1961 / Chinese zodiac
1961 Chinese Zodiac: Metal Ox
1961 is the Year of the Metal Ox. It begins on February 15, 1961 and ends on February 4, 1962. If you were born before February 15, 1961, your sign is the Metal Rat.
01 / Check the boundary
What is my Chinese zodiac if I was born in 1961?
Two zodiac signs fall within the Gregorian year 1961. 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 |
|---|---|
| – | Metal Rat 鼠 |
| – | Metal Ox 牛 |
The full 1961 lunar year continues into 1962, through February 4, 1962. A birthday on February 14, 1961 belongs to the Rat; a birthday one day later, on February 15, 1961, belongs to the Ox.
YOUR STORY STARTS HERE
When were you born?
YOUR RESULT
02 / The story of the year
What kind of Ox is 1961?
1961 is a Metal Ox year. Its stem-branch name is 辛丑 (xīn-chǒu): the heavenly stem 辛 carries yin metal, and the earthly branch 丑 corresponds to the Ox.
- Zodiac animal
- Ox · 牛
- Year element
- Metal
- Stem & branch
- 辛丑 · xīn-chǒu
- Lunar year length
- 355 days
Ox personality in tradition
The Ox is associated with patient work and perseverance, reflecting its longstanding role in farming.
The phrase “steady & dependable” describes a traditional association with this animal, rather than a rule about everyone born in 1961. The year element is one part of the calendar; it does not establish a person's complete five-elements or Bāzì chart.
我属牛。
Wǒ shǔ niú. “I was born in the Year of the Ox.”
Ox compatibility in folklore
Ox, Snake and Rooster form a traditional harmony group of three. Goat sits opposite Ox, 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
1961 lunar calendar at a glance
This Ox year contains 12 lunar months and 355 days. There is no leap lunar month in this year. A leap month keeps the same animal and year element. The table follows the full lunar year, so its final months extend into 1962.
| Lunar month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 30 | ||
| Month 2 | 29 | ||
| Month 3 | 30 | ||
| Month 4 | 29 | ||
| Month 5 | 30 | ||
| Month 6 | 29 | ||
| Month 7 | 30 | ||
| Month 8 | 30 | ||
| Month 9 | 29 | ||
| Month 10 | 30 | ||
| Month 11 | 29 | ||
| Month 12 | 30 |
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.