2009 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Ox
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Ox 牛
Element
Yin Earth
Stem-branch
己丑 Ji-Chou
Zodiac year
Jan 26, 2009 to Feb 13, 2010
The 2009 Year of the Yin Earth Ox (己丑) began on Monday, January 26, 2009, and lasted until February 13, 2010. Births from January 1 to January 25, 2009, the first 25 days of 2009, belonged to the Earth Rat year. The lunar year has a leap 5th month, starting Jun 23, 2009, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 2009 and Feb 4, 2010), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 2009 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 00:49 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 25, 2009 | Earth Rat | Earth Rat |
| Jan 26 to Feb 4, 2009, before 00:49 | Earth Ox | Earth Rat |
| Feb 4, 2009, from 00:49, to Dec 31 | Earth Ox | Earth Ox |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2009 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Earth Ox (2009)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Earth Ox (2009)
Chinese New Year 2009: 2009-01-26. Lichun 2009: 2009-02-04 00:49 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 2009 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 2009 was 00:49 Beijing time on February 4, 2009. In New York that was 11:49 on February 3, 2009, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 11:49 is an Earth Ox under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2009 | 00:49 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2009 | 00:49 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2009 | 00:49 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2009 | 00:49 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2009 | 01:49 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2009 | 01:49 |
| London | Feb 3, 2009(day before) | 16:49 |
| New York | Feb 3, 2009(day before) | 11:49 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2009(day before) | 08:49 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2009 | 03:49 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2009, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2009 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 9, 2009 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 4, 2009 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | May 28, 2009 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 26, 2009 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Sep 3, 2009 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Oct 3, 2009 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 26, 2009 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 2009 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 22, 2010 |
The Ox and 己丑 in the calendar
The Ox is the Earthly Branch 丑 (Chou); it also marks the double hour from 1 am to 3 am, the direction North-northeast and the fixed element Earth. 2009's own element, Earth, comes from the Heavenly Stem 己. All Years of the Ox.
己丑 is the 26th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1949 and 2069 (see the Year of the Ox table).
Lunar months of the 2009 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 5th month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 26, 2009 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Feb 25, 2009 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Mar 27, 2009 | 29 |
| 4th month | Apr 25, 2009 | 29 |
| 5th month | May 24, 2009 | 30 |
| Leap 5th month | Jun 23, 2009 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 22, 2009 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 20, 2009 | 30 |
| 8th month | Sep 19, 2009 | 29 |
| 9th month | Oct 18, 2009 | 30 |
| 10th month | Nov 17, 2009 | 29 |
| 11th month | Dec 16, 2009 | 30 |
| 12th month | Jan 15, 2010 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2009
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 | 13:14 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 06:40 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 00:49 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 18 | 20:46 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 18:47 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 20 | 19:43 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 4 | 23:33 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 06:44 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 16:50 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 05:51 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 5 | 20:59 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 13:45 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 07:13 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 00:35 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 17:01 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 07:38 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 7 | 19:57 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 05:18 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 11:40 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 14:43 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 14:56 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 12:22 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 07:52 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 01:46 |
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 2009?
The Year of the Ox began on January 26, 2009. Anyone born from January 1 to January 25, 2009 belongs to the previous year, the Earth Rat (戊子); anyone born on or after January 26, 2009 is an Earth Ox. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Ox year began at 00:49 China Standard Time on February 4, 2009 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2009 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Saturday, October 3, 2009. The next one, on September 22, 2010, comes 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 2009 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 5th month followed the regular 5th month, starting June 23, 2009 and lasting 29 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 2009 in the Chinese zodiac?
2009 is a Yin Earth year: its Heavenly Stem 己 (Ji) carries Earth, and its Earthly Branch 丑 (Chou) is the Ox. Together they make 己丑, the 26th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2009?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 26, 2009 until Lichun (February 4, 2009 at 00:49) are an Earth Ox under the popular New Year rule but an Earth Rat 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.