Each year in the 60-year Lunar Calendar Cycle is governed by a combination of four factors: 10 Celestial Stems, 5 Basic Elements, 12 Heavenly Branches and 12 Lunar Animals.

In order to distinguish one of the 5 Basic Elemental years from the very next, a yin and yang is applied to each of the elements, so that they number 10. In the first year of a 60-year cycle, the first of the 10 stems is paired with the yin (+) of the first of the 5 elements, while the first of the branches are paired with the first of the lunar animals.

The first year of a 60-year cycle will always be a yin (+), or positive, wood rat year. The second year of a 60-year cycle will always be a yang (-), or negative, wood ox year.

Stems and Elements

Ten Celestial Stems 十天干 shí tiāngān			Five Basic Elements 五形 wŭ xíng
1	甲	jĭa	wood+	木	mù
2	乙	yĭ	wood-	木	mù
3	丙	bĭng	fire+	火	hŭo
4	丁	dīng	fire-	火	hŭo
5	戊	wù	earth+	土	tŭ
6	己	jĭ	earth-	土	tŭ
7	庚	gēng	metal+	金	jīn
8	辛	xīn	metal-	金	jīn
9	壬	rén	water+	水	shŭi
10	癸	gŭi	water-	水	shŭi

 

Branches and Animals

Twelve Terrestrial Branches 十二地支 shíèr dìzhī			Twelve Lunar Animals 十二觜 shíèr zī
1	子	zĭ	Rat	鼠	shŭ
2	丑	chŏu	Ox	牛	niú
3	寅	yín	Tiger	虎	hŭ
4	卯	măo	Rabbit	兔	tù
5	辰	chén	Dragon	龍	lóng
6	巳	sì	Snake	蛇	shé
7	午	wŭ	Horse	馬	mă
8	未	wèi	Sheep	羊	yáng
9	申	shēn	Monkey	猴	hóu
10	酉	yŏu	Rooster	鷄	jī
11	戌	xū	Dog	狗	gŏu
12	亥	hài	Pig	豬	zhū

Because the date of the Lunar New Year changes each year, a chart or calculator is needed to determine when the next Chinese New Year occurs on the western Gregorian calendar.

In this Lunar New Year chart, the combination of element, animal, stem and branch are revealed for each of the 120 years of the 78th and 79th 60-year cycle. Each year's place in the cycle is written in the format 78/01/01/01, and can be read as 'the fist day of the first month of the first year in the seventy-eighth cycle'.

