Ox (zodiac)
The zodiacal Ox is the second of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and related calendar systems. The Chinese term translated here as ox is in Chinese niú (牛), a word generally referring to cows and other types of the bovine family, such as common cattle or water buffalo; and which can be construed as male, female, neuter, and either singular or plural. The Year of the Ox is denoted by the Earthly Branch symbol chǒu (丑). The term "zodiac" ultimately derives from an Ancient Greek term referring to a "circle of little animals". There are also a yearly month of the rat and a daily hour of the rat (Chinese double hour, 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.). Years of the oxen (cows) are cyclically differentiated by correlation to the Heavenly Stems cycle, resulting in a repeating cycle of five years of the ox/cow (over a sixty-year period), each ox/cow year also being associated with one of the Chinese wǔxíng, also known as the "five elements", or "phases": the "Five Phases" being Fire (火 huǒ), Water (水 shuǐ), Wood (木 mù), Metal (金 jīn), and Earth (土 tǔ).
2021-2022
The Year of the Ox begins on 12 February 2021 and ends 31 January 2022. It is a year of the Metal Ox.
Years and the Five Elements
People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "Year of the Ox", while bearing the following elemental sign:[1][2]
| Start date | End date | Heavenly branch |
|---|---|---|
| 19 February 1901 | 7 February 1902 | Metal Ox |
| 6 February 1913 | 25 January 1914 | Water Ox |
| 24 January 1925 | 12 February 1926 | Wood Ox |
| 11 February 1937 | 30 January 1938 | Fire Ox |
| 29 January 1949 | 16 February 1950 | Earth Ox |
| 15 February 1961 | 4 February 1962 | Metal Ox |
| 3 February 1973 | 22 January 1974 | Water Ox |
| 20 February 1985 | 8 February 1986 | Wood Ox |
| 7 February 1997 | 27 January 1998 | Fire Ox |
| 26 January 2009 | 13 February 2010 | Earth Ox |
| 12 February 2021 | 31 January 2022 | Metal Ox |
| 31 January 2033 | 18 February 2034 | Water Ox |
| 17 February 2045 | 05 February 2046 | Wood Ox |
| 4 February 2057 | 23 January 2058 | Fire Ox |
| 23 January 2069 | 10 February 2070 | Earth Ox |
| 9 February 2081 | 28 January 2083 | Metal Ox |
| 27 January 2093 | 14 February 2094 | Water Ox |
Compatibility
| Sign | Best Match/ Balance (2nd Trine Group) | Average | No Match/ Rival-Enemy-Obstacle (Opposite Sign) |
| Ox | Ox, Snake, Rooster, Rat | Monkey, Dragon, Tiger, Dog, Horse, Pig, Rabbit | Goat |
Cycle: (Trine Group) Ox needs Snake, Snake needs Rooster, Rooster needs Ox; (Opposite Sign) but her rival opposes the Goat.
Basic astrology elements
| Earthly Branches: | 丑 Chǒu |
| The Five Elements: | Earth |
| Yin Yang: | Yin |
| Lunar Month: | Twelfth |
| Lucky Numbers: | 8, 9, 3; Avoid: 6 |
| Lucky Flowers: | tulip, evergreen, peach blossom, rose |
| Lucky Colors: | blue, red, purple; Avoid: white, green |
| Season: | Winter |
| Closest Western Zodiac: | Capricorn |
Around the world
In the Vietnamese zodiac, the water buffalo occupies the position of the Ox. In Nepal, the Tamu/Gurung people celebrate the year of the cow.[3]
References
- "When is Chinese New Year?". pinyin.info. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- "Year of the Ox, Cow: Love Compatibility, Horoscope, Personality - Chinese Zodiac Sign". Your Chinese Astrology. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- Arina Sherchan (11 July 2010). "Tamu (Gurung) Losar Festival". Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
Further reading
- Somerville, Neil (2008). Your Chinese Horoscope 2009: What the Year of the Ox Holds in Store for You. HarperCollins. pp. I–VIII. ISBN 9780007283750.
External links
