1987 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Rabbit
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Rabbit 兔
Element
Yin Fire
Stem-branch
丁卯 Ding-Mao
Zodiac year
Jan 29, 1987 to Feb 16, 1988
The 1987 Year of the Yin Fire Rabbit (丁卯) began on Thursday, January 29, 1987, and lasted until February 16, 1988. Births from January 1 to January 28, 1987, the first 28 days of 1987, belonged to the Fire Tiger year. The lunar year has a leap 6th month, starting Jul 26, 1987, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 1987 and Feb 4, 1988), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 1987 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 16:51 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 28, 1987 | Fire Tiger | Fire Tiger |
| Jan 29 to Feb 4, 1987, before 16:51 | Fire Rabbit | Fire Tiger |
| Feb 4, 1987, from 16:51, to Dec 31 | Fire Rabbit | Fire Rabbit |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1987 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Fire Rabbit (1987)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Fire Tiger (1986)
Chinese New Year 1987: 1987-01-29. Lichun 1987: 1987-02-04 16:51 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 1987 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 1987 was 16:51 Beijing time on February 4, 1987. In New York that was 03:51 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1987 | 16:51 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1987 | 16:51 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1987 | 16:51 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1987 | 16:51 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1987 | 17:51 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1987 | 17:51 |
| London | Feb 4, 1987 | 08:51 |
| New York | Feb 4, 1987 | 03:51 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 4, 1987 | 00:51 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1987 | 19:51 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1987, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1987 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 29, 1987 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 12, 1987 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1987 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | May 31, 1987 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 30, 1987 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Sep 7, 1987 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Oct 7, 1987 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 31, 1987 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1987 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 26, 1988 |
The Rabbit and 丁卯 in the calendar
The Rabbit is the Earthly Branch 卯 (Mao); it also marks the double hour from 5 am to 7 am, the direction East and the fixed element Wood. 1987's own element, Fire, comes from the Heavenly Stem 丁. All Years of the Rabbit.
丁卯 is the 4th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1927 and 2047 (see the Year of the Rabbit table).
Lunar months of the 1987 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 6th month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 29, 1987 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Feb 28, 1987 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Mar 29, 1987 | 30 |
| 4th month | Apr 28, 1987 | 29 |
| 5th month | May 27, 1987 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jun 26, 1987 | 30 |
| Leap 6th month | Jul 26, 1987 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 24, 1987 | 30 |
| 8th month | Sep 23, 1987 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 23, 1987 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 21, 1987 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 21, 1987 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 19, 1988 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1987
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 | 05:13 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 22:40 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 16:51 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 12:49 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 10:53 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 11:51 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 15:44 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 22:57 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 09:05 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 22:10 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 13:18 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 22 | 06:10 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 23:38 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 17:06 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 09:29 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 24 | 00:09 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 12:24 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 21:45 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 9 | 03:59 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 07:00 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 07:05 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 23 | 04:29 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 23:52 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 17:45 |
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 1987?
The Year of the Rabbit began on January 29, 1987. Anyone born from January 1 to January 28, 1987 belongs to the previous year, the Fire Tiger (丙寅); anyone born on or after January 29, 1987 is a Fire Rabbit. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Rabbit year began at 16:51 China Standard Time on February 4, 1987 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1987 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Wednesday, October 7, 1987. The next one, on September 25, 1988, comes 12 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1987 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 6th month followed the regular 6th month, starting July 26, 1987 and lasting 29 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 1987 in the Chinese zodiac?
1987 is a Yin Fire year: its Heavenly Stem 丁 (Ding) carries Fire, and its Earthly Branch 卯 (Mao) is the Rabbit. Together they make 丁卯, the 4th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1987?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 29, 1987 until Lichun (February 4, 1987 at 16:51) are a Fire Rabbit under the popular New Year rule but a Fire Tiger 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.