1976 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Dragon

1976 is the year of the Fire Dragon (丙辰 Bǐngchén), from 31 January 1976 to 17 February 1977. Anyone born in 1976 before 31 January 1976 belongs to the Wood Rabbit year.

• Animal: Dragon
• Element: Fire (Yang)
• Cycle name: 丙辰 Bǐngchén, year 53 of the 60-year cycle
• Starts: 31 January 1976
• Ends: 17 February 1977

The Fire Dragon

Fire years are traditionally linked with passion, visibility and momentum: the element of warmth, courage and ideas that spread quickly. The Dragon is the only mythical creature in the cycle, and traditionally the most celebrated: Dragon years have long been seen as lucky years to be born. Tradition describes Dragon people as charismatic, ambitious and energetic, with big plans and the confidence to announce them.

Born in January or February 1976?

Anyone born from 1 January to 30 January 1976 belongs to the Wood Rabbit year of 1975. From 31 January 1976 the Fire Dragon year begins.

Famous people born in the Fire Dragon year

• Reese Witherspoon, born 22 March 1976
• Cillian Murphy, born 25 May 1976
• Colin Farrell, born 31 May 1976
• Benedict Cumberbatch, born 19 July 1976
• Ryan Reynolds, born 23 October 1976
• Orlando Bloom, born 13 January 1977
• Shakira, born 2 February 1977

How the dates are worked out

Each Chinese New Year here is worked out from the sky, not copied from a list. A lunar month starts on the day of a New Moon in China Standard Time (UTC+8, or Beijing local time before 1929). The month holding the December solstice is the 11th month. When 13 New Moons fall between two of those months, the first month with no principal solar term (the Sun reaching a multiple of 30 degrees) is a leap month. New Year is the first day of the 1st month, which is why it moves between 21 January and 20 February. New Moons and solar terms follow Jean Meeus's Astronomical Algorithms. The rules follow the Chinese calendar.

1975: Wood Rabbit · 1977: Fire Snake · All Dragon years · All 12 animals