Year of the Snake: Chinese Zodiac Snake Years, Traits and Matches
The short answer
Snake years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 29 January 2025 to 16 February 2026, and the next begins on 15 February 2037.
Snake years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 29 January 2025 to 16 February 2026, and the next begins on 15 February 2037.
The Snake is the zodiac's thinker. Tradition describes Snake people as wise, intuitive and composed, elegant in manner and private about their plans. They watch before they move and usually know more than they say.
Strengths and challenges
Strengths: Wise, Intuitive, Composed, Elegant. Challenges: Secretive, Possessive, Suspicious, Slow to forgive.
The Snake in love
In love the Snake is deep and devoted, and it keeps its inner life for very few people. Trust takes time, and once given it is meant to last.
The Snake at work
At work the Snake is the strategist. It suits research, finance, law, psychology and any role that rewards patience and a long view.
Best and hardest matches
Traditionally the Snake works best with the Ox and Rooster (its trine) and has a quiet ally in the Monkey. Its opposite is the Pig, the pairing tradition calls a clash.
Every Snake year, 1924 to 2044
| Year | Element and animal | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Earth Snake | 10 February 1929 | 29 January 1930 |
| 1941 | Metal Snake | 27 January 1941 | 14 February 1942 |
| 1953 | Water Snake | 14 February 1953 | 2 February 1954 |
| 1965 | Wood Snake | 2 February 1965 | 20 January 1966 |
| 1977 | Fire Snake | 18 February 1977 | 6 February 1978 |
| 1989 | Earth Snake | 6 February 1989 | 26 January 1990 |
| 2001 | Metal Snake | 24 January 2001 | 11 February 2002 |
| 2013 | Water Snake | 10 February 2013 | 30 January 2014 |
| 2025 | Wood Snake | 29 January 2025 | 16 February 2026 |
| 2037 | Fire Snake | 15 February 2037 | 3 February 2038 |
Branch: 巳 Sì · Fixed element: Fire · Yin · Hours: 9am to 11am
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.