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Chinese New Year 1937
Thursday, 11 February 1937. It opened the Year of the Fire Ox, 丁丑, which ran until 30 January 1938.
- New Year's Eve10 February 1937
- New Year's Day11 February 1937
- Lantern Festival25 February 1937
- Animal and elementFire Ox 火牛, Yin
- Year ends30 January 1938; the next new year is 31 January 1938
What the Ox year carries
The Ox
Steady, patient and dependable. The Ox finishes what it starts and is trusted with what matters; in farming China it was the family's most valuable companion.
The Ox would have won the river race, but carried the Rat across and came second without complaint.
Fire 火
Fire years are associated with warmth and drive: summer, lanterns, the hearth. Fire years favour energy and visibility: bold moves, warm company, the spotlight.
The pairing of stem and branch, 丁丑, returns once every sixty years; the last Fire Ox year was 1877, the next is 1997.
The 1937 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1937 only.
| Day | Date in 1937 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 4 February 1937 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 10 February 1937, Wednesday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 11 February 1937, Thursday | The Year of the Ox begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 12 February 1937 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 15 February 1937 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 25 February 1937, Thursday | First full moon: lanterns, riddles, sweet rice balls. The season closes. |
In mainland China the public holiday usually runs from the eve for seven or eight days; Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia each keep their own, shorter, holiday. How the days are kept, in more detail: the traditions.
What is particular to 1937
1937 is a Fire Ox year, 丁丑, the 14th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1877 and comes again in 1997; the previous Ox year was 1925, the next is 1949. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 涧下水.
New Year's Day fell on a Thursday; the reunion dinner was the Wednesday evening before. The festival landed on 11 February in the Western calendar, near the middle of its range.
Born in 1937?
Between 11 February 1937 and 30 January 1938 you are a Fire Ox.
Anyone born from 11 February 1937 to 30 January 1938 is a Fire Ox (丁丑) and turns 89 in 2026. Steady, patient and dependable. The Ox finishes what it starts and is trusted with what matters; in farming China it was the family's most valuable companion. Fire years favour energy and visibility: bold moves, warm company, the spotlight.
Born in January or early February 1937, before the 11 February 1937 new year? Then the previous animal, the Rat, is yours: the zodiac follows the lunar calendar, not 1 January. The zodiac calculator settles it from the exact date.
Your zodiac years (本命年, when the Ox comes round again) are 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033, 2045; the next one is 2033. Tradition has you wear something red through a 本命年 for protection. The signs said to suit an Ox best are the Snake, the Rooster and the Rat: the compatibility table has every pair.
Chinese New Year in other years
The second new moon after the winter solstice, so it moves between 21 January and 20 February. Every year from 1924 to 2050.
- 193117 February 1931, Metal Goat
- 19326 February 1932, Water Monkey
- 193326 January 1933, Water Rooster
- 193414 February 1934, Wood Dog
- 19354 February 1935, Wood Pig
- 193624 January 1936, Fire Rat
- 193831 January 1938, Earth Tiger
- 193919 February 1939, Earth Rabbit
- 19408 February 1940, Metal Dragon
- 194127 January 1941, Metal Snake
- 194215 February 1942, Water Horse
- 19435 February 1943, Water Goat
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1937?
Thursday, 11 February 1937. New Year's Eve was 10 February 1937, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 25 February 1937.
What animal is 1937 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Ox. From 11 February 1937 to 30 January 1938 it was the year of the Fire Ox (丁丑). Before 11 February 1937, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Rat.
How old is someone born in 1937?
Someone born in the Year of the Ox 1937 turns 89 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033, 2045.
Why does the date change every year?
The festival falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, so it moves between 21 January and 20 February on the Western calendar.
How long does Chinese New Year last?
Fifteen days, from New Year's Day to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first lunar month. Most people have a week of public holiday in mainland China.
Born in an Ox year?
Your animal depends on the exact date, not the calendar year.
Find your animal
Enter your birthday and we count it by the lunar calendar: the animal, its element, your lunar birth date and your next zodiac year.
Chinese zodiac calculatorWant the Ox in ink on your wall? The zodiac poster sets the animal above your name and lunar birthday. Giving a Chinese name this new year? Three real names, free.