Lunar New Year 2025: Which zodiac animal are you? Take our quiz!
Tomorrow (29 Jan 2025) marks the beginning of The Lunar New Year which is celebrated across the world for sixteen days.
The lunar calendar is based on the moon's cycles and is celebrated on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice, so it changes every year. The Lunar cycle is 12 years long, so there are 12 animals, one representing each year of the cycle.
Each zodiac animal represents specific traits and is tied to a particular year, with those born in that year thought to embody these characteristics. But it’s not quite that simple, there’s much more to the story!
Each zodiac animal is also associated with one of the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal (gold), and water). There is also a Yin and Yang version of each element, which alternates each year. This creates a 60-year cycle when combined with the lunar calendar. To put it into context, the last time we had a Yin Wood Snake was 1965, exactly 60 years ago.
2025 is The Year of the Yin Wood Snake. If you were born in one of the following years then you are likely a Snake, but not necessarily a Wood or Yin.
1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
What does the Year of the Snake symbolise?
The Year of the Snake or Yin Wood Snake, according to China Highlights, 'represents the symbol of wisdom. They are intelligent and wise. They are good at communication but say little. Snakes are usually regarded as great thinkers.'
Talking specifically about the Wood Snake they define the traits as, 'Orderly, intelligent, with a gift for appreciating the knowing [of] celebrities and a refined taste'.
Which Lunar Zodiac sign are you? Take the quiz:
Why moon phases matter to finding out your zodiac sign
There is a time gap between the Gregorian calendar and the Lunar calendar, meaning that some people born in January or February might be a sign from the year before. For example, we know the Lunar New Year takes place on 29 Jan 2025, so someone born on 28 Jan 2025 will still belong to the previous Lunar Year which would be the Dragon. Travel China Guide has a great calculator to find out your exact Zodiac sign.
Or to work out your Lunar zodiac animal check out this helpful guide from Travel China Guide:
| Zodiac Animal | Chinese name | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | 鼠 (shǔ) | 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032 |
| Ox | 牛 (niú) | 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033 |
| Tiger | 虎 (hǔ) | 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 |
| Rabbit | 兔 (tù) | 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035 |
| Dragon | 龙 (lóng) | 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036 |
| Snake | 蛇 (shé) | 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 |
| Horse | 马 (mǎ) | 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038 |
| Sheep | 羊 (yáng) | 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039 |
| Monkey | 猴 (hóu) | 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040 |
| Rooster | 鸡 (jī) | 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041 |
| Dog | 狗 (gǒu) | 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042 |
| Pig | 猪 (zhū) | 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043 |
