2028 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Monkey
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Monkey 猴
Element
Yang Earth
Stem-branch
戊申 Wu-Shen
Zodiac year
Jan 26, 2028 to Feb 12, 2029
The 2028 Year of the Yang Earth Monkey (戊申) begins on Wednesday, January 26, 2028, and will last until February 12, 2029. Births from January 1 to January 25, 2028, the first 25 days of 2028, belong to the Fire Goat year. The lunar year has a leap 5th month, starting Jun 23, 2028, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 2028 and Feb 3, 2029), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 2028 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 15:31 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 25, 2028 | Fire Goat | Fire Goat |
| Jan 26 to Feb 4, 2028, before 15:31 | Earth Monkey | Fire Goat |
| Feb 4, 2028, from 15:31, to Dec 31 | Earth Monkey | Earth Monkey |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2028 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Earth Monkey (2028)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Fire Goat (2027)
Chinese New Year 2028: 2028-01-26. Lichun 2028: 2028-02-04 15:31 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 2028 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 2028 is 15:31 Beijing time on February 4, 2028. In New York that is 02:31 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2028 | 15:31 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2028 | 15:31 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2028 | 15:31 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2028 | 15:31 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2028 | 16:31 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2028 | 16:31 |
| London | Feb 4, 2028 | 07:31 |
| New York | Feb 4, 2028 | 02:31 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2028(day before) | 23:31 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2028 | 18:31 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2028, including daylight saving time where it applies. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2028 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 26, 2028 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 9, 2028 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 4, 2028 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | May 28, 2028 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 26, 2028 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Sep 3, 2028 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Oct 3, 2028 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 26, 2028 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 21, 2028 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 22, 2029 |
The Monkey and 戊申 in the calendar
The Monkey is the Earthly Branch 申 (Shen); it also marks the double hour from 3 pm to 5 pm, the direction West-southwest and the fixed element Metal. 2028's own element, Earth, comes from the Heavenly Stem 戊. All Years of the Monkey.
戊申 is the 45th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1908 (see the Year of the Monkey table), 1968 and 2088 (see the Year of the Monkey table).
Lunar months of the 2028 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 5th month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 26, 2028 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Feb 25, 2028 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Mar 26, 2028 | 30 |
| 4th month | Apr 25, 2028 | 29 |
| 5th month | May 24, 2028 | 30 |
| Leap 5th month | Jun 23, 2028 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 22, 2028 | 29 |
| 7th month | Aug 20, 2028 | 30 |
| 8th month | Sep 19, 2028 | 29 |
| 9th month | Oct 18, 2028 | 29 |
| 10th month | Nov 16, 2028 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 16, 2028 | 30 |
| 12th month | Jan 15, 2029 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 2028
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 | 03:54 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 21:21 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 15:31 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 11:26 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 09:24 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 20 | 10:17 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 4 | 14:03 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 19 | 21:09 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 07:12 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 20 | 20:09 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 5 | 11:16 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 04:02 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 6 | 21:30 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 22 | 14:53 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 07:21 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 22 | 22:00 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 7 | 10:22 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 22 | 19:45 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 02:08 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 05:13 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 05:27 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 02:54 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 6 | 22:24 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 21 | 16:19 |
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 2028?
The Year of the Monkey begins on January 26, 2028. Anyone born from January 1 to January 25, 2028 belongs to the previous year, the Fire Goat (丁未); anyone born on or after January 26, 2028 is an Earth Monkey. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Monkey year begins at 15:31 China Standard Time on February 4, 2028 instead.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2028 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, falls on Tuesday, October 3, 2028. The next one, on September 22, 2029, comes 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Does the 2028 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 5th month followed the regular 5th month, starting June 23, 2028 and lasting 29 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 2028 in the Chinese zodiac?
2028 is a Yang Earth year: its Heavenly Stem 戊 (Wu) carries Earth, and its Earthly Branch 申 (Shen) is the Monkey. Together they make 戊申, the 45th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2028?
Chinese New Year comes first. Births from January 26, 2028 until Lichun (February 4, 2028 at 15:31) are an Earth Monkey under the popular New Year rule but a Fire Goat 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.