2023 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Rabbit
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Rabbit 兔
Element
Yin Water
Stem-branch
癸卯 Gui-Mao
Zodiac year
Jan 22, 2023 to Feb 9, 2024
The 2023 Year of the Yin Water Rabbit (癸卯) began on Sunday, January 22, 2023, and lasted until February 9, 2024. Births from January 1 to January 21, 2023, the first 21 days of 2023, belonged to the Water Tiger year. Its Chinese New Year, Jan 22, is among the earliest possible (the earliest from 1900 to 2100 is Jan 21). The lunar year has a leap 2nd month, starting Mar 22, 2023, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 2023 and Feb 4, 2024), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 2023 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 10:42 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 21, 2023 | Water Tiger | Water Tiger |
| Jan 22 to Feb 4, 2023, before 10:42 | Water Rabbit | Water Tiger |
| Feb 4, 2023, from 10:42, to Dec 31 | Water Rabbit | Water Rabbit |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2023 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Water Rabbit (2023)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Water Rabbit (2023)
Chinese New Year 2023: 2023-01-22. Lichun 2023: 2023-02-04 10:42 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 2023 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 2023 was 10:42 Beijing time on February 4, 2023. In New York that was 21:42 on February 3, 2023, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 21:42 is a Water Rabbit under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2023 | 10:42 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2023 | 10:42 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2023 | 10:42 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2023 | 10:42 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2023 | 11:42 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2023 | 11:42 |
| London | Feb 4, 2023 | 02:42 |
| New York | Feb 3, 2023(day before) | 21:42 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2023(day before) | 18:42 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2023 | 13:42 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2023, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2023 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 22, 2023 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 5, 2023 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 2023 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 22, 2023 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 22, 2023 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 30, 2023 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 29, 2023 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 23, 2023 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 2023 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 18, 2024 |
The Rabbit and 癸卯 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. 2023's own element, Water, comes from the Heavenly Stem 癸. All Years of the Rabbit.
癸卯 is the 40th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1903 (see the Year of the Rabbit table), 1963 and 2083 (see the Year of the Rabbit table).
Lunar months of the 2023 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 2nd month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 22, 2023 | 29 |
| 2nd month | Feb 20, 2023 | 30 |
| Leap 2nd month | Mar 22, 2023 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Apr 20, 2023 | 29 |
| 4th month | May 19, 2023 | 30 |
| 5th month | Jun 18, 2023 | 30 |
| 6th month | Jul 18, 2023 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 16, 2023 | 30 |
| 8th month | Sep 15, 2023 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 15, 2023 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 13, 2023 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 13, 2023 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 11, 2024 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2023
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 | 23:04 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 16:29 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 10:42 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 06:34 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 04:36 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 05:24 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 09:13 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 16:13 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 02:18 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 15:09 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 06:18 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 22:57 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 16:30 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 09:50 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 02:22 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 17:01 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 05:26 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 14:49 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 21:15 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 00:20 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 00:35 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 22:02 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 17:32 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 11:27 |
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 2023?
The Year of the Rabbit began on January 22, 2023. Anyone born from January 1 to January 21, 2023 belongs to the previous year, the Water Tiger (壬寅); anyone born on or after January 22, 2023 is a Water Rabbit. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Rabbit year began at 10:42 China Standard Time on February 4, 2023 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2023 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Friday, September 29, 2023. The next one, on September 17, 2024, comes 12 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 2023 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 2nd month followed the regular 2nd month, starting March 22, 2023 and lasting 29 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 2023 in the Chinese zodiac?
2023 is a Yin Water year: its Heavenly Stem 癸 (Gui) carries Water, and its Earthly Branch 卯 (Mao) is the Rabbit. Together they make 癸卯, the 40th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2023?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 22, 2023 until Lichun (February 4, 2023 at 10:42) are a Water Rabbit under the popular New Year rule but a Water 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.