2013 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Snake
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Snake 蛇
Element
Yin Water
Stem-branch
癸巳 Gui-Si
Zodiac year
Feb 10, 2013 to Jan 30, 2014
The 2013 Year of the Yin Water Snake (癸巳) began on Sunday, February 10, 2013, and lasted until January 30, 2014. Births from January 1 to February 9, 2013, the first 40 days of 2013, belonged to the Water Dragon year. It has 12 lunar months and 355 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 2013 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 00:13 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 2013, before 00:13 | Water Dragon | Water Dragon |
| Feb 4, 2013, from 00:13, to Feb 9 | Water Dragon | Water Snake |
| Feb 10 to Dec 31, 2013 | Water Snake | Water Snake |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2013 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Water Dragon (2012)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Water Snake (2013)
Chinese New Year 2013: 2013-02-10. Lichun 2013: 2013-02-04 00:13 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 2013 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 2013 was 00:13 Beijing time on February 4, 2013. In New York that was 11:13 on February 3, 2013, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 11:13 is a Water Snake under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2013 | 00:13 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2013 | 00:13 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2013 | 00:13 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2013 | 00:13 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2013 | 01:13 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2013 | 01:13 |
| London | Feb 3, 2013(day before) | 16:13 |
| New York | Feb 3, 2013(day before) | 11:13 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2013(day before) | 08:13 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2013 | 03:13 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2013, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2013 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 10, 2013 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 24, 2013 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 4, 2013 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 12, 2013 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 13, 2013 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 21, 2013 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 19, 2013 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 13, 2013 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 2013 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 8, 2014 |
The Snake and 癸巳 in the calendar
The Snake is the Earthly Branch 巳 (Si); it also marks the double hour from 9 am to 11 am, the direction South-southeast and the fixed element Fire. 2013's own element, Water, comes from the Heavenly Stem 癸. All Years of the Snake.
癸巳 is the 30th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1953 and 2073 (see the Year of the Snake table).
Lunar months of the 2013 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 10, 2013 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 12, 2013 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Apr 10, 2013 | 30 |
| 4th month | May 10, 2013 | 29 |
| 5th month | Jun 8, 2013 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jul 8, 2013 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 7, 2013 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 5, 2013 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 5, 2013 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 3, 2013 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 3, 2013 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 1, 2014 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2013
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 | 12:33 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 05:51 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 00:13 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 18 | 20:01 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 18:14 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 20 | 19:01 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 4 | 23:02 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 06:03 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 16:18 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 05:09 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 5 | 20:23 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 13:03 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 06:34 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 22 | 23:55 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 16:20 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 07:01 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 7 | 19:16 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 04:44 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 10:58 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 14:09 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 14:13 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 11:48 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 07:08 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 01:11 |
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 2013?
The Year of the Snake began on February 10, 2013. Anyone born from January 1 to February 9, 2013 belongs to the previous year, the Water Dragon (壬辰); anyone born on or after February 10, 2013 is a Water Snake. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Snake year began at 00:13 China Standard Time on February 4, 2013 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2013 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Thursday, September 19, 2013. The next one, on September 8, 2014, comes 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 2013 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 2013 lunar year has 12 months and 355 days: 7 long months of 30 days and 5 short months of 29 days.
What element is 2013 in the Chinese zodiac?
2013 is a Yin Water year: its Heavenly Stem 癸 (Gui) carries Water, and its Earthly Branch 巳 (Si) is the Snake. Together they make 癸巳, the 30th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2013?
Lichun came first, on February 4, 2013 at 00:13. Births from then until February 9, 2013 are a Water Dragon under the popular New Year rule but a Water Snake 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.