Place in the 60- year cycle	Chinese calendar year	Element	Animal	Stem	Branch	Western Date
78/01/01/01	4622	wood (yin or +)	rat	jia	zi	02/04/1924
78/02/01/01	4623	wood (yang or -)	ox	yi	chou	01/23/1925
78/03/01/01	4624	fire (yin or +)	tiger	bing	yin	02/12/1926
78/04/01/01	4625	fire (yang or -)	rabbit	ding	mao	02/01/1927
78/05/01/01	4626	earth (yin or +)	dragon	wu	chen	01/22/1928
78/06/01/01	4627	earth (yang or -)	snake	ji	si	02/09/1929
78/07/01/01	4628	metal (yin or +)	horse	geng	wu	01/29/1930
78/08/01/01	4629	metal (yang or -)	sheep	xin	wei	02/16/1931
78/09/01/01	4630	water (yin or +)	monkey	ren	shen	02/05/1932
78/10/01/01	4631	water (yang or -)	rooster	gui	you	01/25/1933
78/11/01/01	4632	wood (yin or +)	dog	jia	xu	02/13/1934
78/12/01/01	4633	wood (yang or -)	pig	yi	hai	02/03/1935
78/13/01/01	4634	fire (yin or +)	rat	bing	zi	01/23/1936
78/14/01/01	4635	fire (yang or -)	ox	ding	chou	02/10/1937
78/15/01/01	4636	earth (yin or +)	tiger	wu	yin	01/30/1938
78/16/01/01	4637	earth (yang or -)	rabbit	ji	mao	02/18/1939
78/17/01/01	4638	metal (yin or +)	dragon	geng	chen	02/07/1940
78/18/01/01	4639	metal (yang or -)	snake	xin	si	01/26/1941
78/19/01/01	4640	water (yin or +)	horse	ren	wu	02/14/1942
78/20/01/01	4641	water (yang or -)	sheep	gui	wei	02/04/1943
78/21/01/01	4642	wood (yin or +)	monkey	jia	shen	01/24/1944
78/22/01/01	4643	wood (yang or -)	rooster	yi	you	02/12/1945
78/23/01/01	4644	fire (yin or +)	dog	bing	xu	02/01/1946
78/24/01/01	4645	fire (yang or -)	pig	ding	hai	01/21/1947
78/25/01/01	4646	earth (yin or +)	rat	wu	zi	02/09/1948
78/26/01/01	4647	earth (yang or -)	ox	ji	chou	01/28/1949
78/27/01/01	4648	metal (yin or +)	tiger	geng	yin	02/16/1950
78/28/01/01	4649	metal (yang or -)	rabbit	xin	mao	02/05/1951
78/29/01/01	4650	water (yin or +)	dragon	ren	chen	01/26/1952
78/30/01/01	4651	water (yang or -)	snake	gui	si	02/13/1953
78/31/01/01	4652	wood (yin or +)	horse	jia	wu	02/02/1954
78/32/01/01	4653	wood (yang or -)	sheep	yi	wei	01/23/1955
78/33/01/01	4654	fire (yin or +)	monkey	bing	shen	02/11/1956
78/34/01/01	4655	fire (yang or -)	rooster	ding	you	01/30/1957
78/35/01/01	4656	earth (yin or +)	dog	wu	xu	02/17/1958
78/36/01/01	4657	earth (yang or -)	pig	ji	hai	02/07/1959
78/37/01/01	4658	metal (yin or +)	rat	geng	zi	01/27/1960
78/38/01/01	4659	metal (yang or -)	ox	xin	chou	02/14/1961
78/39/01/01	4660	water (yin or +)	tiger	ren	yin	02/04/1962
78/40/01/01	4661	water (yang or -)	rabbit	gui	mao	01/24/1963
78/41/01/01	4662	wood (yin or +)	dragon	jia	chen	02/12/1964
78/42/01/01	4663	wood (yang or -)	snake	yi	si	02/01/1965
78/43/01/01	4664	fire (yin or +)	horse	bing	wu	01/20/1966
78/44/01/01	4665	fire (yang or -)	sheep	ding	wei	02/08/1967
78/45/01/01	4666	earth (yin or +)	monkey	wu	shen	01/29/1968
78/46/01/01	4667	earth (yang or -)	rooster	ji	you	02/16/1969
78/47/01/01	4668	metal (yin or +)	dog	geng	xu	02/05/1970
78/48/01/01	4669	metal (yang or -)	pig	xin	hai	01/26/1971
78/49/01/01	4670	water (yin or +)	rat	ren	zi	02/14/1972
78/50/01/01	4671	water (yang or -)	ox	gui	chou	02/02/1973
78/51/01/01	4672	wood (yin or +)	tiger	jia	yin	01/22/1974
78/52/01/01	4673	wood (yang or -)	rabbit	yi	mao	02/10/1975
78/53/01/01	4674	fire (yin or +)	dragon	bing	chen	01/30/1976
78/54/01/01	4675	fire (yang or -)	snake	ding	si	02/17/1977
78/55/01/01	4676	earth (yin or +)	horse	wu	wu	02/06/1978
78/56/01/01	4677	earth (yang or -)	sheep	ji	wei	01/27/1979
78/57/01/01	4678	metal (yin or +)	monkey	geng	shen	02/15/1980
78/58/01/01	4679	metal (yang or -)	rooster	xin	you	02/04/1981
78/59/01/01	4680	water (yin or +)	dog	ren	xu	01/24/1982
