2011 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Rabbit

2011 is the year of the Metal Rabbit (辛卯 Xīnmǎo), from 3 February 2011 to 22 January 2012. Anyone born in 2011 before 3 February 2011 belongs to the Metal Tiger year.

• Animal: Rabbit
• Element: Metal (Yin)
• Cycle name: 辛卯 Xīnmǎo, year 28 of the 60-year cycle
• Starts: 3 February 2011
• Ends: 22 January 2012

The Metal Rabbit

Metal years are traditionally linked with determination, precision and principle: the element of clear edges, strong will and high standards. The Rabbit is the diplomat of the cycle. Tradition describes Rabbit people as gentle, tactful and careful, with good taste and a strong wish for peace. They notice atmosphere before words, and they would rather smooth a conflict than win it.

Born in January or February 2011?

Anyone born from 1 January to 2 February 2011 belongs to the Metal Tiger year of 2010. From 3 February 2011 the Metal Rabbit 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.

2010: Metal Tiger · 2012: Water Dragon · All Rabbit years · All 12 animals