Quick Answer: What Is the 2014 Chinese Zodiac Sign?
The 2014 Chinese zodiac (生肖, shēngxiào) sign is the Wood Horse for people born from January 31, 2014 through February 18, 2015, inclusive. The year’s traditional name is Jia-Wu (甲午, Jiǎ-Wǔ).[1][2]
- Before January 31. January 1–30, 2014 belongs to the Water Snake year.[1]
- Name of the year. Jia supplies Wood. Wu supplies the Horse.[1][4]
- Following year. The Wood Goat starts on February 19, 2015.[2]
This lookup follows Lunar New Year. A Four Pillars chart can use Start of Spring (立春, Lìchūn) as its year boundary.[3]
The Wood Horse year began on the final day of January. If a family album simply says “born in January 2014,” the date determines whether the entry belongs to the Horse or the Snake. Births in early 2015 can still fall within the Horse year.
The Wood Horse Year Started on January 31
| Gregorian date of birth | Lunar New Year sign |
|---|---|
| January 1–30, 2014 | 水蛇 |
| January 31, 2014–February 18, 2015 | 木馬 |
| February 19–December 31, 2015 | 木羊 |
A February 2, 2014 birthday shows why lookup tools can disagree. The lunar year had already changed, making that date Wood Horse. Start of Spring was still two days away, so a chart using that solar term would retain the preceding Water Snake year.[1][3]
Jia-Wu and Gold in the Sand
In Wuxing (五行, wǔxíng), Jia is the Heavenly Stem (天干, tiāngān) associated with Yang Wood (阳木, yáng mù). Wu is the Earthly Branch (地支, dìzhī) for Horse (马, mǎ). This Gan-Zhi (干支, gānzhī) pairing repeats once every 60 years in the sexagenary cycle (六十甲子, liùshí jiǎzǐ). The 1954年木馬 has the same pairing.[3][4]
Gold in the Sand (沙中金, Shā Zhōng Jīn) is the Na Yin (纳音, nà yīn) name shared by Jia-Wu and the following Wood Goat. Wood comes from the year stem. Gold in the Sand names a pair of years in the traditional table.[4][5]
Wood Horse Traits and Festival Imagery
Wood Horse profiles tend to emphasize initiative and sociability. In compatibility charts, the Horse is often paired with Tiger, Goat or Dog. A 2014 Wood Horse reading gives 2 and 7 as lucky numbers and red and brown as lucky colors. The numerical and color groupings are cultural associations.[4][6][7]
The U.S. Year of the Horse stamp issued in January 2014 shows drums with red drumsticks. The red drumsticks convey a New Year wish for good luck. The animal can name the year on the stamp even though the design illustrates a festival custom.[8]
What the Horse Year Return Means in 2026
A return of one’s birth animal is called Ben Ming Nian (本命年, běnmìngnián). The 2026火馬 is the first such return for the 2014 Wood Horse. The Horse repeats every 12 years. Jia-Wu takes 60 years to return.[3][4][9]
Some 2026 readings for the 2014 cohort use study routines and following through on new interests as themes. A different reading, based on the relationship between the two animal signs, treats Horse and Goat as a favorable pairing in 2027. In both cases the reading is part of zodiac folklore.[4][6]
FAQs About the 2014 Chinese Zodiac
Is January 31, 2014 a Snake or Horse date?
It is a Wood Horse date under the Lunar New Year convention. January 30 was the last date of the Water Snake year.[1]
Does February 18, 2015 belong to the Wood Horse?
Yes. The Wood Goat year starts the next day, on February 19, 2015.[2]
Are 2014 and 2026 the same type of Horse?
They share the Wu branch. The Wood stem in 2014 is Jia, while the Fire stem in 2026 is Bing.[3][4][9]
資料來源
[1] Hong Kong Observatory. 2014 Gregorian–lunar calendar conversion table
[2] Hong Kong Observatory. 2015 Gregorian–lunar calendar conversion table
[3] Hong Kong Observatory（香港天文台）。What year is it today?（今天是甚麼年？）
[4] Zodiac Almanac. 2014 Wood Horse, stem-branch and 2027 folk reading
[5] Liao Zhong. Wuxing Jingji, digital edition
[6] TravelChinaGuide. 2014 Wood Horse associations and dated readings
[7] China Highlights. Chinese zodiac compatibility chart
[8] National Postal Museum. The Lunar New Year issue, 2008–2019
[9] Hong Kong Observatory. 2026 Gregorian–lunar calendar conversion table