Year of the Rabbit: Years, Traits and What the Rabbit Year Brings

If you were born in a Rabbit year, you belong to the sign people often describe as the calm one in the room. The Rabbit is admired for tact, kindness and a real eye for beauty, and it's the animal many people picture when they think of the moon.

New to the system as a whole? Our guide to Chinese astrology explains how it all fits together. Then come back here for everything about the Rabbit.

The Rabbit in Chinese Astrology

The Chinese zodiac is called Shēngxiào (生肖). It follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar, not the Western calendar, and it's built on the older system of Tiāngān Dìzhī (天干地支), the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, which has been used to count days and years for thousands of years.

Each animal matches one of the twelve Earthly Branches. The Rabbit belongs to the fourth branch, 卯 (mǎo). That branch also names a double hour of the traditional day, 5 to 7 a.m., the hour of the Rabbit, when the sky starts to lighten.

The Rabbit sits between the Tiger and the Dragon. You can see all twelve together in our guide to the Chinese zodiac signs.

The Rabbit in the Great Race

According to legend, the Jade Emperor, Yùhuáng Dàdì (玉皇大帝), invited the animals to a race across a wide river, and the order they finished would set the order of the years. The Rabbit wasn't built for swimming. In many tellings it hopped from stone to stone, nearly slipped in, and caught hold of a floating log that drifted it to the far bank. Some versions say the Dragon gave that log a helpful puff of breath. The Rabbit came in fourth.

It's a folk tale, and the details change from teller to teller. What stays the same is how the Rabbit gets there: not by force, but by staying light on its feet and taking the help that's offered.

The Jade Rabbit on the Moon

The Rabbit has a second, much loved home in Chinese culture. In legend, the Jade Rabbit, Yùtù (玉兔), lives on the moon beside the moon goddess Cháng'é (嫦娥), pounding the elixir of life with a mortar and pestle. Many people in China still look for the rabbit's shape in the full moon during the Mid Autumn Festival, Zhōngqiūjié (中秋节).

The story is so woven into the culture that China named its first lunar rover Yutu, after the Jade Rabbit, when it landed on the moon in 2013 as part of the Chang'e 3 mission. It's a lovely example of an old legend still alive in modern life.

Year of the Rabbit Birth Years and Exact Dates

Here are the Rabbit years from 1927 to 2023.

Born in January or early February? Look closely at the dates. The animal year starts at Lunar New Year, Chūnjié (春节), the Spring Festival, which always falls between January 21 and February 20. Someone born on February 10, 1988 is still a Rabbit, because the 1987 Rabbit year ran until February 16, 1988. Someone born on February 1, 1975 is not a Rabbit, because the 1975 Rabbit year didn't begin until February 11.

Practitioners of Bāzì (八字), the Four Pillars birth chart, use Lìchūn (立春), the start of spring around February 4, as the year boundary instead. If your birthday falls near either date, you may see it placed differently.

Rabbit Personality: Traditional Traits

These are traditional associations. They describe tendencies, not fate. Your full chart, your life story and your own choices shape who you are far more than any single sign.

Strengths

The Rabbit is kind, tactful and easy to be around. She reads a room gently and knows how to smooth a tense moment without making a scene. She tends to have refined taste, whether that shows up in her home, her clothes or the way she sets a table, and she values peace, comfort and good manners.

Challenges

Because she dislikes conflict, the Rabbit may avoid hard conversations longer than she should, or say yes when she means no. She can also be cautious to the point of holding herself back. Her growth often comes from trusting that she can disagree and still be loved.

In Love

In love, the Rabbit is romantic, loyal and attentive. She wants a calm, warm relationship and a home that feels like a soft place to land. She shows love through thoughtfulness: the right gift, a quiet check in, remembering how you like your coffee. Drama wears her out. Our Chinese zodiac compatibility guides are coming soon.

At Work

At work, the Rabbit does well where people skills and good judgment matter: design, the arts, counseling, hospitality, diplomacy, writing, client care. She's careful and thorough, and others trust her with delicate situations. For men born in Rabbit years, the same gifts often show up as strong social intelligence, a knack for negotiation and the patience to wait for the right moment instead of forcing a move.

As a Friend

As a friend, the Rabbit is the one who listens without judging and remembers what matters to you. She keeps confidences, prefers a few close friendships to a crowd, and creates the kind of evenings people don't want to end.

The Rabbit's Fixed Element and Yin Yang Nature

Each animal has a fixed, or native, element that never changes. The Rabbit's fixed element is Wood (木). Wood stands for growth, flexibility and gentle strength, like a young plant that bends in the wind and keeps growing.

This is different from the year element, which changes with each Rabbit year. The five elements, called Wǔxíng (五行), are Wood (木), Fire (火), Earth (土), Metal (金) and Water (水). They're also called the five phases, because each one turns into the next.

In yin and yang (阴阳), the Rabbit is a yin animal, and every Rabbit year is a yin year. The 60 year cycle pairs the 10 Heavenly Stems with the 12 Earthly Branches. The stem gives the year its element, and yin and yang alternate year by year. Because the Rabbit's branch is yin, it only ever pairs with the five yin stems, which gives five kinds of Rabbit. Our guide to the Chinese zodiac elements walks through the whole cycle.

The Five Element Rabbits

The elements relate through two cycles. In the generating cycle, xiāngshēng (相生), Wood feeds Fire, Fire makes Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal carries Water, and Water nourishes Wood. In the controlling cycle, xiāngkè (相克), each element keeps another in check. Here's how each year element meets the Rabbit's native Wood.

