Year of the Rooster
The Rooster is read as the confident perfectionist of the zodiac: observant, hardworking and honest to a fault.
| Fixed element | Metal |
|---|---|
| Yin or yang | Yin |
| Best matches | Ox, Snake |
| Clashes with | Rabbit |
| Current or next year | Earth Rooster (2029) |
Rooster personality
People born in a Rooster year are said to be precise, organised and proud of doing things properly. They tend to be punctual, practical and willing to say what others only think. Their high standards can make them critical of themselves and others. At their best they bring order, honesty and excellence wherever they go.
The Rooster in love
In love, the Rooster is read as loyal, protective and dependable, showing care through practical help. It may need to soften its criticism and offer praise as readily.
The Rooster at work
At work, the Rooster often does well in management, accounting, medicine, the military, quality control or any field where accuracy matters. It likes clear goals and recognition.
Room to grow
The growth edge for a Rooster is acceptance. Letting good enough be enough now and then, in itself and in others, makes its standards a gift instead of a burden.
Rooster compatibility
In the tradition, the Rooster gets on best with the Ox and the Snake, the other two animals of its group of three, and clashes with the Rabbit, the animal opposite it on the wheel. These are traditional pairings, not rules: any two people can make it work.
The Rooster making decisions
A Rooster decides by the facts, in order, and then says so plainly. It has done the reading and can tell you why. Its decisions tend to be sound, and the tradition respects its care. The trouble is more often in the delivery: being right doesn't always bring people with you. A Rooster does well to ask one question before giving the answer.
The Rooster as a friend
As a friend, the Rooster is honest, organised and always on time. It will tell you the outfit doesn't work and then help you find one that does. It takes pride in being useful and in having things in order. It's more sensitive to criticism than its own bluntness would suggest, and it values friends who tell it the truth kindly.
The Rooster with every other animal
The Ox and the Snake are the Rooster's allies, and they value discipline as much as it does. The Dragon is its secret friend, and the two enjoy being seen. The Rabbit sits across the wheel and tends to be wounded by its plain speaking. The Dog is the pairing the tradition warns about.
| With the | Rooster reads as |
|---|---|
| Rat | No special tie |
| Ox | Ally |
| Tiger | No special tie |
| Rabbit | Clash |
| Dragon | Secret friend |
| Snake | Ally |
| Horse | No special tie |
| Goat | No special tie |
| Monkey | No special tie |
| Dog | Harm |
| Pig | No special tie |
The five kinds of Rooster
Each kind of Rooster returns every 60 years. Find your birth year:
- Wood Rooster: 1945, 2005. A Wood Rooster is read as more flexible than most, enthusiastic and a good organiser of other people.
- Fire Rooster: 1957, 2017. A Fire Rooster is read as forceful and outspoken, a strong presence with very clear ideas about how things are done.
- Earth Rooster: 1969, 2029. An Earth Rooster is read as steady and exact, deeply reliable, and willing to do the dull part properly.
- Metal Rooster: 1981, 2041. A Metal Rooster is the animal in its home element, read as the most exacting and the most sure of itself.
- Water Rooster: 1933, 1993. A Water Rooster is read as more thoughtful and easier to approach, with a talent for explaining things.
Are you really a Rooster?
Since 1930, Rooster years have started as early as January 23 and as late as February 17. Born before your Rooster year's start in the table below? Then you are a Monkey, the animal before it.
This Chinese year, Roosters are turning 9, 21, 33, 45, 57, 69.
The Rooster's hour and month
The Rooster's hour runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and its month is the eighth month of the lunar year. Anyone born in that hour has the Rooster as a second animal, read as how they behave in private.
What people get wrong about the Rooster
The Rooster is often called vain or critical. The tradition reads high standards turned outward, and those same standards are usually turned on itself first and much harder. A lot of what looks like showing off is pride in work well done. Under the plumage, many Roosters are anxious to be good enough and very loyal to those who see it.
Questions about the Rooster
Why is the Rooster seen as honest?
The tradition links it with the bird that announces the morning: it says what it sees, on time and whether you want to hear it or not.
What is the Rooster like in love?
Devoted, practical and particular. It tends to show love by organising your life, and it needs a partner who can take its honesty and give some back.
What jobs suit a Rooster?
Work with standards: accounts, editing, research, quality control, the military, hospitality management. It tends to thrive where details matter and are noticed.
Years of the Rooster
| Year | Element | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Water | January 26, 1933 to February 13, 1934 |
| 1945 | Wood | February 13, 1945 to February 1, 1946 |
| 1957 | Fire | January 31, 1957 to February 17, 1958 |
| 1969 | Earth | February 17, 1969 to February 5, 1970 |
| 1981 | Metal | February 5, 1981 to January 24, 1982 |
| 1993 | Water | January 23, 1993 to February 9, 1994 |
| 2005 | Wood | February 9, 2005 to January 28, 2006 |
| 2017 | Fire | January 28, 2017 to February 15, 2018 |
| 2029 | Earth | February 13, 2029 to February 2, 2030 |
Find your animal from your date of birth