1960 / Chinese zodiac
1960 Chinese Zodiac: Metal Rat
1960 is the Year of the Metal Rat. It begins on January 28, 1960 and ends on February 14, 1961. If you were born before January 28, 1960, your sign is the Earth Pig.
01 / Check the boundary
What is my Chinese zodiac if I was born in 1960?
Two zodiac signs fall within the Gregorian year 1960. Choose the row containing your birthday. These dates include both the first and last day; the animal changes at Chinese New Year, not on January 1.
| Gregorian birthday | Animal & year element |
|---|---|
| – | Earth Pig 猪 |
| – | Metal Rat 鼠 |
The full 1960 lunar year continues into 1961, through February 14, 1961. A birthday on January 27, 1960 belongs to the Pig; a birthday one day later, on January 28, 1960, belongs to the Rat.
YOUR STORY STARTS HERE
When were you born?
YOUR RESULT
02 / The story of the year
What kind of Rat is 1960?
1960 is a Metal Rat year. Its stem-branch name is 庚子 (gēng-zǐ): the heavenly stem 庚 carries yang metal, and the earthly branch 子 corresponds to the Rat.
- Zodiac animal
- Rat · 鼠
- Year element
- Metal
- Stem & branch
- 庚子 · gēng-zǐ
- Lunar year length
- 384 days
Rat personality in tradition
The Rat begins the twelve-animal cycle. Folklore often associates it with quick thinking and adaptability.
The phrase “resourceful & observant” describes a traditional association with this animal, rather than a rule about everyone born in 1960. The year element is one part of the calendar; it does not establish a person's complete five-elements or Bāzì chart.
我属鼠。
Wǒ shǔ shǔ. “I was born in the Year of the Rat.”
Rat compatibility in folklore
Rat, Dragon and Monkey form a traditional harmony group of three. Horse sits opposite Rat, six places away in the twelve-animal cycle. These describe symbolic positions, not evidence of who will make a good partner.
Explore traditional pairings →03 / A closer look at the dates
1960 lunar calendar at a glance
This Rat year contains 13 lunar months and 384 days. Month 6 repeats as a leap month, starting July 24, 1960. A leap month keeps the same animal and year element. The table follows the full lunar year, so its final months extend into 1961.
| Lunar month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 30 | ||
| Month 2 | 29 | ||
| Month 3 | 30 | ||
| Month 4 | 29 | ||
| Month 5 | 30 | ||
| Month 6 | 30 | ||
| Leap month 6 | 29 | ||
| Month 7 | 30 | ||
| Month 8 | 29 | ||
| Month 9 | 30 | ||
| Month 10 | 29 | ||
| Month 11 | 30 | ||
| Month 12 | 29 |
Sources & calendar convention
Dates are calculated from our local lunar-month dataset. The links below provide the Observatory’s calendar for this Gregorian year and an explanation of the stem-branch cycle. Cultural interpretations are introductory folklore, not predictions.