1978 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Horse

1978 is the year of the Earth Horse (戊午 Wùwǔ), from 7 February 1978 to 27 January 1979. Anyone born in 1978 before 7 February 1978 belongs to the Fire Snake year.

• Animal: Horse
• Element: Earth (Yang)
• Cycle name: 戊午 Wùwǔ, year 55 of the 60-year cycle
• Starts: 7 February 1978
• Ends: 27 January 1979

The Earth Horse

Earth years are traditionally linked with steadiness, practicality and care: the element that holds things together and keeps promises. The Horse is the free spirit of the cycle. Tradition describes Horse people as energetic, independent and warm, quick with words and happiest on the move. They start with enthusiasm and hate being fenced in.

Born in January or February 1978?

Anyone born from 1 January to 6 February 1978 belongs to the Fire Snake year of 1977. From 7 February 1978 the Earth Horse year begins.

Famous people born in the Earth Horse year

• Kobe Bryant, born 23 August 1978
• Usher, born 14 October 1978

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.

1977: Fire Snake · 1979: Earth Goat · All Horse years · All 12 animals