Lucky Colors for the Horse: Yellow, Green and Purple

The Horse's lucky colors

On MyBirthSign, the Horse's lucky colors are yellow, green and purple. Its lucky numbers are 2, 3 and 7, and its lucky days are Monday and Wednesday. These are the same values used on the Year of the Horse page, the zodiac checker and the daily fortune cards.

Lists of lucky colors are not standardised. Different books, websites and fortune tellers give different lists for the same animal, so do not be surprised to see other colors elsewhere. What most of them share is a common source of ideas: the five elements.

Where lucky colors come from

In Chinese tradition each of the five elements has a color. The New World Encyclopedia's article on wu xing lists them: green for Wood, red for Fire, yellow for Earth, white for Metal and black for Water. The Horse's own element is Fire: Wikipedia's article on the Horse in the zodiac gives Fire as its element and Wu as its Earthly Branch. Most lucky-color lists start from these element colors and then combine them in their own way.

That is why lists disagree. Wikipedia's Horse article, for example, gives gold, orange, yellow and red as lucky colors, lists green among colors to avoid, and gives 4, 5 and 7 as lucky numbers. Our list keeps yellow and adds green and purple. Neither is more correct: they are different traditions of interpretation, so choose the one you enjoy and use it lightly.

Your birth element and its color

Every Horse year also has its own element, set by the last digit of the year. That gives each Horse a second traditional color, the color of the birth element. Each Horse year starts at Lunar New Year:

• 1930: Metal Horse, 30 January 1930 – 16 February 1931. Element color: white.
• 1942: Water Horse, 15 February 1942 – 4 February 1943. Element color: black.
• 1954: Wood Horse, 3 February 1954 – 23 January 1955. Element color: green.
• 1966: Fire Horse, 21 January 1966 – 8 February 1967. Element color: red.
• 1978: Earth Horse, 7 February 1978 – 27 January 1979. Element color: yellow.
• 1990: Metal Horse, 27 January 1990 – 14 February 1991. Element color: white.
• 2002: Water Horse, 12 February 2002 – 31 January 2003. Element color: black.
• 2014: Wood Horse, 31 January 2014 – 18 February 2015. Element color: green.
• 2026: Fire Horse, 17 February 2026 – 5 February 2027. Element color: red.

If you were born in January or early February, check the dates above: you may belong to the previous animal. Our guide Born in January? explains why.

Red in the 2026 Horse year

2026 is a Fire Horse year, from 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027, so every Horse is in their own year, ben ming nian. China Highlights describes the custom of wearing red during your zodiac year, ideally red clothing given by family or friends, together with jade. University of Sydney scholar Xiaohuan Zhao also describes the long tradition of people in their benming year wearing red.

So for Horses, red has a special place until 5 February 2027, alongside the everyday lucky colors. Read our 2026 Fire Horse year guide for more on what the year means.

How to use lucky colors

Most people use lucky colors lightly: a scarf, a phone case, a wallet, a shirt for an interview or a first meeting, or flowers on a special day. They are a way to start the day with a good intention, not a guarantee of anything.

If you like a daily reminder, the daily fortune gives each sign a lucky color and lucky numbers that change every day.

Frequently asked questions

What are the lucky colors for the Horse?

On this site: yellow, green and purple. Many people also wear red during a Horse year, as the custom for your own zodiac year.

What are the Horse's lucky numbers?

2, 3 and 7. Its lucky days are Monday and Wednesday.

What element is the Horse?

The Horse's own element is Fire, and its Earthly Branch is Wu. Each Horse year also has its own element: 2026 is a Fire Horse year, 2014 was a Wood Horse year and 1990 a Metal Horse year.

Why do other websites give different colors?

Lucky-color lists are not standardised. Wikipedia, for example, lists gold, orange, yellow and red for the Horse. Most lists are based on the five elements, but authors combine them in different ways.

Sources and further reading

• New World Encyclopedia: “Wu xing” — the five elements, their generating and overcoming cycles, and the colour traditionally linked to each element.
• Wikipedia: “Horse (zodiac)” — gives Fire as the Horse's element and Wu as its Earthly Branch, and lists gold, orange, yellow and red as lucky colors and 4, 5 and 7 as lucky numbers.
• Wikipedia: “Wuxing (Chinese philosophy)” — the five phases, the generating and overcoming cycles, and the stems that belong to each element.
• China Highlights: “Ben Ming Nian — Zodiac Year” — defines ben ming nian as the year of your own zodiac animal and describes the customs of wearing red and jade.
• University of Sydney: “Lunar New Year 2023: what does the Year of the Rabbit mean?” — Associate Professor Xiaohuan Zhao on the benming year and the tradition of wearing red.
• Farmers' Almanac: “When Is Lunar New Year 2027? Year of the Goat” — Lunar New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, between 21 January and 21 February.

Traditional Chinese zodiac reading for culture and entertainment, not a scientific prediction. Dates follow the published calendars cited above and the Lunar New Year table used by our zodiac checker.