1999 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Rabbit
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Rabbit 兔
Element
Yin Earth
Stem-branch
己卯 Ji-Mao
Zodiac year
Feb 16, 1999 to Feb 4, 2000
The 1999 Year of the Yin Earth Rabbit (己卯) began on Tuesday, February 16, 1999, and lasted until February 4, 2000. Births from January 1 to February 15, 1999, the first 46 days of 1999, belonged to the Earth Tiger year. It has 12 lunar months and 354 days, with no leap month. It contains one Start of Spring term (Feb 4, 2000).
Which animal for a 1999 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 14:57 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 1999, before 14:57 | Earth Tiger | Earth Tiger |
| Feb 4, 1999, from 14:57, to Feb 15 | Earth Tiger | Earth Rabbit |
| Feb 16 to Dec 31, 1999 | Earth Rabbit | Earth Rabbit |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1999 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Earth Tiger (1998)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Earth Tiger (1998)
Chinese New Year 1999: 1999-02-16. Lichun 1999: 1999-02-04 14:57 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 1999 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 1999 was 14:57 Beijing time on February 4, 1999. In New York that was 01:57 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1999 | 14:57 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1999 | 14:57 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1999 | 14:57 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1999 | 14:57 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1999 | 15:57 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1999 | 15:57 |
| London | Feb 4, 1999 | 06:57 |
| New York | Feb 4, 1999 | 01:57 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 1999(day before) | 22:57 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1999 | 17:57 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1999, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1999 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 16, 1999 |
| Lantern Festival | Mar 2, 1999 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1999 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 18, 1999 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 17, 1999 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 25, 1999 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 24, 1999 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 17, 1999 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1999 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 14, 2000 |
The Rabbit and 己卯 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. 1999's own element, Earth, comes from the Heavenly Stem 己. All Years of the Rabbit.
己卯 is the 16th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1939 and 2059 (see the Year of the Rabbit table).
Lunar months of the 1999 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 16, 1999 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 18, 1999 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Apr 16, 1999 | 29 |
| 4th month | May 15, 1999 | 30 |
| 5th month | Jun 14, 1999 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 13, 1999 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 11, 1999 | 30 |
| 8th month | Sep 10, 1999 | 29 |
| 9th month | Oct 9, 1999 | 30 |
| 10th month | Nov 8, 1999 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 8, 1999 | 30 |
| 12th month | Jan 7, 2000 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1999
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 | 03:17 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 20:37 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 14:57 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 10:46 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 08:57 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 09:45 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 13:44 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 20:46 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 07:01 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 19:52 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 11:09 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 22 | 03:49 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 21:24 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 14:44 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 07:14 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 21:51 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 10:09 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 19:31 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 9 | 01:48 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 04:52 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 04:57 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 23 | 02:24 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 21:47 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 15:43 |
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 1999?
The Year of the Rabbit began on February 16, 1999. Anyone born from January 1 to February 15, 1999 belongs to the previous year, the Earth Tiger (戊寅); anyone born on or after February 16, 1999 is an Earth Rabbit. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Rabbit year began at 14:57 China Standard Time on February 4, 1999 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1999 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Friday, September 24, 1999. The next one, on September 12, 2000, comes 12 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1999 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 1999 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 1999 in the Chinese zodiac?
1999 is a Yin Earth year: its Heavenly Stem 己 (Ji) carries Earth, and its Earthly Branch 卯 (Mao) is the Rabbit. Together they make 己卯, the 16th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1999?
Lichun came first, on February 4, 1999 at 14:57. Births from then until February 15, 1999 are an Earth Tiger under the popular New Year rule but an Earth Rabbit 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.