heavenly Stem 己 (Ji) carries Earth, and its Earthly Branch 未 (Wei) is the Goat. Together they make 己未, the 56th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1979?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 28, 1979 until Lichun (February 4, 1979 at 18:12) are an Earth Goat under the popular New Year rule but an Earth Horse 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.