Year of the Goat: Chinese Zodiac Goat Years, Traits and Matches
The short answer
Goat years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 19 February 2015 to 7 February 2016, and the next begins on 6 February 2027.
Goat years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 19 February 2015 to 7 February 2016, and the next begins on 6 February 2027.
The Goat, also called the Sheep or Ram, is the artist of the zodiac. Tradition describes Goat people as gentle, creative and compassionate, calm company with a strong feel for beauty. They do their best work in a peaceful setting with people they trust.
Strengths and challenges
Strengths: Creative, Compassionate, Gentle, Calm. Challenges: Indecisive, Worries easily, Seeks approval, Pessimistic under stress.
The Goat in love
In love the Goat is nurturing and romantic, and it needs reassurance to feel safe. A patient, encouraging partner brings out its warmth.
The Goat at work
At work the Goat brings imagination and care. It suits the arts, design, caring professions and teams that value harmony over pressure.
Best and hardest matches
Traditionally the Goat works best with the Rabbit and Pig (its trine) and has a quiet ally in the Horse. Its opposite is the Ox, the pairing tradition calls a clash.
Every Goat year, 1924 to 2044
| Year | Element and animal | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | Metal Goat | 17 February 1931 | 5 February 1932 |
| 1943 | Water Goat | 5 February 1943 | 24 January 1944 |
| 1955 | Wood Goat | 24 January 1955 | 11 February 1956 |
| 1967 | Fire Goat | 9 February 1967 | 29 January 1968 |
| 1979 | Earth Goat | 28 January 1979 | 15 February 1980 |
| 1991 | Metal Goat | 15 February 1991 | 3 February 1992 |
| 2003 | Water Goat | 1 February 2003 | 21 January 2004 |
| 2015 | Wood Goat | 19 February 2015 | 7 February 2016 |
| 2027 | Fire Goat | 6 February 2027 | 25 January 2028 |
| 2039 | Earth Goat | 24 January 2039 | 11 February 2040 |
Branch: 未 Wèi · Fixed element: Earth · Yin · Hours: 1pm to 3pm
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.