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Chinese Zodiac: Chinese Zodiac Calendar
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[S]ince the (traditional) Chinese zodiac follows the (lunisolar) Chinese calendar, the switch over date is the Chinese New Year, not January 1 as in the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, a person who was born in January or early February has the sign of the previous year. For example, if a person was born in January 1970, his or her element would still be Yin Earth, not Yang Metal. Similarly, although 1990 was called the year of the horse, anyone born from January 1 to January 26, 1990 was in fact born in the Year of the Snake (the sign of the previous year), because the 1990 Year of the Horse did not begin until January 27, 1990. For this reason, many online sign calculators (and Chinese restaurant place mats) will give a person the wrong sign if he/she was born in January or early February.
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[H]ere’s what people don’t learn from most Chinese Zodiac Calendar discussions. In addition to the 12 animals, the Chinese Zodiac involves 5 elements: metal, wood, water, fire and Earth. These elements are associated with the 5 major planets Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn, respectively. The combinations presented by these 5 elements and the 12 animals actually combine to create a 60-year cycle. This cycle, along with Yin and Yang, directions, the positions of the sun and moon, and a person’s date and time of birth are all used to help foresee a person’s future.
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Chinese Zodiac Calendar