Born in January or early February: which year are you?

In BaZi, the zodiac year does not change on January 1. It changes at Lichun, an exact moment in early February. So anyone born between January 1 and that moment belongs to the year before, in both the animal and the element.

January births belong to the previous year

A birth on January 20, 1990 is counted in the BaZi year that began at Lichun in February 1989. Its year pillar is 己巳, the Earth Snake, not 庚午, the Metal Horse that 1990 is usually given. The Horse year of 1990 began at Lichun, at 9:13 pm on February 3, 1990 in New York, which was 2:13 am on February 4 in London.

The same rule moves the month pillar. The last month of a BaZi year runs from early January to Lichun. At Lichun in 2027, the month pillar changes from 辛丑 to 壬寅 at the same instant the year changes from 丙午 to 丁未.

The first days of February: look up your year

Lichun falls on February 3, 4 or 5, and the exact minute changes every year. The table gives it for every year from 1930 to 2030, in New York, Los Angeles and London time.

Read the row for your birth year. If you were born before the time shown for your city, your year pillar is the one in the row above.

A few rows carry clock names that are not the usual winter ones. These are real clock changes. The calculator uses the standard IANA time zone database, which records them:

• 1943 to 1945, United States: clocks were on year-round war time (EWT, PWT), one hour ahead of standard time.
• 1974, United States: clocks moved to daylight time in early January during the energy crisis, so Lichun on February 4, 1974 fell at 1:00 am EDT in New York.
• 1941 to 1945 and 1969 to 1971, United Kingdom: clocks stayed one hour ahead of GMT through the winter, so Lichun in those years is shown in BST.

How the dates spread across a century

From 1930 to 2030, Lichun fell on February 3 in New York in 41 of the 101 years, and on February 4 in the other 60. In Los Angeles it fell on February 3 in 54 years and on February 4 in 47. In London it fell on February 3 in 22 years, on February 4 in 78, and on February 5 once, in 1932.

So "February 4" is a common answer but not a safe one.

The spread also gives a quick check. In all three cities from 1930 to 2030, a birth from January 1 through February 2 always belongs to the year before, and a birth on February 6 or later always belongs to the new year. Only February 3, 4 and 5 need the table, and in London February 5 matters for 1932 alone. Three cities give three different patterns, because the same instant lands on different local dates.

The same date can fall in two years depending on where you were born

Lichun is one instant for the whole world. A local calendar date is not. In 2003, Lichun came at 10:06 pm on February 3 in Los Angeles and at 1:06 am on February 4 in New York. A birth at 11 pm on February 3, 2003 in Los Angeles has the year pillar 癸未, the Water Goat. A birth at 11 pm on February 3, 2003 in New York, three hours earlier as an instant, has 壬午, the Water Horse.

In 2027 the split falls across the Atlantic instead. Lichun comes at 8:46 pm on February 3 in New York and at 1:46 am on February 4 in London.

If you were born on the day itself

Why the date alone cannot decide it

On the date of Lichun, a birth in the morning and a birth in the evening can carry different years. The calculator compares the instant of birth with the instant of Lichun, to the minute. A birth time settles it. Without a time, the calculator reads the day at midday.

What to bring

Two things settle it. The first is the time on the birth certificate. The second is the city of birth, because the city sets the time zone and the clock rules in force that day, including war time and winter daylight time in the years listed above.

Check yours

The free BaZi calculator takes your date, time and place, applies the clock rules for that place and day, and shows your year pillar together with the other three.

Find your year pillar, free →