1998 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Tiger
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Tiger 虎
Element
Yang Earth
Stem-branch
戊寅 Wu-Yin
Zodiac year
Jan 28, 1998 to Feb 15, 1999
The 1998 Year of the Yang Earth Tiger (戊寅) began on Wednesday, January 28, 1998, and lasted until February 15, 1999. Births from January 1 to January 27, 1998, the first 27 days of 1998, belonged to the Fire Ox year. The lunar year has a leap 5th month, starting Jun 24, 1998, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 1998 and Feb 4, 1999), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 1998 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 08:56 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 27, 1998 | Fire Ox | Fire Ox |
| Jan 28 to Feb 4, 1998, before 08:56 | Earth Tiger | Fire Ox |
| Feb 4, 1998, from 08:56, to Dec 31 | Earth Tiger | Earth Tiger |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1998 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Earth Tiger (1998)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Earth Tiger (1998)
Chinese New Year 1998: 1998-01-28. Lichun 1998: 1998-02-04 08:56 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 1998 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 1998 was 08:56 Beijing time on February 4, 1998. In New York that was 19:56 on February 3, 1998, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 19:56 is an Earth Tiger under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1998 | 08:56 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1998 | 08:56 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1998 | 08:56 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1998 | 08:56 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1998 | 09:56 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1998 | 09:56 |
| London | Feb 4, 1998 | 00:56 |
| New York | Feb 3, 1998(day before) | 19:56 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 1998(day before) | 16:56 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1998 | 11:56 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1998, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1998 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 28, 1998 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 11, 1998 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1998 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | May 30, 1998 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 28, 1998 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Sep 5, 1998 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Oct 5, 1998 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 28, 1998 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1998 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 24, 1999 |
The Tiger and 戊寅 in the calendar
The Tiger is the Earthly Branch 寅 (Yin); it also marks the double hour from 3 am to 5 am, the direction East-northeast and the fixed element Wood. 1998's own element, Earth, comes from the Heavenly Stem 戊. All Years of the Tiger.
戊寅 is the 15th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1938 and 2058 (see the Year of the Tiger table).
Lunar months of the 1998 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 5th month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 28, 1998 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Feb 27, 1998 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Mar 28, 1998 | 29 |
| 4th month | Apr 26, 1998 | 30 |
| 5th month | May 26, 1998 | 29 |
| Leap 5th month | Jun 24, 1998 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 23, 1998 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 22, 1998 | 30 |
| 8th month | Sep 21, 1998 | 29 |
| 9th month | Oct 20, 1998 | 30 |
| 10th month | Nov 19, 1998 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 19, 1998 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 17, 1999 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1998
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 | 21:18 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 14:46 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 08:56 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 04:54 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 02:57 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 03:54 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 07:44 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 14:56 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 01:03 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 14:05 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 05:13 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 22:02 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 15:30 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 08:55 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 01:19 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 15:58 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 04:15 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 13:37 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 19:55 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 22:58 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 23:08 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 20:34 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 16:01 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 09:56 |
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 1998?
The Year of the Tiger began on January 28, 1998. Anyone born from January 1 to January 27, 1998 belongs to the previous year, the Fire Ox (丁丑); anyone born on or after January 28, 1998 is an Earth Tiger. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Tiger year began at 08:56 China Standard Time on February 4, 1998 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1998 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Monday, October 5, 1998. The next one, on September 24, 1999, comes 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1998 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 5th month followed the regular 5th month, starting June 24, 1998 and lasting 29 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 1998 in the Chinese zodiac?
1998 is a Yang Earth year: its Heavenly Stem 戊 (Wu) carries Earth, and its Earthly Branch 寅 (Yin) is the Tiger. Together they make 戊寅, the 15th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1998?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 28, 1998 until Lichun (February 4, 1998 at 08:56) are an Earth Tiger under the popular New Year rule but a Fire 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.