Is your zodiac animal wrong?

Two ways to start the year

Most zodiac charts change animals at Lunar New Year, which moves between January 21 and February 20. Saju changes the year at Ipchun (입춘), the "start of spring," when the sun reaches 315° on the ecliptic. That happens on February 3, 4 or 5 every year.

Who is affected

Anyone born between the two dates. In 2027, for example, Ipchun is February 4 and Lunar New Year is February 6, so a baby born on February 5, 2027 is a Goat in saju but a Horse on most zodiac charts. In years when Lunar New Year falls early, the gap runs the other way.

Why saju uses Ipchun

Saju is built on the solar calendar of 24 solar terms, which tracks the seasons precisely. The months of your chart also change at solar terms, so your month pillar can depend on your birth hour if you were born on one of those days.