1985 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Ox
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Ox 牛
Element
Yin Wood
Stem-branch
乙丑 Yi-Chou
Zodiac year
Feb 20, 1985 to Feb 8, 1986
The 1985 Year of the Yin Wood Ox (乙丑) began on Wednesday, February 20, 1985, and lasted until February 8, 1986. Births from January 1 to February 19, 1985, the first 50 days of 1985, belonged to the Wood Rat year. Its Chinese New Year, Feb 20, is among the latest possible (the latest from 1900 to 2100 is Feb 20). It has 12 lunar months and 354 days, with no leap month. It contains one Start of Spring term (Feb 4, 1986).
Which animal for a 1985 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 05:11 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 1985, before 05:11 | Wood Rat | Wood Rat |
| Feb 4, 1985, from 05:11, to Feb 19 | Wood Rat | Wood Ox |
| Feb 20 to Dec 31, 1985 | Wood Ox | Wood Ox |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1985 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Wood Rat (1984)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Wood Ox (1985)
Chinese New Year 1985: 1985-02-20. Lichun 1985: 1985-02-04 05:11 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 1985 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 1985 was 05:11 Beijing time on February 4, 1985. In New York that was 16:11 on February 3, 1985, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 16:11 is a Wood Ox under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1985 | 05:11 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1985 | 05:11 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1985 | 05:11 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1985 | 05:11 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1985 | 06:11 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1985 | 06:11 |
| London | Feb 3, 1985(day before) | 21:11 |
| New York | Feb 3, 1985(day before) | 16:11 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 1985(day before) | 13:11 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1985 | 08:11 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1985, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1985 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 20, 1985 |
| Lantern Festival | Mar 6, 1985 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1985 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 22, 1985 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 22, 1985 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 30, 1985 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 29, 1985 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 22, 1985 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1985 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 17, 1986 |
The Ox and 乙丑 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. 1985's own element, Wood, comes from the Heavenly Stem 乙. All Years of the Ox.
乙丑 is the 2nd year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1925 and 2045 (see the Year of the Ox table).
Lunar months of the 1985 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 20, 1985 | 29 |
| 2nd month | Mar 21, 1985 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Apr 20, 1985 | 30 |
| 4th month | May 20, 1985 | 29 |
| 5th month | Jun 18, 1985 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jul 18, 1985 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 16, 1985 | 30 |
| 8th month | Sep 15, 1985 | 29 |
| 9th month | Oct 14, 1985 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 12, 1985 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 12, 1985 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 10, 1986 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1985
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 | 17:35 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 10:57 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 05:11 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 01:07 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 23:16 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 00:13 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 04:13 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 11:25 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 21:42 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 10:42 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 01:59 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 18:44 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 12:18 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 05:36 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 22:04 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 12:35 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 00:53 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 10:07 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 16:24 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 19:21 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 19:29 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 16:50 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 12:16 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 06:07 |
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 1985?
The Year of the Ox began on February 20, 1985. Anyone born from January 1 to February 19, 1985 belongs to the previous year, the Wood Rat (甲子); anyone born on or after February 20, 1985 is a Wood Ox. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Ox year began at 05:11 China Standard Time on February 4, 1985 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1985 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Sunday, September 29, 1985. The next one, on September 18, 1986, comes 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1985 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 1985 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 1985 in the Chinese zodiac?
1985 is a Yin Wood year: its Heavenly Stem 乙 (Yi) carries Wood, and its Earthly Branch 丑 (Chou) is the Ox. Together they make 乙丑, the 2nd year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1985?
Lichun came first, on February 4, 1985 at 05:11. Births from then until February 19, 1985 are a Wood Rat under the popular New Year rule but a Wood 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.