2024: Year of the Dragon – Chinese Animal Signs

The dragon is one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac (Shēngxiào, or 生肖), which is based on a 12-year cycle. The Year of the Dragon begins on the Chinese New Year, ending the Year of the Rabbit.

People born in the Year of the Dragon are traditionally thought to be enthusiastic, intelligent, lively, energetic, and innovative.

2025: Year of the Snake

The following year in the Chinese zodiac is the Year of the Snake, which starts on January 29, 2025 and ends on February 16, 2026, when the Year of the Horse begins.

What Year Is Which Animal?

The zodiac starts with the Year of the Rat and cycles continuously through the 12 signs.

Zi (Rat)

Imaginative, generous, successful, popular, curious

Chou (Ox)

Confident, honest, patient, conservative, strong

Yin (Tiger)

Sensitive, tolerant, brave, active, resilient

Mao (Rabbit)

Affectionate, kind, gentle, compassionate, merciful

Chen (Dragon)

Enthusiastic, intelligent, lively, energetic, innovative

Si (Snake)

Charming, intuitive, romantic, highly perceptive, polite

Wu (Horse)

Diligent, friendly, sophisticated, talented, clever

Wei (Sheep)

Artistic, calm, reserved, happy, kind

Shen (Monkey)

Witty, lively, flexible, humorous, curious

You (Rooster)

Shrewd, honest, communicative, motivated, punctual

Xu (Dog)

Loyal, honest, responsible, courageous, warm-hearted

Hai (Boar/Pig)

Sincere, tolerant, hard-working, honest, optimistic

12 Animals and 5 Elements

Each of the 12 years in the Chinese zodiac cycle is represented by an animal and is associated with one of five elemental signs: wood, earth, fire, water, and metal.

The Year of the Dragon in 2024 is associated with wood.

Zodiac and Human Connections

According to the Chinese zodiac, your birth year tells you more than just your age. Not only is one's personality affected by the animal associated with their birth year, but the compatibility of their relationships also depends on their zodiac.

Starts with the Spring Festival

In China, the start of a new year is celebrated with a Spring Festival, the biggest holiday of the year. Traditionally, people give their house a thorough spring clean and hang couplets on their doors. Couplets are poetic lines about spring and prosperity written in gold or black on red paper.

Holidays in China

Setting off firecrackers is hugely popular, and children get hongbao, little red gifts with money inside, from older family members.

The Chinese Calendar

The animal signs in the Chinese zodiac are calculated in accordance with the Chinese calendar, which is lunisolar and is based on astronomical observances of the Sun's longitude and the Moon's phases.

This calendar is older than the Gregorian calendar, which is used by most countries today. In fact, the Chinese calendar's origins can be traced as far back as the 14th century BCE.

Why did humans invent calendars?

Leap years in the Chinese calendar happen approximately every three years when a leap month is added.