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1961 Chinese zodiac: Year of the Ox
1961 is the year of the Metal Ox, 辛丑: from Chinese New Year on 15 February 1961 to 4 February 1962.
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. Metal years favour decisiveness and finishing: clean cuts, clear words, things brought to a conclusion.
The Metal Ox
Element
Metal years are associated with resolve and clarity: the edge of a blade, the ring of a bell. In the sixty-year cycle each animal meets each element once, so the Metal Ox came last in 1901 and returns in 2021. The year's 纳音 (the "sound" of its stem and branch in the old almanacs) is 壁上土.
Company
The Ox shares a trine with the Snake and the Rooster; its secret friend is the Rat. Those signs are said to find an Ox year easiest. The Ox would have won the river race, but carried the Rat across and came second without complaint.
Years of the Ox
Each starts at Chinese New Year.
- 1925Wood Ox, from 24 January 1925
- 1937Fire Ox, from 11 February 1937
- 1949Earth Ox, from 29 January 1949
- 1961Metal Ox, from 15 February 1961
- 1973Water Ox, from 3 February 1973
- 1985Wood Ox, from 20 February 1985
- 1997Fire Ox, from 7 February 1997
- 2009Earth Ox, from 26 January 2009
- 2021Metal Ox, from 12 February 2021
- 2033Water Ox, from 31 January 2033
Born in 1961?
Between 15 February 1961 and 4 February 1962 you are a Metal Ox.
Anyone born from 15 February 1961 to 4 February 1962 is a Metal Ox (辛丑) and turns 65 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. Metal years favour decisiveness and finishing: clean cuts, clear words, things brought to a conclusion.
Born in January or early February 1961, before the 15 February 1961 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 1973, 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.
Questions
What is the Chinese zodiac for 1961?
1961 is the Year of the Metal Ox. Anyone born from 15 February 1961 to 4 February 1962 is an Ox; a birthday earlier in 1961, before Chinese New Year, belongs to the Rat.
When does the Year of the Ox 1961 start and end?
It starts at Chinese New Year, 15 February 1961, and ends on 4 February 1962, the day before the next new year.
What element is the Ox in 1961?
Metal (金), from the heavenly stem 辛. Metal years are associated with resolve and clarity: the edge of a blade, the ring of a bell.
Is a baby born in January 1961 an Ox?
No. A baby born before 15 February 1961 belongs to the previous animal, the Rat. The zodiac year follows the lunar calendar, not 1 January.
Which other years were Metal Ox years?
2021. The same stem and branch return every sixty years.
Your Ox in ink
The Ox painted in ink wash above your name and lunar birthday.
Make the poster
Enter your birthday; we set the animal, the element, the lunar date and your name, and add a Chinese name as a seal if you have one.
Start with my birthdayMore about the animal: Year of the Ox. All twelve: the zodiac.