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Chinese New Year 1950
Friday, 17 February 1950. It opened the Year of the Metal Tiger, 庚寅, which ran until 5 February 1951.
- New Year's Eve16 February 1950
- New Year's Day17 February 1950
- Lantern Festival3 March 1950
- Animal and elementMetal Tiger 金虎, Yang
- Year ends5 February 1951; the next new year is 6 February 1951
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.
Metal 金
Metal years are associated with resolve and clarity: the edge of a blade, the ring of a bell. Metal years favour decisiveness and finishing: clean cuts, clear words, things brought to a conclusion.
The pairing of stem and branch, 庚寅, returns once every sixty years; the last Metal Tiger year was 1890, the next is 2010.
The 1950 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1950 only.
| Day | Date in 1950 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 9 February 1950 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 16 February 1950, Thursday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 17 February 1950, Friday | The Year of the Tiger begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 18 February 1950 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 21 February 1950 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 3 March 1950, Friday | 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 1950
1950 is a Metal Tiger year, 庚寅, the 27th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1890 and comes again in 2010; the previous Tiger year was 1938, the next is 1962. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 松柏木.
New Year's Day fell on a Friday; the reunion dinner was the Thursday evening before. The festival landed on 17 February in the Western calendar, close to the latest it can fall.
Born in 1950?
Between 17 February 1950 and 5 February 1951 you are a Metal Tiger.
Anyone born from 17 February 1950 to 5 February 1951 is a Metal Tiger (庚寅) and turns 76 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. Metal years favour decisiveness and finishing: clean cuts, clear words, things brought to a conclusion.
Born in January or early February 1950, before the 17 February 1950 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 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034, 2046, 2058; 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.
- 194425 January 1944, Wood Monkey
- 194513 February 1945, Wood Rooster
- 19462 February 1946, Fire Dog
- 194722 January 1947, Fire Pig
- 194810 February 1948, Earth Rat
- 194929 January 1949, Earth Ox
- 19516 February 1951, Metal Rabbit
- 195227 January 1952, Water Dragon
- 195314 February 1953, Water Snake
- 19543 February 1954, Wood Horse
- 195524 January 1955, Wood Goat
- 195612 February 1956, Fire Monkey
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1950?
Friday, 17 February 1950. New Year's Eve was 16 February 1950, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 3 March 1950.
What animal is 1950 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Tiger. From 17 February 1950 to 5 February 1951 it was the year of the Metal Tiger (庚寅). Before 17 February 1950, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Ox.
How old is someone born in 1950?
Someone born in the Year of the Tiger 1950 turns 76 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 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.