2038 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Horse
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Horse 马
Element
Yang Earth
Stem-branch
戊午 Wu-Wu
Zodiac year
Feb 4, 2038 to Jan 23, 2039
The 2038 Year of the Yang Earth Horse (戊午) begins on Thursday, February 4, 2038, and will last until January 23, 2039. Births from January 1 to February 3, 2038, the first 34 days of 2038, belong to the Fire Snake year. It has 12 lunar months and 354 days, with no leap month. It contains one Start of Spring term (Feb 4, 2038).
Which animal for a 2038 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 02:03 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 3, 2038 | Fire Snake | Fire Snake |
| Feb 4, 2038, before 02:03 | Earth Horse | Fire Snake |
| Feb 4, 2038, from 02:03, to Dec 31 | Earth Horse | Earth Horse |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2038 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Earth Horse (2038)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Earth Horse (2038)
Chinese New Year 2038: 2038-02-04. Lichun 2038: 2038-02-04 02:03 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 2038 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 2038 is 02:03 Beijing time on February 4, 2038. In New York that is 13:03 on February 3, 2038, the day before, so a baby born in New York on Feb 3 at or after 13:03 is an Earth Horse under the Lichun rule.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2038 | 02:03 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2038 | 02:03 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2038 | 02:03 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2038 | 02:03 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2038 | 03:03 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2038 | 03:03 |
| London | Feb 3, 2038(day before) | 18:03 |
| New York | Feb 3, 2038(day before) | 13:03 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2038(day before) | 10:03 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2038 | 05:03 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2038, including daylight saving time where it applies. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2038 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 4, 2038 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 18, 2038 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 2038 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 7, 2038 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 7, 2038 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 15, 2038 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 13, 2038 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 7, 2038 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 2038 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 2, 2039 |
The Horse and 戊午 in the calendar
The Horse is the Earthly Branch 午 (Wu); it also marks the double hour from 11 am to 1 pm, the direction South and the fixed element Fire. 2038's own element, Earth, comes from the Heavenly Stem 戊. All Years of the Horse.
戊午 is the 55th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1918 (see the Year of the Horse table), 1978 and 2098 (see the Year of the Horse table).
Lunar months of the 2038 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 4, 2038 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 6, 2038 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Apr 5, 2038 | 29 |
| 4th month | May 4, 2038 | 30 |
| 5th month | Jun 3, 2038 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 2, 2038 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 1, 2038 | 29 |
| 8th month | Aug 30, 2038 | 30 |
| 9th month | Sep 29, 2038 | 29 |
| 10th month | Oct 28, 2038 | 29 |
| 11th month | Nov 26, 2038 | 30 |
| 12th month | Dec 26, 2038 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 2038
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 | 14:26 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 07:48 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 02:03 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 18 | 21:52 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 19:55 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 20 | 20:40 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 00:29 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 20 | 07:28 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 17:31 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 21 | 06:22 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 5 | 21:25 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 14:09 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 7 | 07:32 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 00:59 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 17:21 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 23 | 08:10 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 7 | 20:26 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 23 | 06:02 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 12:21 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 15:40 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 15:50 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 13:31 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 7 | 08:56 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 03:02 |
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 2038?
The Year of the Horse begins on February 4, 2038. Anyone born from January 1 to February 3, 2038 belongs to the previous year, the Fire Snake (丁巳); anyone born on or after February 4, 2038 is an Earth Horse. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Horse year begins at 02:03 China Standard Time on February 4, 2038 instead.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2038 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, falls on Monday, September 13, 2038. The next one, on October 2, 2039, comes 19 days later in the Gregorian calendar, because a leap month falls between the two.
Does the 2038 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 2038 lunar year has 12 months and 354 days: 6 long months of 30 days and 6 short months of 29 days.
What element is 2038 in the Chinese zodiac?
2038 is a Yang Earth year: its Heavenly Stem 戊 (Wu) carries Earth, and its Earthly Branch 午 (Wu) is the Horse. Together they make 戊午, the 55th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2038?
In 2038 the Start of Spring (Lichun) fell on Chinese New Year itself, February 4, 2038. Only births on that day before 02:03 China Standard Time get the previous year 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.