1981 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Rooster

1981 is the year of the Metal Rooster (辛酉 Xīnyǒu), from 5 February 1981 to 24 January 1982. Anyone born in 1981 before 5 February 1981 belongs to the Metal Monkey year.

• Animal: Rooster
• Element: Metal (Yin)
• Cycle name: 辛酉 Xīnyǒu, year 58 of the 60-year cycle
• Starts: 5 February 1981
• Ends: 24 January 1982

The Metal Rooster

Metal years are traditionally linked with determination, precision and principle: the element of clear edges, strong will and high standards. The Rooster is the zodiac's organiser. Tradition describes Rooster people as observant, hardworking and honest, confident in their standards and precise in their work. They say what they see, which is a gift and occasionally a problem.

Born in January or February 1981?

Anyone born from 1 January to 4 February 1981 belongs to the Metal Monkey year of 1980. From 5 February 1981 the Metal Rooster year begins.

Famous people born in the Metal Rooster year

• Tom Hiddleston, born 9 February 1981
• Natalie Portman, born 9 June 1981
• Chris Evans, born 13 June 1981
• Meghan Markle, born 4 August 1981
• Roger Federer, born 8 August 1981
• Beyonce, born 4 September 1981
• Serena Williams, born 26 September 1981
• Britney Spears, born 2 December 1981
• Kate Middleton, born 9 January 1982

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.

1980: Metal Monkey · 1982: Water Dog · All Rooster years · All 12 animals