2005 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Rooster
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Rooster 鸡
Element
Yin Wood
Stem-branch
乙酉 Yi-You
Zodiac year
Feb 9, 2005 to Jan 28, 2006
The 2005 Year of the Yin Wood Rooster (乙酉) began on Wednesday, February 9, 2005, and lasted until January 28, 2006. Births from January 1 to February 8, 2005, the first 39 days of 2005, belonged to the Wood Monkey 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 2005 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 01:43 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 2005, before 01:43 | Wood Monkey | Wood Monkey |
| Feb 4, 2005, from 01:43, to Feb 8 | Wood Monkey | Wood Rooster |
| Feb 9 to Dec 31, 2005 | Wood Rooster | Wood Rooster |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2005 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Wood Monkey (2004)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Wood Rooster (2005)
Chinese New Year 2005: 2005-02-09. Lichun 2005: 2005-02-04 01:43 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 2005 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 2005 was 01:43 Beijing time on February 4, 2005. In New York that was 12:43 on February 3, 2005, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 12:43 is a Wood Rooster under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2005 | 01:43 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2005 | 01:43 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2005 | 01:43 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2005 | 01:43 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2005 | 02:43 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2005 | 02:43 |
| London | Feb 3, 2005(day before) | 17:43 |
| New York | Feb 3, 2005(day before) | 12:43 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2005(day before) | 09:43 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2005 | 04:43 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2005, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2005 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 9, 2005 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 23, 2005 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 2005 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 11, 2005 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 11, 2005 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 19, 2005 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 18, 2005 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 11, 2005 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 2005 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 7, 2006 |
The Rooster and 乙酉 in the calendar
The Rooster is the Earthly Branch 酉 (You); it also marks the double hour from 5 pm to 7 pm, the direction West and the fixed element Metal. 2005's own element, Wood, comes from the Heavenly Stem 乙. All Years of the Rooster.
乙酉 is the 22nd year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1945 and 2065 (see the Year of the Rooster table).
Lunar months of the 2005 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 9, 2005 | 29 |
| 2nd month | Mar 10, 2005 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Apr 9, 2005 | 29 |
| 4th month | May 8, 2005 | 30 |
| 5th month | Jun 7, 2005 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 6, 2005 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 5, 2005 | 30 |
| 8th month | Sep 4, 2005 | 29 |
| 9th month | Oct 3, 2005 | 30 |
| 10th month | Nov 2, 2005 | 29 |
| 11th month | Dec 1, 2005 | 30 |
| 12th month | Dec 31, 2005 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 2005
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 | 14:02 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 07:21 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 01:43 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 18 | 21:31 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 19:45 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 20 | 20:33 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 00:34 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 07:37 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 17:52 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 06:47 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 5 | 22:01 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 14:46 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 08:16 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 01:40 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 18:03 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 08:45 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 7 | 20:56 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 06:23 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 12:33 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 15:42 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 15:42 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 13:14 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 08:32 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 02:34 |
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 2005?
The Year of the Rooster began on February 9, 2005. Anyone born from January 1 to February 8, 2005 belongs to the previous year, the Wood Monkey (甲申); anyone born on or after February 9, 2005 is a Wood Rooster. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Rooster year began at 01:43 China Standard Time on February 4, 2005 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2005 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Sunday, September 18, 2005. The next one, on October 6, 2006, comes 18 days later in the Gregorian calendar, because a leap month falls between the two.
Did the 2005 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 2005 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 2005 in the Chinese zodiac?
2005 is a Yin Wood year: its Heavenly Stem 乙 (Yi) carries Wood, and its Earthly Branch 酉 (You) is the Rooster. Together they make 乙酉, the 22nd year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2005?
Lichun came first, on February 4, 2005 at 01:43. Births from then until February 8, 2005 are a Wood Monkey under the popular New Year rule but a Wood Rooster 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.