Cathay Ink › Chinese New Year › 1973
Chinese New Year 1973
Saturday, 3 February 1973. It opened the Year of the Water Ox, 癸丑, which ran until 22 January 1974.
- New Year's Eve2 February 1973
- New Year's Day3 February 1973
- Lantern Festival17 February 1973
- Animal and elementWater Ox 水牛, Yin
- Year ends22 January 1974; the next new year is 23 January 1974
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.
Water 水
Water years are associated with adaptability and depth: rivers finding their way. Water years favour adaptability: plans that bend, conversations that flow, patience with the long way round.
The pairing of stem and branch, 癸丑, returns once every sixty years; the last Water Ox year was 1913, the next is 2033.
The 1973 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1973 only.
| Day | Date in 1973 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 26 January 1973 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 2 February 1973, Friday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 3 February 1973, Saturday | The Year of the Ox begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 4 February 1973 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 7 February 1973 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 17 February 1973, Saturday | 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 1973
1973 is a Water Ox year, 癸丑, the 50th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1913 and comes again in 2033; the previous Ox year was 1961, the next is 1985. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 桑柘木.
New Year's Day fell on a Saturday, so the reunion dinner on 2 February 1973 landed on a Friday evening. The festival landed on 3 February in the Western calendar, near the middle of its range.
Born in 1973?
Between 3 February 1973 and 22 January 1974 you are a Water Ox.
Anyone born from 3 February 1973 to 22 January 1974 is a Water Ox (癸丑) and turns 53 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. Water years favour adaptability: plans that bend, conversations that flow, patience with the long way round.
Born in January or early February 1973, before the 3 February 1973 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 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.
- 19679 February 1967, Fire Goat
- 196830 January 1968, Earth Monkey
- 196917 February 1969, Earth Rooster
- 19706 February 1970, Metal Dog
- 197127 January 1971, Metal Pig
- 197215 February 1972, Water Rat
- 197423 January 1974, Wood Tiger
- 197511 February 1975, Wood Rabbit
- 197631 January 1976, Fire Dragon
- 197718 February 1977, Fire Snake
- 19787 February 1978, Earth Horse
- 197928 January 1979, Earth Goat
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1973?
Saturday, 3 February 1973. New Year's Eve was 2 February 1973, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 17 February 1973.
What animal is 1973 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Ox. From 3 February 1973 to 22 January 1974 it was the year of the Water Ox (癸丑). Before 3 February 1973, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Rat.
How old is someone born in 1973?
Someone born in the Year of the Ox 1973 turns 53 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 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.