1981 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Rooster
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Rooster 鸡
Element
Yin Metal
Stem-branch
辛酉 Xin-You
Zodiac year
Feb 5, 1981 to Jan 24, 1982
The 1981 Year of the Yin Metal Rooster (辛酉) began on Thursday, February 5, 1981, and lasted until January 24, 1982. Births from January 1 to February 4, 1981, the first 35 days of 1981, belonged to the Metal Monkey year. It has 12 lunar months and 354 days, with no leap month. It contains no Start of Spring term at all, which folk custom calls a "blind year".
Which animal for a 1981 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 05:55 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 1981, before 05:55 | Metal Monkey | Metal Monkey |
| Feb 4, 1981, from 05:55 | Metal Monkey | Metal Rooster |
| Feb 5 to Dec 31, 1981 | Metal Rooster | Metal Rooster |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1981 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Metal Monkey (1980)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Metal Rooster (1981)
Chinese New Year 1981: 1981-02-05. Lichun 1981: 1981-02-04 05:55 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 1981 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 1981 was 05:55 Beijing time on February 4, 1981. In New York that was 16:55 on February 3, 1981, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 16:55 is a Metal Rooster under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1981 | 05:55 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1981 | 05:55 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1981 | 05:55 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1981 | 05:25 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1981 | 06:55 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1981 | 06:55 |
| London | Feb 3, 1981(day before) | 21:55 |
| New York | Feb 3, 1981(day before) | 16:55 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 1981(day before) | 13:55 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1981 | 08:55 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1981, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1981 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 5, 1981 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 19, 1981 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1981 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 6, 1981 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 6, 1981 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 14, 1981 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 12, 1981 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 6, 1981 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1981 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 2, 1982 |
The Rooster and 辛酉 in the calendar
The Rooster is the Earthly Branch 酉 (You); it also marks the double hour from 5 pm to 7 pm, the direction West and the fixed element Metal. 1981's own element, Metal, comes from the Heavenly Stem 辛. All Years of the Rooster.
辛酉 is the 58th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1921 and 2041 (see the Year of the Rooster table).
Lunar months of the 1981 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 5, 1981 | 29 |
| 2nd month | Mar 6, 1981 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Apr 5, 1981 | 29 |
| 4th month | May 4, 1981 | 29 |
| 5th month | Jun 2, 1981 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jul 2, 1981 | 29 |
| 7th month | Jul 31, 1981 | 29 |
| 8th month | Aug 29, 1981 | 30 |
| 9th month | Sep 28, 1981 | 30 |
| 10th month | Oct 28, 1981 | 29 |
| 11th month | Nov 26, 1981 | 30 |
| 12th month | Dec 26, 1981 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1981
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 | 18:12 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 11:35 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 05:55 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 01:51 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 00:05 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 01:02 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 05:05 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 12:18 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 22:34 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 11:39 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 02:52 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 19:44 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 13:11 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 06:39 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 22:57 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 13:38 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 01:43 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 11:05 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 17:09 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 20:12 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 20:08 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 17:35 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 12:51 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 06:50 |
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 1981?
The Year of the Rooster began on February 5, 1981. Anyone born from January 1 to February 4, 1981 belongs to the previous year, the Metal Monkey (庚申); anyone born on or after February 5, 1981 is a Metal Rooster. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Rooster year began at 05:55 China Standard Time on February 4, 1981 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1981 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Saturday, September 12, 1981. The next one, on October 1, 1982, comes 19 days later in the Gregorian calendar, because a leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1981 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 1981 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 1981 in the Chinese zodiac?
1981 is a Yin Metal year: its Heavenly Stem 辛 (Xin) carries Metal, and its Earthly Branch 酉 (You) is the Rooster. Together they make 辛酉, the 58th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1981?
Lichun came first, on February 4, 1981 at 05:55. Births from then until February 4, 1981 are a Metal Monkey under the popular New Year rule but a Metal Rooster 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.