Chinese Zodiac Years
1996 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Rat
Born in 1996? Your Chinese zodiac animal is most likely the Rat, but check the date: the 1996 Fire Rat year began on 19 February 1996. Here is everything about the year, from its element to its lucky colors and best matches.
1996: a Yang Fire Rat year
The Chinese zodiac year 1996 was the Year of the Rat. It began with Lunar New Year on 19 February 1996 and ended on 6 February 1997, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.
Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 1996 ends in 6, which makes it a Fire year, and as an even year it is Yang. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 1996 is a Bing-zi year. The same Fire Rat combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1936 before it and 2056 after it.
Born in January or February 1996?
Lunar New Year 1996 fell on 19 February 1996, so everyone born in January 1996, and in February before that date, belongs to the previous year's animal, the Pig.
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 Rat's personality
Our Rat guide describes the sign like this: “Quick-witted, resourceful, and sociable. Rats are natural problem-solvers who notice opportunities others miss.” The usual watch-out: “Can be restless or overly cautious with money and trust.”
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 Rat page.
Careers often linked with the Rat: business, writing, research, trading.
Lucky colors, numbers and days for the Rat
- Lucky colors: blue, gold and green
- Lucky numbers: 2 and 3
- Lucky days: Monday and Tuesday
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 1996
In traditional compatibility, the Rat's best matches are the Dragon, Monkey and Ox, and its clash sign is the Horse, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac circle. Our compatibility calculator compares two full birth dates, elements included.
The Rat in 2026 and 2027
2026 (Fire Horse, until 5 February 2027): for the Rat, it sits directly opposite the Horse, so 2026 is its clash year: a year to stay flexible and check plans twice.
2027 (Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027): for the Rat, it has no special traditional relationship with the Goat, so 2027 is a neutral year. See Chinese zodiac 2027 predictions for every sign.
Other Year of the Rat years
Years of the same animal come every twelve years, each with a different element: 1972 (Water Rat); 1984 (Wood Rat); 2008 (Earth Rat); 2020 (Metal Rat). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 1996?
1996 is the Year of the Rat, a Yang Fire Rat year (Bing-zi).
When does the 1996 Year of the Rat start and end?
It starts on 19 February 1996 and ends on 6 February 1997.
I was born in January 1996. What is my Chinese zodiac?
A Pig: Lunar New Year 1996 was on 19 February 1996, so all of January 1996 belongs to the Pig year.
What element is 1996?
Fire. 1996 ends in 6, which belongs to Fire, and it is a Yang year.
Who is the Rat compatible with?
Traditionally the Dragon, Monkey and Ox. The Rat's clash sign is the Horse.
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 Rat · Born in January? · Zodiac sign checker
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