78/60/01/01	4681	water (yang or -)	pig	gui	hai	02/12/1983
79/01/01/01	4682	wood (yin or +)	rat	jia	zi	02/01/1984
79/02/01/01	4683	wood (yang or -)	ox	yi	chou	02/19/1985
79/03/01/01	4684	fire (yin or +)	tiger	bing	yin	02/08/1986
79/04/01/01	4685	fire (yang or -)	rabbit	ding	mao	01/28/1987
79/05/01/01	4686	earth (yin or +)	dragon	wu	chen	02/16/1988
79/06/01/01	4687	earth (yang or -)	snake	ji	si	02/05/1989
79/07/01/01	4688	metal (yin or +)	horse	geng	wu	01/26/1990
79/08/01/01	4689	metal (yang or -)	sheep	xin	wei	02/14/1991
79/09/01/01	4690	water (yin or +)	monkey	ren	shen	02/03/1992
79/10/01/01	4691	water (yang or -)	rooster	gui	you	01/22/1993
79/11/01/01	4692	wood (yin or +)	dog	jia	xu	02/09/1994
79/12/01/01	4693	wood (yang or -)	pig	yi	hai	01/30/1995
79/13/01/01	4694	fire (yin or +)	rat	bing	zi	02/18/1996
79/14/01/01	4695	fire (yang or -)	ox	ding	chou	02/06/1997
79/15/01/01	4696	earth (yin or +)	tiger	wu	yin	01/27/1998
79/16/01/01	4697	earth (yang or -)	rabbit	ji	mao	02/15/1999
79/17/01/01	4698	metal (yin or +)	dragon	geng	chen	02/04/2000
79/18/01/01	4699	metal (yang or -)	snake	xin	si	01/23/2001
79/19/01/01	4700	water (yin or +)	horse	ren	wu	02/11/2002
79/20/01/01	4701	water (yang or -)	sheep	gui	wei	01/31/2003
79/21/01/01	4702	wood (yin or +)	monkey	jia	shen	01/21/2004
79/22/01/01	4703	wood (yang or -)	rooster	yi	you	02/08/2005
79/23/01/01	4704	fire (yin or +)	dog	bing	xu	01/28/2006
79/24/01/01	4705	fire (yang or -)	pig	ding	hai	02/18/2007
79/25/01/01	4706	earth (yin or +)	rat	wu	zi	02/06/2008
79/26/01/01	4707	earth (yang or -)	ox	ji	chou	01/25/2009
79/27/01/01	4708	metal (yin or +)	tiger	geng	yin	02/13/2010
79/28/01/01	4709	metal (yang or -)	rabbit	xin	mao	02/02/2011
79/29/01/01	4710	water (yin or +)	dragon	ren	chen	01/22/2012
79/30/01/01	4711	water (yang or -)	snake	gui	si	02/09/2013
79/31/01/01	4712	wood (yin or +)	horse	jia	wu	01/30/2014
79/32/01/01	4713	wood (yang or -)	sheep	yi	wei	02/18/2015
79/33/01/01	4714	fire (yin or +)	monkey	bing	shen	02/07/2016
79/34/01/01	4715	fire (yang or -)	rooster	ding	you	01/27/2017
79/35/01/01	4716	earth (yin or +)	dog	wu	xu	02/15/2018
79/36/01/01	4717	earth (yang or -)	pig	ji	hai	02/04/2019
79/37/01/01	4718	metal (yin or +)	rat	geng	zi	01/24/2020
79/38/01/01	4719	metal (yang or -)	ox	xin	chou	02/11/2021
79/39/01/01	4720	water (yin or +)	tiger	ren	yin	01/31/2022
79/40/01/01	4721	water (yang or -)	rabbit	gui	mao	01/21/2023
79/41/01/01	4722	wood (yin or +)	dragon	jia	chen	02/09/2024
79/42/01/01	4723	wood (yang or -)	snake	yi	si	01/28/2025
79/43/01/01	4724	fire (yin or +)	horse	bing	wu	02/16/2026
79/44/01/01	4725	fire (yang or -)	sheep	ding	wei	02/05/2027
79/45/01/01	4726	earth (yin or +)	monkey	wu	shen	01/25/2028
79/46/01/01	4727	earth (yang or -)	rooster	ji	you	02/12/2029
79/47/01/01	4728	metal (yin or +)	dog	geng	xu	02/02/2030
79/48/01/01	4729	metal (yang or -)	pig	xin	hai	01/22/2031
79/49/01/01	4730	water (yin or +)	rat	ren	zi	02/10/2032
79/50/01/01	4731	water (yang or -)	ox	gui	chou	01/30/2033
79/51/01/01	4732	wood (yin or +)	tiger	jia	yin	02/18/2034
79/52/01/01	4733	wood (yang or -)	rabbit	yi	mao	02/07/2035
79/53/01/01	4734	fire (yin or +)	dragon	bing	chen	01/27/2036
79/54/01/01	4735	fire (yang or -)	snake	ding	si	02/14/2037
79/55/01/01	4736	earth (yin or +)	horse	wu	wu	02/03/2038
79/56/01/01	4737	earth (yang or -)	sheep	ji	wei	01/23/2039
79/57/01/01	4738	metal (yin or +)	monkey	geng	shen	02/11/2040
79/58/01/01	4739	metal (yang or -)	rooster	xin	you	01/31/2041
79/59/01/01	4740	water (yin or +)	dog	ren	xu	01/21/2042
79/60/01/01	4741	water (yang or -)	pig	gui	hai	02/09/2043