2002 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Horse
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Horse 马
Element
Yang Water
Stem-branch
壬午 Ren-Wu
Zodiac year
Feb 12, 2002 to Jan 31, 2003
The 2002 Year of the Yang Water Horse (壬午) began on Tuesday, February 12, 2002, and lasted until January 31, 2003. Births from January 1 to February 11, 2002, the first 42 days of 2002, belonged to the Metal Snake 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 2002 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 08:24 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 2002, before 08:24 | Metal Snake | Metal Snake |
| Feb 4, 2002, from 08:24, to Feb 11 | Metal Snake | Water Horse |
| Feb 12 to Dec 31, 2002 | Water Horse | Water Horse |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2002 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Metal Snake (2001)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Water Horse (2002)
Chinese New Year 2002: 2002-02-12. Lichun 2002: 2002-02-04 08:24 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 2002 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 2002 was 08:24 Beijing time on February 4, 2002. In New York that was 19:24 on February 3, 2002, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 19:24 is a Water Horse under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2002 | 08:24 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2002 | 08:24 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2002 | 08:24 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2002 | 08:24 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2002 | 09:24 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2002 | 09:24 |
| London | Feb 4, 2002 | 00:24 |
| New York | Feb 3, 2002(day before) | 19:24 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2002(day before) | 16:24 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2002 | 11:24 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2002, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2002 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 12, 2002 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 26, 2002 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 2002 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 15, 2002 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 15, 2002 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 23, 2002 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 21, 2002 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 14, 2002 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 2002 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 10, 2003 |
The Horse and 壬午 in the calendar
The Horse is the Earthly Branch 午 (Wu); it also marks the double hour from 11 am to 1 pm, the direction South and the fixed element Fire. 2002's own element, Water, comes from the Heavenly Stem 壬. All Years of the Horse.
壬午 is the 19th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1942 and 2062 (see the Year of the Horse table).
Lunar months of the 2002 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 12, 2002 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 14, 2002 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Apr 13, 2002 | 29 |
| 4th month | May 12, 2002 | 30 |
| 5th month | Jun 11, 2002 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 10, 2002 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 9, 2002 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 7, 2002 | 29 |
| 9th month | Oct 6, 2002 | 30 |
| 10th month | Nov 5, 2002 | 29 |
| 11th month | Dec 4, 2002 | 30 |
| 12th month | Jan 3, 2003 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 2002
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 | 20:43 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 14:02 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 08:24 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 04:13 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 02:27 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 03:16 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 07:18 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 14:20 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 00:37 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 13:29 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 04:44 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 21:24 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 14:56 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 08:14 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 00:39 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 15:16 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 03:31 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 12:55 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 19:09 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 22:17 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 22:21 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 19:53 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 15:14 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 09:14 |
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 2002?
The Year of the Horse began on February 12, 2002. Anyone born from January 1 to February 11, 2002 belongs to the previous year, the Metal Snake (辛巳); anyone born on or after February 12, 2002 is a Water Horse. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Horse year began at 08:24 China Standard Time on February 4, 2002 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2002 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Saturday, September 21, 2002. The next one, on September 11, 2003, comes 10 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 2002 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 2002 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 2002 in the Chinese zodiac?
2002 is a Yang Water year: its Heavenly Stem 壬 (Ren) carries Water, and its Earthly Branch 午 (Wu) is the Horse. Together they make 壬午, the 19th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2002?
Lichun came first, on February 4, 2002 at 08:24. Births from then until February 11, 2002 are a Metal Snake under the popular New Year rule but a Water Horse 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.