Year of the Pig
The Pig, also called the Boar, is read as the warm-hearted last animal of the zodiac: generous, easygoing and sincere.
| Fixed element | Water |
|---|---|
| Yin or yang | Yin |
| Best matches | Rabbit, Goat |
| Clashes with | Snake |
| Current or next year | Metal Pig (2031) |
Pig personality
People born in a Pig year are said to be kind, honest and fond of life's pleasures. They tend to be tolerant, hardworking when it counts and generous with their time. Their trust can make them easy to take advantage of, and they may indulge a little too much. At their best they make everyone around them feel welcome.
The Pig in love
In love, the Pig is read as affectionate, faithful and devoted to making a partner happy. It may need to look after its own needs as carefully as its partner's.
The Pig at work
At work, the Pig often does well in hospitality, healthcare, the arts, charity work or any team that values goodwill. It is a reliable colleague who rarely complains.
Room to grow
The growth edge for a Pig is boundaries. Saying no when something is unfair protects its generous nature from being used.
Pig compatibility
In the tradition, the Pig gets on best with the Rabbit and the Goat, the other two animals of its group of three, and clashes with the Snake, the animal opposite it on the wheel. These are traditional pairings, not rules: any two people can make it work.
The Pig making decisions
A Pig decides with its heart and takes people at their word. It tends to assume the best, and it doesn't enjoy looking for hidden catches. The tradition loves the sincerity in this and warns about the small print. A Pig does well to take a day and let one suspicious friend read the contract. Once it has decided, it brings a great deal of energy and very little complaint.
The Pig as a friend
As a friend, the Pig is warm, generous and easy to please. It's the one who insists you stay for dinner, picks up the bill and is delighted to see you. It enjoys good food and good company, and it rarely says a harsh word. It can be taken advantage of, and it often knows that, and it decides to be kind regardless.
The Pig with every other animal
The Rabbit and the Goat are the Pig's allies, and they share its love of peace and comfort. The Tiger is its secret friend, and the two bring out each other's courage. The Snake sits across the wheel, and its reserve is hard for a Pig to read. The Monkey is the pairing the tradition warns about.
| With the | Pig reads as |
|---|---|
| Rat | No special tie |
| Ox | No special tie |
| Tiger | Secret friend |
| Rabbit | Ally |
| Dragon | No special tie |
| Snake | Clash |
| Horse | No special tie |
| Goat | Ally |
| Monkey | Harm |
| Rooster | No special tie |
| Dog | No special tie |
The five kinds of Pig
Each kind of Pig returns every 60 years. Find your birth year:
- Wood Pig: 1935, 1995. A Wood Pig is read as sincere and persuasive, a natural organiser who is fond of bringing people round a table.
- Fire Pig: 1947, 2007. A Fire Pig is read as the most adventurous of the five, a very warm and brave person who tends to act on impulse.
- Earth Pig: 1959, 2019. An Earth Pig is read as patient and practical, with a talent for making a home and for steady work.
- Metal Pig: 1971, 2031. A Metal Pig is read as more determined and outspoken than the rest, generous with friends and firm with everyone else.
- Water Pig: 1983, 2043. A Water Pig is the animal in its home element, read as kind, intuitive and sometimes too trusting.
Are you really a Pig?
Since 1930, Pig years have started as early as January 22 and as late as February 18. Born before your Pig year's start in the table below? Then you are a Dog, the animal before it.
This Chinese year, Pigs are turning 7, 19, 31, 43, 55, 67.
The Pig's hour and month
The Pig's hour runs from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., and its month is the tenth month of the lunar year. Anyone born in that hour has the Pig as a second animal, read as how they behave in private.
What people get wrong about the Pig
The Pig is often seen as lazy or gullible, again partly because of the word. In the tradition it's a symbol of plenty and of a good heart, and it's the last and most contented animal on the wheel. Many Pigs work very hard and enjoy what they earn. It isn't that they don't see people's faults. They just don't hold them against anyone for long.
Questions about the Pig
Is the Pig a lucky sign in Chinese astrology?
It's linked with plenty and contentment, and many people are glad to have a Pig year. The tradition reads its good times as coming from generosity and hard work.
What is the Pig like in love?
Tender, loyal and giving. It tends to throw itself into a relationship, and it needs a partner who won't take that generosity for granted.
What jobs suit a Pig?
Work with people and good things: hospitality, food, the arts, teaching, charity work, running a small business. It tends to do well where its honesty is appreciated.
Years of the Pig
| Year | Element | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Wood | February 4, 1935 to January 23, 1936 |
| 1947 | Fire | January 22, 1947 to February 9, 1948 |
| 1959 | Earth | February 8, 1959 to January 27, 1960 |
| 1971 | Metal | January 27, 1971 to February 14, 1972 |
| 1983 | Water | February 13, 1983 to February 1, 1984 |
| 1995 | Wood | January 31, 1995 to February 18, 1996 |
| 2007 | Fire | February 18, 2007 to February 6, 2008 |
| 2019 | Earth | February 5, 2019 to January 24, 2020 |
| 2031 | Metal | January 23, 2031 to February 10, 2032 |
Find your animal from your date of birth