Your Day of Birth
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Year of the Ox

The Ox is the zodiac's steady worker. In the Great Race it was strong enough to carry the Rat across the river. Oxen are dependable, patient and honest, and they finish what they start.

Next Ox year

The next Year of the Ox is the Water Ox, starting January 31, 2033.

Ox years

YearDatesType
1901Feb 19, 1901 to Feb 7, 1902Metal Ox
1913Feb 6, 1913 to Jan 25, 1914Water Ox
1925Jan 24, 1925 to Feb 12, 1926Wood Ox
1937Feb 11, 1937 to Jan 30, 1938Fire Ox
1949Jan 29, 1949 to Feb 16, 1950Earth Ox
1961Feb 15, 1961 to Feb 4, 1962Metal Ox
1973Feb 3, 1973 to Jan 22, 1974Water Ox
1985Feb 20, 1985 to Feb 8, 1986Wood Ox
1997Feb 7, 1997 to Jan 27, 1998Fire Ox
2009Jan 26, 2009 to Feb 13, 2010Earth Ox
2021Feb 12, 2021 to Jan 31, 2022Metal Ox
2033Jan 31, 2033 to Feb 18, 2034Water Ox

Born in January or February? Check the dates: if your birthday is before that year’s start date, you belong to the animal before.

Strengths

  • Dependable
  • Patient
  • Hardworking
  • Honest

Watch out for

  • Can be stubborn
  • Slow to accept change
  • Keeps feelings to themselves

The five kinds of Ox

Metal Ox
1901, 1961, 2021
Metal adds determination and backbone. Metal types set high standards, keep their word and don't give up easily.
Water Ox
1913, 1973, 2033
Water adds intuition and flexibility. Water types read people well, adapt fast and are good at finding a way around problems.
Wood Ox
1925, 1985
Wood adds warmth and generosity. Wood types are cooperative and fair, and they like to see things, and people, grow.
Fire Ox
1937, 1997
Fire adds passion and drive. Fire types are bold, energetic and hard to ignore, sometimes a little too fast to act.
Earth Ox
1949, 2009
Earth adds steadiness and common sense. Earth types are practical, patient and the person everyone relies on.
Lucky numbers
1, 4
Lucky colors
White, yellow, green
Lucky flowers
Tulip, peach blossom
Yin or yang
Yin

Compatibility

Tradition groups the animals into teams of three that think alike, pairs of “secret friends”, and opposite signs that clash.

Best matchSnakeSee the Snake →Best matchRoosterSee the Rooster →Secret friendRatSee the Rat →Opposite sign, can clashGoatSee the Goat →

Famous people born in the Year of the Ox

Walt DisneyAmerican animatorDecember 5, 1901 · Metal OxPaul NewmanAmerican actorJanuary 26, 1925 · Wood OxMorgan FreemanAmerican actor and producerJune 1, 1937 · Fire OxDustin HoffmanAmerican actorAugust 8, 1937 · Fire OxAnthony HopkinsWelsh–American actor and directorDecember 31, 1937 · Fire OxJane FondaAmerican actress and activistDecember 21, 1937 · Fire OxBilly JoelAmerican singer, songwriter, and pianistMay 9, 1949 · Earth OxMeryl StreepAmerican actressJune 22, 1949 · Earth OxGeorge ClooneyAmerican-French actor and filmmakerMay 6, 1961 · Metal OxDiana, Princess of WalesMember of the British royal family and Princess of WalesJuly 1, 1961 · Metal OxBarack Obama44th President of the United StatesAugust 4, 1961 · Metal OxJim CarreyCanadian-American actor and comedianJanuary 17, 1962 · Metal Ox (born before Lunar New Year)

Find your animal

The Chinese year starts at Lunar New Year, between January 21 and February 20, so a January or early February birthday often belongs to the year before. We use the exact date. We don’t save your birthdate or link it to you.

The other animals

Rat1984, 1996, 2008, 2020Ox1985, 1997, 2009, 2021Tiger1986, 1998, 2010, 2022Rabbit1987, 1999, 2011, 2023Dragon1988, 2000, 2012, 2024Snake1989, 2001, 2013, 2025Horse1990, 2002, 2014, 2026Goat1979, 1991, 2003, 2015Monkey1980, 1992, 2004, 2016Rooster1981, 1993, 2005, 2017Dog1982, 1994, 2006, 2018Pig1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

Personality traits, lucky items and compatibility come from Chinese tradition and are shared for fun, not as predictions. Lucky numbers, colors and flowers follow China Highlights' zodiac guide. Lunar New Year dates are calculated from the Chinese calendar and checked against a published table for 1924 to 2043. Famous birthdays come from Wikidata.