In the Chinese zodiac, 1998 is the Year of the Tiger, with Earth as its element. The Earth Tiger year began on Wednesday, January 28, 1998 and ended on Monday, February 15, 1999. People born between those dates are Earth Tigers, including those born in early 1999. People born from January 1 to January 27, 1998 are Fire Oxen.
Which birthdays fall in the 1998 Tiger year?
More than the year's name suggests. The zodiac year runs from one Lunar New Year to the next, and this one stretched across 384 days.
| Birthday | Sign |
|---|---|
| January 1 to January 27, 1998 | Fire Ox |
| January 28, 1998 to February 15, 1999 | Earth Tiger |
| February 16, 1999 and later | Earth Rabbit |
Only 27 days of 1998 are missing from the Tiger year, while 46 days of 1999 are added to it.
Two boundaries, two kinds of change
At the start of the year, everything changed at once. January 27, 1998 was a Fire Ox day; January 28 was an Earth Tiger day. A new animal and a new element arrived together, because 1997 was the second of two Fire years.
At the end of the year, only the animal changed. The Rabbit year that began on February 16, 1999 is also an Earth year, since each element covers two years in a row. An Earth Tiger born on February 15, 1999 and an Earth Rabbit born the next morning share half of their label.
Why was the year 384 days long?
It contained a leap month. Twelve months counted by the moon come to about 354 days, so the traditional calendar adds a thirteenth month every two or three years to stay in line with the seasons.
In the Hong Kong Observatory's table for 1998, the fifth lunar month appears twice: the regular one begins on May 26, and the repeated, or leap, fifth month begins on June 24. By coincidence the Horse year of 1990 had its leap month in the same position. The year before, by contrast, was a plain 12-month year; see 1997 in the Chinese zodiac.
Were you born near the start or end of the year?
- Born on January 10, 1998? You are an Ox, not a Tiger. The sign is described in the Ox in the Chinese zodiac.
- Born on January 28, 1998? A Tiger, born on Lunar New Year's Day.
- Born on January 30, 1999? A Tiger again, whatever a simple year chart says.
- Born on February 16, 1999? You are a Rabbit, on the first day of its year.
The tool below checks any date and gives both the animal and the element. It also has its own page, Birthday Profile.
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What does Earth Tiger mean?
The Tiger is traditionally said to be brave, competitive and confident. National Museums Liverpool describes the sign as a mix of courage, candor and sensitivity, and the Victoria and Albert Museum notes that the tiger was seen as a guardian that drives off evil. Earth is the element linked with stability, patience and practicality. An Earth Tiger, in the tradition, therefore pairs boldness with a steady, practical streak. It is a piece of folklore, not a personality test.
In the old system of year names, 1998 is wu-yin: wu is the fifth of the ten "heavenly stems," yin the "earthly branch" of the Tiger. The 60-year cycle they form is described on our page about Chinese New Year animals. For all Tiger years, traits and element types, go to the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac.
When was the last Earth Tiger year, and when is the next?
| Earth Tiger year | First day | Last day |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | January 31, 1938 | February 18, 1939 |
| 1998 | January 28, 1998 | February 15, 1999 |
| 2058 | January 24, 2058 | February 11, 2059 |
The same animal and element meet once in 60 years. The Tiger years between them carry other elements; the most recent, 2022, was a Water Tiger year.
How old are people born in 1998, and when is their next Tiger year?
People born in 1998 turn 29 in 2027. Their sign's year last came in 2022, at age 24, and the next begins on February 19, 2034 and ends on February 7, 2035.
A person's own zodiac year is called the ben ming nian. Folk belief counts it as a hurdle and not as a lucky year, and the custom tied to it is wearing red.
The year after this one belongs to the Rabbit: see 1999 in the Chinese zodiac.