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Chinese New Year 1961
Wednesday, 15 February 1961. It opened the Year of the Metal Ox, 辛丑, which ran until 4 February 1962.
- New Year's Eve14 February 1961
- New Year's Day15 February 1961
- Lantern Festival1 March 1961
- Animal and elementMetal Ox 金牛, Yin
- Year ends4 February 1962; the next new year is 5 February 1962
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.
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, 辛丑, returns once every sixty years; the last Metal Ox year was 1901, the next is 2021.
The 1961 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1961 only.
| Day | Date in 1961 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 8 February 1961 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 14 February 1961, Tuesday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 15 February 1961, Wednesday | The Year of the Ox begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 16 February 1961 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 19 February 1961 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 1 March 1961, Wednesday | 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 1961
1961 is a Metal Ox year, 辛丑, the 38th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1901 and comes again in 2021; the previous Ox year was 1949, the next is 1973. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 壁上土.
New Year's Day fell on a Wednesday; the reunion dinner was the Tuesday evening before. The festival landed on 15 February in the Western calendar, close to the latest it can fall.
Born in 1961?
Between 15 February 1961 and 4 February 1962 you are a Metal Ox.
Anyone born from 15 February 1961 to 4 February 1962 is a Metal Ox (辛丑) and turns 65 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. Metal years favour decisiveness and finishing: clean cuts, clear words, things brought to a conclusion.
Born in January or early February 1961, before the 15 February 1961 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 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033, 2045, 2057; 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.
- 195524 January 1955, Wood Goat
- 195612 February 1956, Fire Monkey
- 195731 January 1957, Fire Rooster
- 195818 February 1958, Earth Dog
- 19598 February 1959, Earth Pig
- 196028 January 1960, Metal Rat
- 19625 February 1962, Water Tiger
- 196325 January 1963, Water Rabbit
- 196413 February 1964, Wood Dragon
- 19652 February 1965, Wood Snake
- 196621 January 1966, Fire Horse
- 19679 February 1967, Fire Goat
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1961?
Wednesday, 15 February 1961. New Year's Eve was 14 February 1961, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 1 March 1961.
What animal is 1961 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Ox. From 15 February 1961 to 4 February 1962 it was the year of the Metal Ox (辛丑). Before 15 February 1961, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Rat.
How old is someone born in 1961?
Someone born in the Year of the Ox 1961 turns 65 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 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.