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Chinese New Year 1997
Friday, 7 February 1997. It opened the Year of the Fire Ox, 丁丑, which ran until 27 January 1998.
- New Year's Eve6 February 1997
- New Year's Day7 February 1997
- Lantern Festival21 February 1997
- Animal and elementFire Ox 火牛, Yin
- Year ends27 January 1998; the next new year is 28 January 1998
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.
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, 丁丑, returns once every sixty years; the last Fire Ox year was 1937, the next is 2057.
The 1997 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1997 only.
| Day | Date in 1997 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 31 January 1997 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 6 February 1997, Thursday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 7 February 1997, Friday | The Year of the Ox begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 8 February 1997 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 11 February 1997 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 21 February 1997, 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 1997
1997 is a Fire Ox year, 丁丑, the 14th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1937 and comes again in 2057; the previous Ox year was 1985, the next is 2009. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 涧下水.
New Year's Day fell on a Friday; the reunion dinner was the Thursday evening before. The festival landed on 7 February in the Western calendar, near the middle of its range.
Born in 1997?
Between 7 February 1997 and 27 January 1998 you are a Fire Ox.
Anyone born from 7 February 1997 to 27 January 1998 is a Fire Ox (丁丑) and turns 29 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. Fire years favour energy and visibility: bold moves, warm company, the spotlight.
Born in January or early February 1997, before the 7 February 1997 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 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.
- 199115 February 1991, Metal Goat
- 19924 February 1992, Water Monkey
- 199323 January 1993, Water Rooster
- 199410 February 1994, Wood Dog
- 199531 January 1995, Wood Pig
- 199619 February 1996, Fire Rat
- 199828 January 1998, Earth Tiger
- 199916 February 1999, Earth Rabbit
- 20005 February 2000, Metal Dragon
- 200124 January 2001, Metal Snake
- 200212 February 2002, Water Horse
- 20031 February 2003, Water Goat
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1997?
Friday, 7 February 1997. New Year's Eve was 6 February 1997, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 21 February 1997.
What animal is 1997 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Ox. From 7 February 1997 to 27 January 1998 it was the year of the Fire Ox (丁丑). Before 7 February 1997, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Rat.
How old is someone born in 1997?
Someone born in the Year of the Ox 1997 turns 29 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 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.