2004 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Monkey
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Monkey 猴
Element
Yang Wood
Stem-branch
甲申 Jia-Shen
Zodiac year
Jan 22, 2004 to Feb 8, 2005
The 2004 Year of the Yang Wood Monkey (甲申) began on Thursday, January 22, 2004, and lasted until February 8, 2005. Births from January 1 to January 21, 2004, the first 21 days of 2004, belonged to the Water Goat year. Its Chinese New Year, Jan 22, is among the earliest possible (the earliest from 1900 to 2100 is Jan 21). The lunar year has a leap 2nd month, starting Mar 21, 2004, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 2004 and Feb 4, 2005), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 2004 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 19:56 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 21, 2004 | Water Goat | Water Goat |
| Jan 22 to Feb 4, 2004, before 19:56 | Wood Monkey | Water Goat |
| Feb 4, 2004, from 19:56, to Dec 31 | Wood Monkey | Wood Monkey |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2004 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Wood Monkey (2004)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Water Goat (2003)
Chinese New Year 2004: 2004-01-22. Lichun 2004: 2004-02-04 19:56 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 2004 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 2004 was 19:56 Beijing time on February 4, 2004. In New York that was 06:56 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2004 | 19:56 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2004 | 19:56 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2004 | 19:56 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2004 | 19:56 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2004 | 20:56 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2004 | 20:56 |
| London | Feb 4, 2004 | 11:56 |
| New York | Feb 4, 2004 | 06:56 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 4, 2004 | 03:56 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2004 | 22:56 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2004, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2004 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 22, 2004 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 5, 2004 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 4, 2004 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 22, 2004 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 22, 2004 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 30, 2004 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 28, 2004 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 22, 2004 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 21, 2004 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 17, 2005 |
The Monkey and 甲申 in the calendar
The Monkey is the Earthly Branch 申 (Shen); it also marks the double hour from 3 pm to 5 pm, the direction West-southwest and the fixed element Metal. 2004's own element, Wood, comes from the Heavenly Stem 甲. All Years of the Monkey.
甲申 is the 21st year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1944 and 2064 (see the Year of the Monkey table).
Lunar months of the 2004 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 2nd month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 22, 2004 | 29 |
| 2nd month | Feb 20, 2004 | 30 |
| Leap 2nd month | Mar 21, 2004 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Apr 19, 2004 | 30 |
| 4th month | May 19, 2004 | 30 |
| 5th month | Jun 18, 2004 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 17, 2004 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 16, 2004 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 14, 2004 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 14, 2004 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 12, 2004 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 12, 2004 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 10, 2005 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2004
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 | 08:18 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 21 | 01:42 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 19:56 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 15:49 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 13:55 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 20 | 14:48 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 4 | 18:43 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 01:50 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 12:02 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 00:59 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 5 | 16:13 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 08:56 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 02:31 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 22 | 19:50 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 12:19 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 02:53 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 7 | 15:12 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 00:29 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 06:49 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 09:48 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 09:58 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 07:21 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 02:48 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 21 | 20:41 |
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 2004?
The Year of the Monkey began on January 22, 2004. Anyone born from January 1 to January 21, 2004 belongs to the previous year, the Water Goat (癸未); anyone born on or after January 22, 2004 is a Wood Monkey. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Monkey year began at 19:56 China Standard Time on February 4, 2004 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2004 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Tuesday, September 28, 2004. The next one, on September 18, 2005, comes 10 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 2004 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 2nd month followed the regular 2nd month, starting March 21, 2004 and lasting 29 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 2004 in the Chinese zodiac?
2004 is a Yang Wood year: its Heavenly Stem 甲 (Jia) carries Wood, and its Earthly Branch 申 (Shen) is the Monkey. Together they make 甲申, the 21st year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2004?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 22, 2004 until Lichun (February 4, 2004 at 19:56) are a Wood Monkey under the popular New Year rule but a Water Goat 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.