2024 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Dragon

2024 is the year of the Wood Dragon (甲辰 Jiǎchén), from 10 February 2024 to 28 January 2025. Anyone born in 2024 before 10 February 2024 belongs to the Water Rabbit year.

• Animal: Dragon
• Element: Wood (Yang)
• Cycle name: 甲辰 Jiǎchén, year 41 of the 60-year cycle
• Starts: 10 February 2024
• Ends: 28 January 2025

The Wood Dragon

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 Dragon is the only mythical creature in the cycle, and traditionally the most celebrated: Dragon years have long been seen as lucky years to be born. Tradition describes Dragon people as charismatic, ambitious and energetic, with big plans and the confidence to announce them.

Born in January or February 2024?

Anyone born from 1 January to 9 February 2024 belongs to the Water Rabbit year of 2023. From 10 February 2024 the Wood Dragon 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.

2023: Water Rabbit · 2025: Wood Snake · All Dragon years · All 12 animals