Chinese Horoscope 2026: the Year of the Fire Horse

The Chinese horoscope links every year with one of 12 animals and one of 5 elements, in a cycle of 60 years. The Year of the Fire Horse began on 17 February 2026 and ends on 5 February 2027. A date of birth in January or early February is often in the year of the animal before.

Vrachka editorial team the dates are computed from the new moons Editorial Policy

Find your animal by date of birth

The year begins with the Chinese New Year, between 21 January and 20 February. The calculation runs in your browser and is not saved.

The cycle of the animals from 2020 to 2031. The dot is the year we are in: 2026, the Fire Horse.

The year

The Year of the Fire Horse and the Fire Goat

The element changes every two years, by the last digit of the year, so 2026 and 2027 are both fire years. Years with an even last digit are yang, and those with an odd one yin.

The Chinese year begins with the second new moon after the winter solstice, so the New Year falls on a different date, between 21 January and 20 February.

Now: 2026 · Fire Horseyang from 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027 Energetic, freedom-loving, passionate
Next: 2027 · Fire Goatyin from 6 February 2027 to 25 January 2028 Creative, gentle, compassionate

Yearly horoscope

What the year brings for you personally: the yearly horoscope by your natal chart, month by month.

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See the yearly horoscope

The animals

The Twelve Animals

Beside every year is the date it begins. A date of birth before it is in the year of the animal before.

The years from 1948 to 2031 with the date of the Chinese New Year, computed from the new moons and checked. The element beside the animal is its own element; the element of the year changes (see The Five Elements).
Animal	Years and start	Element
Ratwater	1948 from 10 Feb 1960 from 28 Jan 1972 from 15 Feb 1984 from 2 Feb 1996 from 19 Feb 2008 from 7 Feb 2020 from 25 Jan Smart, resourceful, adaptable	water
Oxearth	1949 from 29 Jan 1961 from 15 Feb 1973 from 3 Feb 1985 from 20 Feb 1997 from 7 Feb 2009 from 26 Jan 2021 from 12 Feb Hardworking, reliable, patient	earth
Tigerwood	1950 from 17 Feb 1962 from 5 Feb 1974 from 23 Jan 1986 from 9 Feb 1998 from 28 Jan 2010 from 14 Feb 2022 from 1 Feb Brave, confident, competitive	wood
Rabbitwood	1951 from 6 Feb 1963 from 25 Jan 1975 from 11 Feb 1987 from 29 Jan 1999 from 16 Feb 2011 from 3 Feb 2023 from 22 Jan Elegant, kind, attentive	wood
Dragonearth	1952 from 27 Jan 1964 from 13 Feb 1976 from 31 Jan 1988 from 17 Feb 2000 from 5 Feb 2012 from 23 Jan 2024 from 10 Feb Charismatic, ambitious, brave	earth
Snakefire	1953 from 14 Feb 1965 from 2 Feb 1977 from 18 Feb 1989 from 6 Feb 2001 from 24 Jan 2013 from 10 Feb 2025 from 29 Jan Wise, intuitive, elegant	fire
Horsefire	1954 from 3 Feb 1966 from 21 Jan 1978 from 7 Feb 1990 from 27 Jan 2002 from 12 Feb 2014 from 31 Jan 2026 from 17 Feb, the year we are in Energetic, freedom-loving, passionate	fire
Goatearth	1955 from 24 Jan 1967 from 9 Feb 1979 from 28 Jan 1991 from 15 Feb 2003 from 1 Feb 2015 from 19 Feb 2027 from 6 Feb Creative, gentle, compassionate	earth
Monkeymetal	1956 from 12 Feb 1968 from 30 Jan 1980 from 16 Feb 1992 from 4 Feb 2004 from 22 Jan 2016 from 8 Feb 2028 from 26 Jan Smart, curious, playful	metal
Roostermetal	1957 from 31 Jan 1969 from 17 Feb 1981 from 5 Feb 1993 from 23 Jan 2005 from 9 Feb 2017 from 28 Jan 2029 from 13 Feb Observant, hardworking, brave	metal
Dogearth	1958 from 18 Feb 1970 from 6 Feb 1982 from 25 Jan 1994 from 10 Feb 2006 from 29 Jan 2018 from 16 Feb 2030 from 3 Feb Loyal, honest, devoted	earth
Pigwater	1959 from 8 Feb 1971 from 27 Jan 1983 from 13 Feb 1995 from 31 Jan 2007 from 18 Feb 2019 from 5 Feb 2031 from 23 Jan Generous, compassionate, persistent	water

The elements

The Five Elements

Each year carries one of the 5 elements for two years in a row, by the last digit. The animals repeat every 12 years, and the animal and the element together every 60. What each element means follows the Chinese tradition.

The years ahead

2026Fire Horse
2027Fire Goat
2028Earth Monkey
2029Earth Rooster
2030Metal Dog
2031Metal Pig

WoodGrowth, creativity years ending in 4 and 5
FirePassion, energy years ending in 6 and 7
EarthStability, care years ending in 8 and 9
MetalStrength, determination years ending in 0 and 1
WaterWisdom, flexibility years ending in 2 and 3

The pairs

Which Animals Suit Each Other

By the Chinese tradition the animals of one triad, 4 years apart, get along most easily. Each also has a “secret friend”, and the opposite animal, 6 years away, is considered the hardest pair.

The triads

Rat · Dragon · Monkey
Ox · Snake · Rooster
Tiger · Horse · Dog
Rabbit · Goat · Pig

The secret friends

Rat and Ox
Tiger and Pig
Rabbit and Dog
Dragon and Rooster
Snake and Monkey
Horse and Goat

The opposites

Rat and Horse
Ox and Goat
Tiger and Monkey
Rabbit and Rooster
Dragon and Dog
Snake and Pig

Chinese Horoscope

Questions about the Chinese horoscope

Which year is 2027 in the Chinese horoscope?

The Year of the Fire Goat. It begins on 6 February 2027 and ends on 25 January 2028; until then the Year of the Fire Horse goes on.

Which years are the years of the Dragon?

The last ones began on 10 February 2024, 23 January 2012, 5 February 2000 and 17 February 1988. The next is in 2036. A date of birth early in such a year, before the Chinese New Year, is in the year of the Rabbit.

Which signs of the Chinese horoscope suit each other?

By tradition the animals of one triad: Rat, Dragon, Monkey; Ox, Snake, Rooster; Tiger, Horse, Dog; Rabbit, Goat, Pig. More in the section Which animals suit each other.

Further