Zodiac Calculation

How We Calculate Chinese Zodiac Signs

Learn how Chinese Zodiac Fortune calculates zodiac signs by birth date using Lunar New Year dates, with examples for January and February birthdays.

Why January 1 Is Not Enough

The Chinese zodiac follows the lunar calendar. A Gregorian year can begin weeks before the Lunar New Year, so people born in January or early February may belong to the previous zodiac animal.

Example: 1990 Birthdays

The 1990 Chinese zodiac year began on January 27, 1990 and ended on February 14, 1991. A person born on January 26, 1990 is usually Snake, while a person born on January 27, 1990 is Horse.

Date Range Coverage

Our shared Lunar New Year date table covers 1900 through 2100. The static SEO year pages currently publish detailed birth-year pages from 1900 through 2035.

Use the Calculator for Borderline Dates

If a birthday is near Lunar New Year, use the Chinese Zodiac Calculator with the exact year, month, and day instead of relying on the Gregorian birth year alone.