1991 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Goat
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Goat (Sheep) 羊
Element
Yin Metal
Stem-branch
辛未 Xin-Wei
Zodiac year
Feb 15, 1991 to Feb 3, 1992
The 1991 Year of the Yin Metal Goat (辛未) began on Friday, February 15, 1991, and lasted until February 3, 1992. Births from January 1 to February 14, 1991, the first 45 days of 1991, belonged to the Metal Horse 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 1991 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 16:08 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 1991, before 16:08 | Metal Horse | Metal Horse |
| Feb 4, 1991, from 16:08, to Feb 14 | Metal Horse | Metal Goat |
| Feb 15 to Dec 31, 1991 | Metal Goat | Metal Goat |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1991 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Metal Horse (1990)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Metal Horse (1990)
Chinese New Year 1991: 1991-02-15. Lichun 1991: 1991-02-04 16:08 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 1991 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 1991 was 16:08 Beijing time on February 4, 1991. In New York that was 03:08 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1991 | 16:08 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1991 | 16:08 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1991 | 16:08 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1991 | 16:08 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1991 | 17:08 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1991 | 17:08 |
| London | Feb 4, 1991 | 08:08 |
| New York | Feb 4, 1991 | 03:08 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 4, 1991 | 00:08 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1991 | 19:08 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1991, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1991 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 15, 1991 |
| Lantern Festival | Mar 1, 1991 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1991 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 16, 1991 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 16, 1991 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 24, 1991 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 22, 1991 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 16, 1991 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1991 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 12, 1992 |
The Goat and 辛未 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. 1991's own element, Metal, comes from the Heavenly Stem 辛. All Years of the Goat.
辛未 is the 8th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1931 and 2051 (see the Year of the Goat table).
Lunar months of the 1991 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 15, 1991 | 29 |
| 2nd month | Mar 16, 1991 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Apr 15, 1991 | 29 |
| 4th month | May 14, 1991 | 29 |
| 5th month | Jun 12, 1991 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jul 12, 1991 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 10, 1991 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 8, 1991 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 8, 1991 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 6, 1991 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 6, 1991 | 30 |
| 12th month | Jan 5, 1992 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1991
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 | 04:28 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 21:47 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 16:08 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 11:58 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 10:12 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 11:01 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 15:04 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 22:08 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 08:26 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 21:20 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 12:38 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 22 | 05:18 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 22:52 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 16:11 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 08:37 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 23:12 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 11:27 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 20:48 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 9 | 03:01 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 06:05 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 06:07 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 23 | 03:35 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 22:56 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 16:53 |
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 1991?
The Year of the Goat began on February 15, 1991. Anyone born from January 1 to February 14, 1991 belongs to the previous year, the Metal Horse (庚午); anyone born on or after February 15, 1991 is a Metal Goat. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Goat year began at 16:08 China Standard Time on February 4, 1991 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1991 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Sunday, September 22, 1991. The next one, on September 11, 1992, comes 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1991 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 1991 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 1991 in the Chinese zodiac?
1991 is a Yin Metal year: its Heavenly Stem 辛 (Xin) carries Metal, and its Earthly Branch 未 (Wei) is the Goat. Together they make 辛未, the 8th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1991?
Lichun came first, on February 4, 1991 at 16:08. Births from then until February 14, 1991 are a Metal Horse under the popular New Year rule but a Metal Goat 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.