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Chinese New Year 1986
Sunday, 9 February 1986. It opened the Year of the Fire Tiger, 丙寅, which ran until 28 January 1987.
- New Year's Eve8 February 1986
- New Year's Day9 February 1986
- Lantern Festival23 February 1986
- Animal and elementFire Tiger 火虎, Yang
- Year ends28 January 1987; the next new year is 29 January 1987
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.
Fire 火
Fire years are associated with warmth and drive: summer, lanterns, the hearth. Fire years favour energy and visibility: bold moves, warm company, the spotlight.
The pairing of stem and branch, 丙寅, returns once every sixty years; the last Fire Tiger year was 1926, the next is 2046.
The 1986 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1986 only.
| Day | Date in 1986 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 1 February 1986 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 8 February 1986, Saturday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 9 February 1986, Sunday | The Year of the Tiger begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 10 February 1986 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 13 February 1986 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 23 February 1986, Sunday | 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 1986
1986 is a Fire Tiger year, 丙寅, the 3th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1926 and comes again in 2046; the previous Tiger year was 1974, the next is 1998. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 炉中火.
New Year's Day fell on a Sunday, so the reunion dinner on 8 February 1986 landed on a Saturday evening. The festival landed on 9 February in the Western calendar, near the middle of its range.
Born in 1986?
Between 9 February 1986 and 28 January 1987 you are a Fire Tiger.
Anyone born from 9 February 1986 to 28 January 1987 is a Fire Tiger (丙寅) and turns 40 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. Fire years favour energy and visibility: bold moves, warm company, the spotlight.
Born in January or early February 1986, before the 9 February 1986 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 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.
- 198016 February 1980, Metal Monkey
- 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
- 198729 January 1987, Fire Rabbit
- 198817 February 1988, Earth Dragon
- 19896 February 1989, Earth Snake
- 199027 January 1990, Metal Horse
- 199115 February 1991, Metal Goat
- 19924 February 1992, Water Monkey
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1986?
Sunday, 9 February 1986. New Year's Eve was 8 February 1986, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 23 February 1986.
What animal is 1986 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Tiger. From 9 February 1986 to 28 January 1987 it was the year of the Fire Tiger (丙寅). Before 9 February 1986, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Ox.
How old is someone born in 1986?
Someone born in the Year of the Tiger 1986 turns 40 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 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.