2040 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Monkey
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Monkey 猴
Element
Yang Metal
Stem-branch
庚申 Geng-Shen
Zodiac year
Feb 12, 2040 to Jan 31, 2041
The 2040 Year of the Yang Metal Monkey (庚申) begins on Sunday, February 12, 2040, and will last until January 31, 2041. Births from January 1 to February 11, 2040, the first 42 days of 2040, belong to the Earth Goat 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 2040 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 13:39 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 2040, before 13:39 | Earth Goat | Earth Goat |
| Feb 4, 2040, from 13:39, to Feb 11 | Earth Goat | Metal Monkey |
| Feb 12 to Dec 31, 2040 | Metal Monkey | Metal Monkey |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 2040 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Earth Goat (2039)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Earth Goat (2039)
Chinese New Year 2040: 2040-02-12. Lichun 2040: 2040-02-04 13:39 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 2040 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 2040 is 13:39 Beijing time on February 4, 2040. In New York that is 00:39 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 2040 | 13:39 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 2040 | 13:39 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 2040 | 13:39 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 2040 | 13:39 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 2040 | 14:39 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 2040 | 14:39 |
| London | Feb 4, 2040 | 05:39 |
| New York | Feb 4, 2040 | 00:39 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 3, 2040(day before) | 21:39 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 2040 | 16:39 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 2040, including daylight saving time where it applies. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 2040 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Feb 12, 2040 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 26, 2040 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 4, 2040 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Jun 14, 2040 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 14, 2040 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Aug 22, 2040 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 20, 2040 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 14, 2040 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 21, 2040 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 10, 2041 |
The Monkey and 庚申 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. 2040's own element, Metal, comes from the Heavenly Stem 庚. All Years of the Monkey.
庚申 is the 57th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1920, 1980 and 2100 (see the Year of the Monkey table).
Lunar months of the 2040 lunar year
12 months, no leap month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Feb 12, 2040 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Mar 13, 2040 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Apr 11, 2040 | 30 |
| 4th month | May 11, 2040 | 30 |
| 5th month | Jun 10, 2040 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 9, 2040 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 8, 2040 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 6, 2040 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 6, 2040 | 30 |
| 10th month | Nov 5, 2040 | 29 |
| 11th month | Dec 4, 2040 | 30 |
| 12th month | Jan 3, 2041 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 2040
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 | 02:03 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 20 | 19:21 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 13:39 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 09:23 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 5 | 07:31 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 20 | 08:11 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 4 | 12:05 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 19 | 18:59 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 5 | 05:09 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 20 | 17:55 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 5 | 09:08 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 21 | 01:46 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 6 | 19:19 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 22 | 12:40 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 7 | 05:10 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 22 | 19:53 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 7 | 08:14 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 22 | 17:44 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 8 | 00:05 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 23 | 03:19 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 7 | 03:29 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 22 | 01:05 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 6 | 20:30 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 21 | 14:32 |
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 2040?
The Year of the Monkey begins on February 12, 2040. Anyone born from January 1 to February 11, 2040 belongs to the previous year, the Earth Goat (己未); anyone born on or after February 12, 2040 is a Metal Monkey. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Monkey year begins at 13:39 China Standard Time on February 4, 2040 instead.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 2040 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, falls on Thursday, September 20, 2040. The next one, on September 10, 2041, comes 10 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Does the 2040 lunar year have a leap month?
No. The 2040 lunar year has 12 months and 355 days: 7 long months of 30 days and 5 short months of 29 days.
What element is 2040 in the Chinese zodiac?
2040 is a Yang Metal year: its Heavenly Stem 庚 (Geng) carries Metal, and its Earthly Branch 申 (Shen) is the Monkey. Together they make 庚申, the 57th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 2040?
Lichun comes first, on February 4, 2040 at 13:39. Births from then until February 11, 2040 are an Earth Goat under the popular New Year rule but a Metal Monkey 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.