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Chinese New Year 1938
Monday, 31 January 1938. It opened the Year of the Earth Tiger, 戊寅, which ran until 18 February 1939.
- New Year's Eve30 January 1938
- New Year's Day31 January 1938
- Lantern Festival14 February 1938
- Animal and elementEarth Tiger 土虎, Yang
- Year ends18 February 1939; the next new year is 19 February 1939
What the Tiger year carries
The Tiger
Bold, warm and unafraid of risk. The Tiger is the king of the mountain in Chinese lore, a guardian figure painted on doors and sewn onto children's shoes to keep harm away.
Children born in Tiger years were given tiger-head hats and shoes so the animal's courage would protect them.
Earth 土
Earth years are associated with steadiness and care: harvest, soil, the centre. Earth years favour steadiness: consolidating, caring for what is already there, the harvest of earlier work.
The pairing of stem and branch, 戊寅, returns once every sixty years; the last Earth Tiger year was 1878, the next is 1998.
The 1938 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1938 only.
| Day | Date in 1938 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 24 January 1938 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 30 January 1938, Sunday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 31 January 1938, Monday | The Year of the Tiger begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 1 February 1938 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 4 February 1938 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 14 February 1938, Monday | 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 1938
1938 is an Earth Tiger year, 戊寅, the 15th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1878 and comes again in 1998; the previous Tiger year was 1926, the next is 1950. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 城头土.
New Year's Day fell on a Monday; the reunion dinner was the Sunday evening before. The festival landed on 31 January in the Western calendar, near the middle of its range.
Born in 1938?
Between 31 January 1938 and 18 February 1939 you are an Earth Tiger.
Anyone born from 31 January 1938 to 18 February 1939 is an Earth Tiger (戊寅) and turns 88 in 2026. Bold, warm and unafraid of risk. The Tiger is the king of the mountain in Chinese lore, a guardian figure painted on doors and sewn onto children's shoes to keep harm away. Earth years favour steadiness: consolidating, caring for what is already there, the harvest of earlier work.
Born in January or early February 1938, before the 31 January 1938 new year? Then the previous animal, the Ox, 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 Tiger comes round again) are 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034, 2046; the next one is 2034. Tradition has you wear something red through a 本命年 for protection. The signs said to suit a Tiger best are the Horse, the Dog and the Pig: 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.
- 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
- 193711 February 1937, Fire Ox
- 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
- 194425 January 1944, Wood Monkey
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1938?
Monday, 31 January 1938. New Year's Eve was 30 January 1938, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 14 February 1938.
What animal is 1938 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Tiger. From 31 January 1938 to 18 February 1939 it was the year of the Earth Tiger (戊寅). Before 31 January 1938, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Ox.
How old is someone born in 1938?
Someone born in the Year of the Tiger 1938 turns 88 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034, 2046.
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 a Tiger 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 Tiger 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.