2011 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Rabbit
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Rabbit 兔
Element
Yin Metal
Stem-branch
辛卯 Xin-Mao
Zodiac year
Feb 3, 2011 to Jan 22, 2012
The 2011 Year of the Yin Metal Rabbit (辛卯) began on Thursday, February 3, 2011, and lasted until January 22, 2012. Births from January 1 to February 2, 2011, the first 33 days of 2011, belonged to the Metal Tiger year. It has 12 lunar months and 354 days, with no leap month. It contains one Start of Spring term (Feb 4, 2011).
Which animal for a 2011 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 12:32 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 2, 2011 | Metal Tiger | Metal Tiger |
| Feb 3 to Feb 4, 2011, before 12:32 | Metal Rabbit | Metal Tiger |
| Feb 4, 2011, from 12:32, to Dec 31 | Metal Rabbit | Metal Rabbit |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2011 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Metal Rabbit (2011)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Metal Tiger (2010)
Chinese New Year 2011: 2011-02-03. Lichun 2011: 2011-02-04 12:32 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 2011 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 2011 was 12:32 Beijing time on February 4, 2011. In New York that was 23:32 on February 3, 2011, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 23:32 is a Metal Rabbit under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2011 | 12:32 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2011 | 12:32 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2011 | 12:32 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2011 | 12:32 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2011 | 13:32 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2011 | 13:32 |
| London | Feb 4, 2011 | 04:32 |
| New York | Feb 3, 2011(day before) | 23:32 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2011(day before) | 20:32 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2011 | 15:32 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2011, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2011 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 3, 2011 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 17, 2011 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 2011 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 6, 2011 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 6, 2011 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 14, 2011 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 12, 2011 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 5, 2011 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 2011 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 1, 2012 |
The Rabbit and 辛卯 in the calendar
The Rabbit is the Earthly Branch 卯 (Mao); it also marks the double hour from 5 am to 7 am, the direction East and the fixed element Wood. 2011's own element, Metal, comes from the Heavenly Stem 辛. All Years of the Rabbit.
辛卯 is the 28th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1951 and 2071 (see the Year of the Rabbit table).
Lunar months of the 2011 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 3, 2011 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 5, 2011 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Apr 3, 2011 | 30 |
| 4th month | May 3, 2011 | 30 |
| 5th month | Jun 2, 2011 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 1, 2011 | 30 |
| 7th month | Jul 31, 2011 | 29 |
| 8th month | Aug 29, 2011 | 29 |
| 9th month | Sep 27, 2011 | 30 |
| 10th month | Oct 27, 2011 | 29 |
| 11th month | Nov 25, 2011 | 30 |
| 12th month | Dec 25, 2011 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 2011
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 | 00:54 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 18:18 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 12:32 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 08:25 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 06:29 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 07:20 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 11:11 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 18:17 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 04:23 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 17:21 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 08:27 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 22 | 01:16 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 18:42 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 12:11 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 04:33 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 19:20 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 07:34 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 17:04 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 23:19 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 02:30 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 02:34 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 23 | 00:07 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 19:29 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 13:30 |
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 2011?
The Year of the Rabbit began on February 3, 2011. Anyone born from January 1 to February 2, 2011 belongs to the previous year, the Metal Tiger (庚寅); anyone born on or after February 3, 2011 is a Metal Rabbit. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Rabbit year began at 12:32 China Standard Time on February 4, 2011 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2011 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Monday, September 12, 2011. The next one, on September 30, 2012, comes 18 days later in the Gregorian calendar, because a leap month falls between the two.
Did the 2011 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 2011 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 2011 in the Chinese zodiac?
2011 is a Yin Metal year: its Heavenly Stem 辛 (Xin) carries Metal, and its Earthly Branch 卯 (Mao) is the Rabbit. Together they make 辛卯, the 28th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2011?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from February 3, 2011 until Lichun (February 4, 2011 at 12:32) are a Metal Rabbit 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.