Cathay Ink › Chinese New Year › 1980
Chinese New Year 1980
Saturday, 16 February 1980. It opened the Year of the Metal Monkey, 庚申, which ran until 4 February 1981.
- New Year's Eve15 February 1980
- New Year's Day16 February 1980
- Lantern Festival1 March 1980
- Animal and elementMetal Monkey 金猴, Yang
- Year ends4 February 1981; the next new year is 5 February 1981
What the Monkey year carries
The Monkey
Clever, playful and inventive. The Monkey solves problems sideways and keeps everyone laughing while it does.
Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of Journey to the West, is the most loved character in Chinese literature.
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, 庚申, returns once every sixty years; the last Metal Monkey year was 1920, the next is 2040.
The 1980 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1980 only.
| Day | Date in 1980 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 9 February 1980 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 15 February 1980, Friday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 16 February 1980, Saturday | The Year of the Monkey begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 17 February 1980 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 20 February 1980 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 1 March 1980, 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 1980
1980 is a Metal Monkey year, 庚申, the 57th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1920 and comes again in 2040; the previous Monkey year was 1968, the next is 1992. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 石榴木.
New Year's Day fell on a Saturday, so the reunion dinner on 15 February 1980 landed on a Friday evening. The festival landed on 16 February in the Western calendar, close to the latest it can fall.
Born in 1980?
Between 16 February 1980 and 4 February 1981 you are a Metal Monkey.
Anyone born from 16 February 1980 to 4 February 1981 is a Metal Monkey (庚申) and turns 46 in 2026. Clever, playful and inventive. The Monkey solves problems sideways and keeps everyone laughing while it does. Metal years favour decisiveness and finishing: clean cuts, clear words, things brought to a conclusion.
Born in January or early February 1980, before the 16 February 1980 new year? Then the previous animal, the Goat, 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 Monkey comes round again) are 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040, 2052; the next one is 2028. Tradition has you wear something red through a 本命年 for protection. The signs said to suit a Monkey best are the Rat, the Dragon and the Snake: 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.
- 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
- 19815 February 1981, Metal Rooster
- 198225 January 1982, Water Dog
- 198313 February 1983, Water Pig
- 19842 February 1984, Wood Rat
- 198520 February 1985, Wood Ox
- 19869 February 1986, Fire Tiger
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1980?
Saturday, 16 February 1980. New Year's Eve was 15 February 1980, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 1 March 1980.
What animal is 1980 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Monkey. From 16 February 1980 to 4 February 1981 it was the year of the Metal Monkey (庚申). Before 16 February 1980, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Goat.
How old is someone born in 1980?
Someone born in the Year of the Monkey 1980 turns 46 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040.
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 Monkey 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 Monkey 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.