2001 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Snake
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Snake 蛇
Element
Yin Metal
Stem-branch
辛巳 Xin-Si
Zodiac year
Jan 24, 2001 to Feb 11, 2002
The 2001 Year of the Yin Metal Snake (辛巳) began on Wednesday, January 24, 2001, and lasted until February 11, 2002. Births from January 1 to January 23, 2001, the first 23 days of 2001, belonged to the Metal Dragon year. The lunar year has a leap 4th month, starting May 23, 2001, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 2001 and Feb 4, 2002), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 2001 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 02:28 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 23, 2001 | Metal Dragon | Metal Dragon |
| Jan 24 to Feb 4, 2001, before 02:28 | Metal Snake | Metal Dragon |
| Feb 4, 2001, from 02:28, to Dec 31 | Metal Snake | Metal Snake |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2001 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Metal Snake (2001)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Metal Snake (2001)
Chinese New Year 2001: 2001-01-24. Lichun 2001: 2001-02-04 02:28 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 2001 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 2001 was 02:28 Beijing time on February 4, 2001. In New York that was 13:28 on February 3, 2001, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 13:28 is a Metal Snake under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2001 | 02:28 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2001 | 02:28 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2001 | 02:28 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2001 | 02:28 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2001 | 03:28 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2001 | 03:28 |
| London | Feb 3, 2001(day before) | 18:28 |
| New York | Feb 3, 2001(day before) | 13:28 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2001(day before) | 10:28 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2001 | 05:28 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2001, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2001 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 24, 2001 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 7, 2001 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 2001 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 25, 2001 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 25, 2001 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Sep 2, 2001 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Oct 1, 2001 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 25, 2001 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 2001 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 20, 2002 |
The Snake and 辛巳 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. 2001's own element, Metal, comes from the Heavenly Stem 辛. All Years of the Snake.
辛巳 is the 18th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1941 and 2061 (see the Year of the Snake table).
Lunar months of the 2001 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 4th month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 24, 2001 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Feb 23, 2001 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Mar 25, 2001 | 29 |
| 4th month | Apr 23, 2001 | 30 |
| Leap 4th month | May 23, 2001 | 29 |
| 5th month | Jun 21, 2001 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jul 21, 2001 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 19, 2001 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 17, 2001 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 17, 2001 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 15, 2001 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 15, 2001 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 13, 2002 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2001
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 | 14:49 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 08:16 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 02:28 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 18 | 22:27 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 20:32 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 20 | 21:30 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 01:24 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 08:35 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 18:44 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 07:44 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 5 | 22:53 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 15:37 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 09:06 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 02:26 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 18:52 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 09:27 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 7 | 21:46 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 07:04 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 13:25 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 16:25 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 16:36 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 14:00 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 09:28 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 03:21 |
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 2001?
The Year of the Snake began on January 24, 2001. Anyone born from January 1 to January 23, 2001 belongs to the previous year, the Metal Dragon (庚辰); anyone born on or after January 24, 2001 is a Metal Snake. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Snake year began at 02:28 China Standard Time on February 4, 2001 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2001 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Monday, October 1, 2001. The next one, on September 21, 2002, comes 10 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 2001 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 4th month followed the regular 4th month, starting May 23, 2001 and lasting 29 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 2001 in the Chinese zodiac?
2001 is a Yin Metal year: its Heavenly Stem 辛 (Xin) carries Metal, and its Earthly Branch 巳 (Si) is the Snake. Together they make 辛巳, the 18th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2001?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 24, 2001 until Lichun (February 4, 2001 at 02:28) are a Metal Snake under the popular New Year rule but a Metal Dragon 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.