1989 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Snake
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Snake 蛇
Element
Yin Earth
Stem-branch
己巳 Ji-Si
Zodiac year
Feb 6, 1989 to Jan 26, 1990
The 1989 Year of the Yin Earth Snake (己巳) began on Monday, February 6, 1989, and lasted until January 26, 1990. Births from January 1 to February 5, 1989, the first 36 days of 1989, belonged to the Earth Dragon year. It has 12 lunar months and 355 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 1989 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 04:27 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 1989, before 04:27 | Earth Dragon | Earth Dragon |
| Feb 4, 1989, from 04:27, to Feb 5 | Earth Dragon | Earth Snake |
| Feb 6 to Dec 31, 1989 | Earth Snake | Earth Snake |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1989 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Earth Dragon (1988)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Earth Snake (1989)
Chinese New Year 1989: 1989-02-06. Lichun 1989: 1989-02-04 04:27 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 1989 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 1989 was 04:27 Beijing time on February 4, 1989. In New York that was 15:27 on February 3, 1989, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 15:27 is an Earth Snake under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1989 | 04:27 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1989 | 04:27 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1989 | 04:27 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1989 | 04:27 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1989 | 05:27 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1989 | 05:27 |
| London | Feb 3, 1989(day before) | 20:27 |
| New York | Feb 3, 1989(day before) | 15:27 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 1989(day before) | 12:27 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1989 | 07:27 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1989, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1989 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 6, 1989 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 20, 1989 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1989 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 8, 1989 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 8, 1989 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 16, 1989 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 14, 1989 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 8, 1989 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1989 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 4, 1990 |
The Snake and 己巳 in the calendar
The Snake is the Earthly Branch 巳 (Si); it also marks the double hour from 9 am to 11 am, the direction South-southeast and the fixed element Fire. 1989's own element, Earth, comes from the Heavenly Stem 己. All Years of the Snake.
己巳 is the 6th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1929 and 2049 (see the Year of the Snake table).
Lunar months of the 1989 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 6, 1989 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 8, 1989 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Apr 6, 1989 | 29 |
| 4th month | May 5, 1989 | 30 |
| 5th month | Jun 4, 1989 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 3, 1989 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 2, 1989 | 29 |
| 8th month | Aug 31, 1989 | 30 |
| 9th month | Sep 30, 1989 | 29 |
| 10th month | Oct 29, 1989 | 30 |
| 11th month | Nov 28, 1989 | 30 |
| 12th month | Dec 28, 1989 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1989
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 | 16:45 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 10:06 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 04:27 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 00:20 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 22:34 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 20 | 23:28 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 03:29 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 10:38 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 20:53 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 09:53 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 01:05 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 17:53 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 11:19 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 04:45 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 21:03 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 11:46 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 7 | 23:53 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 09:19 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 15:27 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 18:35 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 18:33 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 16:04 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 11:20 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 05:22 |
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 1989?
The Year of the Snake began on February 6, 1989. Anyone born from January 1 to February 5, 1989 belongs to the previous year, the Earth Dragon (戊辰); anyone born on or after February 6, 1989 is an Earth Snake. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Snake year began at 04:27 China Standard Time on February 4, 1989 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1989 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Thursday, September 14, 1989. The next one, on October 3, 1990, comes 19 days later in the Gregorian calendar, because a leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1989 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 1989 lunar year has 12 months and 355 days: 7 long months of 30 days and 5 short months of 29 days.
What element is 1989 in the Chinese zodiac?
1989 is a Yin Earth year: its Heavenly Stem 己 (Ji) carries Earth, and its Earthly Branch 巳 (Si) is the Snake. Together they make 己巳, the 6th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1989?
Lichun came first, on February 4, 1989 at 04:27. Births from then until February 5, 1989 are an Earth Dragon under the popular New Year rule but an Earth Snake 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.