Chinese Zodiac Years
1987 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Rabbit
Born in 1987? Your Chinese zodiac animal is most likely the Rabbit, but check the date: the 1987 Fire Rabbit year began on 29 January 1987. Here is everything about the year, from its element to its lucky colors and best matches.
1987: a Yin Fire Rabbit year
The Chinese zodiac year 1987 was the Year of the Rabbit. It began with Lunar New Year on 29 January 1987 and ended on 16 February 1988, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.
Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 1987 ends in 7, which makes it a Fire year, and as an odd year it is Yin. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 1987 is a Ding-mao year. The same Fire Rabbit combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1927 before it and 2047 after it.
Born in January or February 1987?
Lunar New Year 1987 fell on 29 January 1987. Anyone born from 1 January 1987 up to the day before belongs to the previous year's animal, the Tiger; from 29 January 1987 on, the Rabbit.
The zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January, which is why early-year birthdays need checking. Our guide Born in January? explains the rule, and the zodiac sign checker gives the exact answer for any birth date.
The Rabbit's personality
Our Rabbit guide describes the sign like this: “Gentle, thoughtful, and diplomatic. Rabbits value harmony and are skilled at avoiding conflict.” The usual watch-out: “Can be overly cautious and avoid necessary confrontation.”
The Fire element adds its own flavour. Fire years bring passion, energy, and boldness. People of this element tend to be dynamic, adventurous, and quick to lead. Read more in our Fire element guide, or the full Year of the Rabbit page.
Careers often linked with the Rabbit: diplomacy, counseling, design, hospitality.
Lucky colors, numbers and days for the Rabbit
- Lucky colors: pink, red and purple
- Lucky numbers: 3, 4 and 6
- Lucky days: Monday and Thursday
These are the values used across this site. For a lucky color, number and time that change every day, see the daily fortune.
Best matches for someone born in 1987
In traditional compatibility, the Rabbit's best matches are the Goat, Pig and Dog, and its clash sign is the Rooster, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac circle. Our compatibility calculator compares two full birth dates, elements included.
The Rabbit in 2026 and 2027
2026 (Fire Horse, until 5 February 2027): for the Rabbit, it has no special traditional relationship with the Horse, so 2026 is a neutral year.
2027 (Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027): for the Rabbit, it shares the Goat's triangle (Rabbit, Goat and Pig), so 2027 is traditionally favourable. See Chinese zodiac 2027 predictions for every sign.
Other Year of the Rabbit years
Years of the same animal come every twelve years, each with a different element: 1963 (Water Rabbit); 1975 (Wood Rabbit); 1999 (Earth Rabbit); 2011 (Metal Rabbit). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 1987?
1987 is the Year of the Rabbit, a Yin Fire Rabbit year (Ding-mao).
When does the 1987 Year of the Rabbit start and end?
It starts on 29 January 1987 and ends on 16 February 1988.
I was born in January 1987. What is my Chinese zodiac?
If you were born before 29 January 1987, you are a Tiger; from 29 January 1987 on, a Rabbit.
What element is 1987?
Fire. 1987 ends in 7, which belongs to Fire, and it is a Yin year.
Who is the Rabbit compatible with?
Traditionally the Goat, Pig and Dog. The Rabbit's clash sign is the Rooster.
Sources and further reading
- Hong Kong Observatory: “Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches” — the 60-part Gan-Zhi cycle used to name years, months, days and hours.
- Wikipedia: “Sexagenary cycle” — the ten stems and twelve branches, 1984 as the start of the present cycle, and the year changing at Lunar New Year.
- Farmers' Almanac: “When Is Lunar New Year 2027?” — Lunar New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, between 21 January and 21 February.
- New World Encyclopedia: “Wu xing” — the five elements and the generating and overcoming cycles.
- Britannica: Chinese zodiac — the zodiac as a classification of years in a repeating twelve-year cycle.
Traditional Chinese zodiac reading for culture and entertainment, not a scientific prediction. Year dates follow the Lunar New Year table used by our zodiac checker.
Explore more: Chinese zodiac years chart · Year of the Rabbit · Born in January? · Zodiac sign checker
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