Cathay Ink › Chinese New Year › 1998
Chinese New Year 1998
Wednesday, 28 January 1998. It opened the Year of the Earth Tiger, 戊寅, which ran until 15 February 1999.
- New Year's Eve27 January 1998
- New Year's Day28 January 1998
- Lantern Festival11 February 1998
- Animal and elementEarth Tiger 土虎, Yang
- Year ends15 February 1999; the next new year is 16 February 1999
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.
Earth 土
Earth years are associated with steadiness and care: harvest, soil, the centre. Earth years favour steadiness: consolidating, caring for what is already there, the harvest of earlier work.
The pairing of stem and branch, 戊寅, returns once every sixty years; the last Earth Tiger year was 1938, the next is 2058.
The 1998 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1998 only.
| Day | Date in 1998 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 21 January 1998 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 27 January 1998, Tuesday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 28 January 1998, Wednesday | The Year of the Tiger begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 29 January 1998 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 1 February 1998 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 11 February 1998, 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 1998
1998 is an Earth Tiger year, 戊寅, the 15th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1938 and comes again in 2058; the previous Tiger year was 1986, the next is 2010. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 城头土.
New Year's Day fell on a Wednesday; the reunion dinner was the Tuesday evening before. The festival landed on 28 January in the Western calendar, one of the earlier dates it can take.
Born in 1998?
Between 28 January 1998 and 15 February 1999 you are an Earth Tiger.
Anyone born from 28 January 1998 to 15 February 1999 is an Earth Tiger (戊寅) and turns 28 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. Earth years favour steadiness: consolidating, caring for what is already there, the harvest of earlier work.
Born in January or early February 1998, before the 28 January 1998 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 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.
- 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
- 19977 February 1997, Fire Ox
- 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
- 200422 January 2004, Wood Monkey
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1998?
Wednesday, 28 January 1998. New Year's Eve was 27 January 1998, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 11 February 1998.
What animal is 1998 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Tiger. From 28 January 1998 to 15 February 1999 it was the year of the Earth Tiger (戊寅). Before 28 January 1998, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Ox.
How old is someone born in 1998?
Someone born in the Year of the Tiger 1998 turns 28 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 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.