1996 / Chinese zodiac
1996 Chinese Zodiac: Fire Rat
1996 is the Year of the Fire Rat. It begins on February 19, 1996 and ends on February 6, 1997. If you were born before February 19, 1996, your sign is the Wood Pig.
01 / Check the boundary
What is my Chinese zodiac if I was born in 1996?
Two zodiac signs fall within the Gregorian year 1996. 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 |
|---|---|
| – | Wood Pig 猪 |
| – | Fire Rat 鼠 |
The full 1996 lunar year continues into 1997, through February 6, 1997. A birthday on February 18, 1996 belongs to the Pig; a birthday one day later, on February 19, 1996, 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 1996?
1996 is a Fire Rat year. Its stem-branch name is 丙子 (bǐng-zǐ): the heavenly stem 丙 carries yang fire, and the earthly branch 子 corresponds to the Rat.
- Zodiac animal
- Rat · 鼠
- Year element
- Fire
- Stem & branch
- 丙子 · bǐng-zǐ
- Lunar year length
- 354 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 1996. 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
1996 lunar calendar at a glance
This Rat year contains 12 lunar months and 354 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 1997.
| Lunar month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 29 | ||
| Month 2 | 30 | ||
| Month 3 | 29 | ||
| Month 4 | 30 | ||
| Month 5 | 30 | ||
| Month 6 | 29 | ||
| Month 7 | 30 | ||
| Month 8 | 29 | ||
| Month 9 | 30 | ||
| Month 10 | 30 | ||
| Month 11 | 29 | ||
| 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.