2003 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Goat
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Goat (Sheep) 羊
Element
Yin Water
Stem-branch
癸未 Gui-Wei
Zodiac year
Feb 1, 2003 to Jan 21, 2004
The 2003 Year of the Yin Water Goat (癸未) began on Saturday, February 1, 2003, and lasted until January 21, 2004. Births from January 1 to January 31, 2003, the first 31 days of 2003, belonged to the Water Horse year. It has 12 lunar months and 355 days, with no leap month. It contains one Start of Spring term (Feb 4, 2003).
Which animal for a 2003 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 14:05 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 31, 2003 | Water Horse | Water Horse |
| Feb 1 to Feb 4, 2003, before 14:05 | Water Goat | Water Horse |
| Feb 4, 2003, from 14:05, to Dec 31 | Water Goat | Water Goat |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2003 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Water Goat (2003)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Water Horse (2002)
Chinese New Year 2003: 2003-02-01. Lichun 2003: 2003-02-04 14:05 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 2003 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 2003 was 14:05 Beijing time on February 4, 2003. In New York that was 01:05 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2003 | 14:05 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2003 | 14:05 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2003 | 14:05 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2003 | 14:05 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2003 | 15:05 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2003 | 15:05 |
| London | Feb 4, 2003 | 06:05 |
| New York | Feb 4, 2003 | 01:05 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2003(day before) | 22:05 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2003 | 17:05 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2003, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2003 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 1, 2003 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 15, 2003 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 2003 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 4, 2003 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 4, 2003 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 12, 2003 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 11, 2003 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 4, 2003 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 2003 |
| Laba Festival | Dec 30, 2003 |
The Goat and 癸未 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. 2003's own element, Water, comes from the Heavenly Stem 癸. All Years of the Goat.
癸未 is the 20th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1943 and 2063 (see the Year of the Goat table).
Lunar months of the 2003 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 1, 2003 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 3, 2003 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Apr 2, 2003 | 29 |
| 4th month | May 1, 2003 | 30 |
| 5th month | May 31, 2003 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jun 30, 2003 | 29 |
| 7th month | Jul 29, 2003 | 30 |
| 8th month | Aug 28, 2003 | 29 |
| 9th month | Sep 26, 2003 | 29 |
| 10th month | Oct 25, 2003 | 30 |
| 11th month | Nov 24, 2003 | 29 |
| 12th month | Dec 23, 2003 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2003
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 | 02:27 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 19:52 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 14:05 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 10:00 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 08:04 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 08:59 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 12:52 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 20:02 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 06:10 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 19:12 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 10:19 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 22 | 03:10 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 20:35 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 14:04 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 06:24 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 21:08 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 09:20 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 18:46 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 9 | 01:00 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 04:08 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 04:13 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 23 | 01:43 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 21:05 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 15:03 |
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 2003?
The Year of the Goat began on February 1, 2003. Anyone born from January 1 to January 31, 2003 belongs to the previous year, the Water Horse (壬午); anyone born on or after February 1, 2003 is a Water Goat. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Goat year began at 14:05 China Standard Time on February 4, 2003 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2003 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Thursday, September 11, 2003. The next one, on September 28, 2004, comes 17 days later in the Gregorian calendar, because a leap month falls between the two.
Did the 2003 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 2003 lunar year has 12 months and 355 days: 7 long months of 30 days and 5 short months of 29 days.
What element is 2003 in the Chinese zodiac?
2003 is a Yin Water year: its Heavenly Stem 癸 (Gui) carries Water, and its Earthly Branch 未 (Wei) is the Goat. Together they make 癸未, the 20th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2003?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from February 1, 2003 until Lichun (February 4, 2003 at 14:05) are a Water Goat 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.