2010 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Tiger
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Tiger 虎
Element
Yang Metal
Stem-branch
庚寅 Geng-Yin
Zodiac year
Feb 14, 2010 to Feb 2, 2011
The 2010 Year of the Yang Metal Tiger (庚寅) began on Sunday, February 14, 2010, and lasted until February 2, 2011. Births from January 1 to February 13, 2010, the first 44 days of 2010, belonged to the Earth Ox 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 2010 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 06:47 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 2010, before 06:47 | Earth Ox | Earth Ox |
| Feb 4, 2010, from 06:47, to Feb 13 | Earth Ox | Metal Tiger |
| Feb 14 to Dec 31, 2010 | Metal Tiger | Metal Tiger |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2010 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Earth Ox (2009)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Metal Tiger (2010)
Chinese New Year 2010: 2010-02-14. Lichun 2010: 2010-02-04 06:47 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 2010 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 2010 was 06:47 Beijing time on February 4, 2010. In New York that was 17:47 on February 3, 2010, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 17:47 is a Metal Tiger under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2010 | 06:47 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2010 | 06:47 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2010 | 06:47 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2010 | 06:47 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2010 | 07:47 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2010 | 07:47 |
| London | Feb 3, 2010(day before) | 22:47 |
| New York | Feb 3, 2010(day before) | 17:47 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2010(day before) | 14:47 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2010 | 09:47 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2010, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2010 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 14, 2010 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 28, 2010 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 2010 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 16, 2010 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 16, 2010 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 24, 2010 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 22, 2010 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 16, 2010 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 2010 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 11, 2011 |
The Tiger and 庚寅 in the calendar
The Tiger is the Earthly Branch 寅 (Yin); it also marks the double hour from 3 am to 5 am, the direction East-northeast and the fixed element Wood. 2010's own element, Metal, comes from the Heavenly Stem 庚. All Years of the Tiger.
庚寅 is the 27th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1950 and 2070 (see the Year of the Tiger table).
Lunar months of the 2010 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 14, 2010 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 16, 2010 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Apr 14, 2010 | 30 |
| 4th month | May 14, 2010 | 29 |
| 5th month | Jun 12, 2010 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jul 12, 2010 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 10, 2010 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 8, 2010 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 8, 2010 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 6, 2010 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 6, 2010 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 4, 2011 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2010
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 | 19:08 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 12:27 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 06:47 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 02:35 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 00:46 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 01:32 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 05:30 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 12:29 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 22:44 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 11:33 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 02:49 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 19:28 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 13:02 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 06:21 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 22:49 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 13:26 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 01:44 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 11:09 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 17:26 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 20:35 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 20:42 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 18:14 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 13:38 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 07:38 |
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 2010?
The Year of the Tiger began on February 14, 2010. Anyone born from January 1 to February 13, 2010 belongs to the previous year, the Earth Ox (己丑); anyone born on or after February 14, 2010 is a Metal Tiger. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Tiger year began at 06:47 China Standard Time on February 4, 2010 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2010 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Wednesday, September 22, 2010. The next one, on September 12, 2011, comes 10 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 2010 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 2010 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 2010 in the Chinese zodiac?
2010 is a Yang Metal year: its Heavenly Stem 庚 (Geng) carries Metal, and its Earthly Branch 寅 (Yin) is the Tiger. Together they make 庚寅, the 27th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2010?
Lichun came first, on February 4, 2010 at 06:47. Births from then until February 13, 2010 are an Earth Ox under the popular New Year rule but a Metal Tiger 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.