2009 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Ox

2009 is the year of the Earth Ox (己丑 Jǐchǒu), from 26 January 2009 to 13 February 2010. Anyone born in 2009 before 26 January 2009 belongs to the Earth Rat year.

• Animal: Ox
• Element: Earth (Yin)
• Cycle name: 己丑 Jǐchǒu, year 26 of the 60-year cycle
• Starts: 26 January 2009
• Ends: 13 February 2010

The Earth Ox

Earth years are traditionally linked with steadiness, practicality and care: the element that holds things together and keeps promises. The Ox is the patient worker of the zodiac. Tradition describes Ox people as dependable, methodical and quietly strong: slow to start, very hard to stop. They prefer proof to promises and build things meant to last, from a savings account to a family routine.

Born in January or February 2009?

Anyone born from 1 January to 25 January 2009 belongs to the Earth Rat year of 2008. From 26 January 2009 the Earth Ox 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.

2008: Earth Rat · 2010: Metal Tiger · All Ox years · All 12 animals