Wood Rabbit (1975)

Year element and fixed element match, so this is the Rabbit at her most Rabbit. The Wood Rabbit tends to be generous, warm and deeply kind, with a strong pull toward beauty and harmony. She may need to watch for giving too much of herself away.

Fire Rabbit (1927, 1987)

Wood feeds Fire, so the Fire Rabbit's gentleness gets a spark. She's often more expressive, passionate and outgoing than other Rabbits, with a warm charm that draws people in and a quicker temper when something matters to her.

Earth Rabbit (1939, 1999)

Wood holds Earth in check, the way roots hold soil. The Earth Rabbit tends to be steady, practical and sensible, with her feet firmly on the ground and a clear sense of what she wants to build.

Metal Rabbit (1951, 2011)

Metal cuts Wood, so this Rabbit has an inner edge. The Metal Rabbit is often more determined and decisive than her softer cousins, with high standards and a strong will hiding behind a gracious manner.

Water Rabbit (1963, 2023)

Water nourishes Wood, so the year element feeds the Rabbit's own. The Water Rabbit tends to be intuitive, sensitive and adaptable, deeply tuned in to other people's feelings. She may need quiet time to recharge.

What Kind of Year Is a Rabbit Year?

A Rabbit year carries a softer energy for everyone, not just people born under it. Traditionally it's seen as a season that rewards patience, diplomacy and care. It's a good year to mend things that matter, tend your home, invest in your relationships and make thoughtful choices rather than dramatic ones.

Rabbit energy tends to favor steady progress over big gambles. Think gentle, consistent effort, the kind of work that quietly adds up.

The flavor changes with the element. A Water Rabbit year like 2023 leans toward reflection and emotional depth. A Wood Rabbit year, like the next one in 2035, leans toward growth and kindness. This describes a season, not a sentence. You stay in charge of what you do with it.

If you'd like to look at how a Rabbit year, or any year, touches your own life, a reading can look at your personal chart and situation, not just your animal.

Your Own Rabbit Year: Běnmìngnián

When your own animal comes back around in the twelve year cycle, that year is your Běnmìngnián (本命年). In Chinese tradition, your own animal year is said to put you at odds with Tài Suì (太岁), the deity associated with the current year, so it's traditionally treated as a year to move with extra care.

Many people wear red during their Běnmìngnián as a protective custom, often red socks, red underwear or a red string bracelet, and it's often a gift from a parent or relative. It's a practice many families keep, a way of looking after one another as the year turns.

In our view, your Rabbit year is best treated as a season to be thoughtful and grounded. It's a natural time to check in with yourself, protect your peace, look after your closest relationships, and make big decisions slowly and with care.

The Rabbit in Vietnam: The Cat

In Vietnam, the fourth animal of the zodiac is the Cat, mèo, in place of the Rabbit, so 2023 was celebrated there as the Year of the Cat. One common explanation is that the branch name 卯, read mão in Vietnamese, sounds close to mèo. Scholars aren't certain of the reason. Either way, the Cat year is a tradition in its own right, not a variation of the Chinese one.

The Most Recent Rabbit Year and the Next One

The most recent Rabbit year was the Water Rabbit year, 癸卯 (guǐmǎo), which ran from January 22, 2023 to February 9, 2024. The next Rabbit year is the Wood Rabbit, 乙卯 (yǐmǎo), which begins on February 8, 2035 and runs to January 27, 2036.

Right now we're heading toward the 2027 Fire Goat year. For what it holds for Rabbits and every other animal, see our Chinese New Year 2027 forecast. If you're curious how your Rabbit sign sits beside your Western birth chart, our guide to Chinese zodiac and Western astrology looks at the two side by side. You'll find more in our astrology collection.

Year of the Rabbit FAQ

What years are the Year of the Rabbit?
Recent Rabbit years are 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 and 2023. Each one begins at Lunar New Year, not January 1, so the exact date matters if you were born in January or early February. The 2023 Rabbit year ran from January 22, 2023 to February 9, 2024.

What does the Rabbit symbolize in Chinese culture?
In Chinese tradition the Rabbit is linked with gentleness, grace, kindness and good judgment. It's also tied to the moon through the legend of the Jade Rabbit, Yùtù, who lives beside the moon goddess Cháng'é. That's why the Rabbit is often remembered during the Mid Autumn Festival.

What element is the Rabbit?
The Rabbit's fixed, or native, element is Wood. Each Rabbit year also carries a year element from the Heavenly Stem, which can be Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water. So someone born in 1987 is a Fire Rabbit, while someone born in 1975 is a Wood Rabbit, with Wood as both her fixed and year element.

Is 2023 a Water Rabbit year?
Yes. The 2023 Rabbit year, 癸卯, is a Water Rabbit year. It began on January 22, 2023 and ended on February 9, 2024. Someone born on January 15, 2023, before Lunar New Year, belongs to the 2022 Water Tiger year instead, so always check the exact date of your birthday.

Why is it the Year of the Cat in Vietnam?
Vietnam's zodiac places the Cat, mèo, fourth instead of the Rabbit. A common explanation is that the branch name 卯, read mão in Vietnamese, sounds close to mèo, though no one knows for certain. The Vietnamese Cat year falls on the same dates as the Chinese Rabbit year.

When is the next Year of the Rabbit?
The next Rabbit year is the Wood Rabbit year, 乙卯, which begins on February 8, 2035 and ends on January 27, 2036. Before then, the cycle moves through the Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat and the rest of the twelve animals, one each Lunar New Year.