Quick Answer: What Is the 2011 Chinese Zodiac Sign?
The 2011 Chinese zodiac (生肖, shēngxiào) sign is the Metal Rabbit for anyone born from February 3, 2011 through January 22, 2012, inclusive. The traditional name of the year is Xin-Mao (辛卯, Xīn-Mǎo).[1][2]
- Before the change. January 1 through February 2, 2011 falls in the Metal Tiger year.[1][3]
- Animal and element. The Rabbit comes from the Mao branch. The Metal in its name comes from the Xin stem.[1][3]
- First day of the next year. January 23, 2012 is the first day of the Water Dragon year.[2]
These are the boundaries used for the Lunar New Year birth sign. A Four Pillars reading can use the Start of Spring (立春, Lìchūn) solar term.[3]
A birth year of “2011” on its own leaves two possible animal signs. The day matters most if your birthday is in January or early February. The same calendar also explains why a child born in January 2012 can share the sign of someone born almost a year earlier.
2011 Metal Rabbit Birth Dates
| Gregorian date of birth | Lunar New Year sign |
|---|---|
| January 1–February 2, 2011 | Металлический Тигр |
| February 3, 2011–January 22, 2012 | Металлический Кролик |
| January 23, 2012 onward within 2012 | Водяной Дракон |
In the Hong Kong Observatory tables, February 2 is the 30th day of the last lunar month. The first day of the new month is February 3. In the following year, the calendar starts the new first month on January 23, which makes January 22 the last Rabbit day.[1][2]
If your birthday is February 3, the two conventions give different answers. The 2011 Lunar New Year starts on that date, while Start of Spring is February 4. A chart that changes the year at the solar term can therefore assign a February 3 birth to the previous year.[1][3]
Why 2011 Is Called the Metal Rabbit
Xin is the Heavenly Stem (天干, tiāngān) for Yin Metal (阴金, yīn jīn) in Wuxing (五行, wǔxíng). Mao is the Earthly Branch (地支, dìzhī) associated with the Rabbit (兔, tù). The pair belongs to the Gan-Zhi (干支, gānzhī) sexagenary cycle (六十甲子, liùshí jiǎzǐ). The animal repeats every 12 years, while the full stem and branch pair repeats every 60. A person born within the 1951 Metal Rabbit year shares the full year name.[3][4]
In the Na Yin (纳音, nà yīn) classification, Xin-Mao and the preceding Metal Tiger pair are grouped under Pine and Cypress Wood (松柏木, Sōng Bǎi Mù). Wood names the paired category. Metal identifies the year stem. Traditional tables can list both because they describe different parts of the system.[3][4]
Rabbit Symbolism and Folk Associations
In Lunar New Year imagery, the Rabbit represents wishes for longevity, peace and prosperity. Zodiac profiles extend that symbolism into descriptions such as attentiveness or reserve, which vary by source. A depiction of a rabbit on a New Year card can convey an auspicious wish regardless of the recipient’s birth year.[5][6]
Animal compatibility charts often pair Rabbit with Goat, Dog and Pig. Popular guides also distinguish Rabbit-wide associations from those assigned specifically to the Metal Rabbit. One Metal Rabbit guide gives green and yellow and the numbers 1 and 8, while a Rabbit-wide table gives 3, 4 and 6. These are published folk associations. The Rabbit zodiac guide explains the broader animal tradition.[6][7]
FAQs About the 2011 Chinese Zodiac
Is February 2, 2011 a Tiger or a Rabbit birth date?
It is a Metal Tiger date. The first day of the Rabbit year in the lunar calendar was February 3.[1]
Are 2011 and 2023 the same type of Rabbit?
They share the Rabbit branch. The 2011 year is Xin-Mao, or Metal Rabbit, and 2023 is Gui-Mao, or Water Rabbit.[1][3][5]
Why do some calendars say the zodiac changes on February 4?
Some astrology charts change the year at Start of Spring. The Observatory uses the first day of the first lunar month to change the year on its civil calendar. The two dates differ in 2011.[1][3]
Источники
[1] Hong Kong Observatory. 2011 Gregorian–lunar calendar conversion table
[2] Hong Kong Observatory. 2012 Gregorian–lunar calendar conversion table
[3] Hong Kong Observatory (Гонконгская обсерватория). What year is it today? (какой сейчас год?)
[4] Liao Zhong. Wuxing Jingji, digital edition
[5] Smithsonian Institution. Год Кролика
[6] China Highlights. Год Кролика
[7] TravelChinaGuide. 2011 Chinese zodiac and Metal Rabbit associations