2004 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Monkey

2004 is the year of the Wood Monkey (甲申 Jiǎshēn), from 22 January 2004 to 8 February 2005. Anyone born in 2004 before 22 January 2004 belongs to the Water Goat year.

• Animal: Monkey
• Element: Wood (Yang)
• Cycle name: 甲申 Jiǎshēn, year 21 of the 60-year cycle
• Starts: 22 January 2004
• Ends: 8 February 2005

The Wood Monkey

Wood years are traditionally linked with growth, generosity and cooperation: the element of things that grow towards the light and make room for others. The Monkey is the zodiac's inventor. Tradition describes Monkey people as clever, playful and adaptable, quick to solve a puzzle and quicker to get bored once it is solved. They learn fast and enjoy a clever shortcut.

Born in January or February 2004?

Anyone born from 1 January to 21 January 2004 belongs to the Water Goat year of 2003. From 22 January 2004 the Wood Monkey year begins.

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.

2003: Water Goat · 2005: Wood Rooster · All Monkey years · All 12 animals