Year of the Pig: Chinese Zodiac Pig Years, Traits and Matches
The short answer
Pig years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 5 February 2019 to 24 January 2020, and the next begins on 23 January 2031.
Pig years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 5 February 2019 to 24 January 2020, and the next begins on 23 January 2031.
The Pig closes the cycle, and tradition sees it as the zodiac's most generous sign. Pig people are described as sincere, easy-going and diligent, good company at a table and hard workers when it counts.
Strengths and challenges
Strengths: Generous, Sincere, Easy-going, Diligent. Challenges: Too trusting, Indulgent, Avoids conflict, Naive at times.
The Pig in love
In love the Pig is affectionate and generous, and it enjoys the comforts of a shared home. It needs a partner who does not take its good nature for granted.
The Pig at work
At work the Pig builds goodwill. It suits hospitality, service, the arts and teams where warmth and steady effort pay off.
Best and hardest matches
Traditionally the Pig works best with the Rabbit and Goat (its trine) and has a quiet ally in the Tiger. Its opposite is the Snake, the pairing tradition calls a clash.
Every Pig year, 1924 to 2044
| Year | Element and animal | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Wood Pig | 4 February 1935 | 23 January 1936 |
| 1947 | Fire Pig | 22 January 1947 | 9 February 1948 |
| 1959 | Earth Pig | 8 February 1959 | 27 January 1960 |
| 1971 | Metal Pig | 27 January 1971 | 14 February 1972 |
| 1983 | Water Pig | 13 February 1983 | 1 February 1984 |
| 1995 | Wood Pig | 31 January 1995 | 18 February 1996 |
| 2007 | Fire Pig | 18 February 2007 | 6 February 2008 |
| 2019 | Earth Pig | 5 February 2019 | 24 January 2020 |
| 2031 | Metal Pig | 23 January 2031 | 10 February 2032 |
| 2043 | Water Pig | 10 February 2043 | 29 January 2044 |
Branch: 亥 Hài · Fixed element: Water · Yin · Hours: 9pm to 11pm
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.