Year of the Rooster: Chinese Zodiac Rooster Years, Traits and Matches
The short answer
Rooster years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 28 January 2017 to 15 February 2018, and the next begins on 13 February 2029.
Rooster years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 28 January 2017 to 15 February 2018, and the next begins on 13 February 2029.
The Rooster is the zodiac's organiser. Tradition describes Rooster people as observant, hardworking and honest, confident in their standards and precise in their work. They say what they see, which is a gift and occasionally a problem.
Strengths and challenges
Strengths: Observant, Hardworking, Honest, Precise. Challenges: Blunt, Perfectionist, Boastful, Critical.
The Rooster in love
In love the Rooster is loyal and shows care by doing: the fixed tap, the planned holiday. It needs a partner who takes honesty as respect.
The Rooster at work
At work the Rooster keeps things running. It suits organisation, accounting, medicine, military and any role where detail matters.
Best and hardest matches
Traditionally the Rooster works best with the Ox and Snake (its trine) and has a quiet ally in the Dragon. Its opposite is the Rabbit, the pairing tradition calls a clash.
Every Rooster year, 1924 to 2044
| Year | Element and animal | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Water Rooster | 26 January 1933 | 13 February 1934 |
| 1945 | Wood Rooster | 13 February 1945 | 1 February 1946 |
| 1957 | Fire Rooster | 31 January 1957 | 17 February 1958 |
| 1969 | Earth Rooster | 17 February 1969 | 5 February 1970 |
| 1981 | Metal Rooster | 5 February 1981 | 24 January 1982 |
| 1993 | Water Rooster | 23 January 1993 | 9 February 1994 |
| 2005 | Wood Rooster | 9 February 2005 | 28 January 2006 |
| 2017 | Fire Rooster | 28 January 2017 | 15 February 2018 |
| 2029 | Earth Rooster | 13 February 2029 | 2 February 2030 |
| 2041 | Metal Rooster | 1 February 2041 | 21 January 2042 |
Branch: 酉 Yǒu · Fixed element: Metal · Yin · Hours: 5pm to 7pm
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.