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1988 · 戊辰 · Yang Earth Dragon

When does the Year of the Dragon start in 1988?

The Year of the Dragon (戊辰, Earth Dragon) begins on Wednesday, February 17, 1988 by the lunar calendar, at Lunar New Year. Saju, the Korean Four Pillars (BaZi in Chinese), starts it 13 days earlier, at Ipchun: February 4, 1988 at 14:42 UTC, which is 11:42 pm on February 4 in Seoul and 9:42 am in New York and Toronto.

By Lunar New Year

Wednesday, February 17, 1988

In Korea, Seollal is a day later: Thursday, February 18, 1988.

In saju, at Ipchun (입춘)

February 4, 1988 · 14:42 UTC

Feb 4, 11:42 pm in Seoul · Feb 4, 9:42 am in New York

The Ipchun minute

Ipchun 1988, around the world

Ipchun is a moment, not a date: the Sun reaching 315 degrees along its path. Every clock passes it at once, so the local date can differ.

The Ipchun instant of 1988 in several time zones
PlaceLocal timeOffset
UTCFeb 4, 14:42UTC
SeoulFeb 4, 11:42 pmUTC+9
BeijingFeb 4, 10:42 pmUTC+8
SydneyFeb 5, 1:42 amUTC+11
LondonFeb 4, 2:42 pmUTC
New York and TorontoFeb 4, 9:42 amUTC-5
Los Angeles and VancouverFeb 4, 6:42 amUTC-8

Local times use each place's clock in 1988, daylight saving and old offsets included. Computed with lunar-javascript, the same calendar engine as the free episode; almanacs can differ by a minute.

Before and after

Rabbit to Dragon

Until the start

丁卯

Fire Rabbit

Yin Fire

From the start

戊辰

Earth Dragon

Yang Earth

The saju verdict

Born Jan 20 to Feb 20, 1988?

  • 1Born before February 4: both calendars say Fire Rabbit.
  • 2From the Ipchun minute (11:42 pm on February 4 in Seoul, 9:42 am on February 4 in New York) to February 16: saju says Dragon, Lunar New Year still says Rabbit. About 13 days where the two disagree.
  • 3Born on February 17 or later: both say Earth Dragon. Korea's lunar calendar turns a day later, on February 18.
Zodiac animal by birth date, January 20 to February 20, 1988: by Lunar New Year and in saju
BornLunar New YearSaju (Ipchun)
Jan 20 WedRabbitRabbit
Jan 21 ThuRabbitRabbit
Jan 22 FriRabbitRabbit
Jan 23 SatRabbitRabbit
Jan 24 SunRabbitRabbit
Jan 25 MonRabbitRabbit
Jan 26 TueRabbitRabbit
Jan 27 WedRabbitRabbit
Jan 28 ThuRabbitRabbit
Jan 29 FriRabbitRabbit
Jan 30 SatRabbitRabbit
Jan 31 SunRabbitRabbit
Feb 1 MonRabbitRabbit
Feb 2 TueRabbitRabbit
Feb 3 WedRabbitRabbit
Feb 4 ThuRabbitRabbit → DragonDragon from 11:42 pm in Seoul, 10:42 pm in Beijing, 2:42 pm in London, 9:42 am in New York and Toronto, 6:42 am in Los Angeles and Vancouver. Rabbit all day in Sydney.
Feb 5 FriRabbitRabbit → DragonDragon from 1:42 am in Sydney. Dragon all day in Seoul, Beijing, London, New York and Toronto, Los Angeles and Vancouver.
Feb 6 SatRabbitDragon
Feb 7 SunRabbitDragon
Feb 8 MonRabbitDragon
Feb 9 TueRabbitDragon
Feb 10 WedRabbitDragon
Feb 11 ThuRabbitDragon
Feb 12 FriRabbitDragon
Feb 13 SatRabbitDragon
Feb 14 SunRabbitDragon
Feb 15 MonRabbitDragon
Feb 16 TueRabbitDragon
Feb 17 WedDragonRabbit in KoreaDragon
Feb 18 ThuDragonDragon
Feb 19 FriDragonDragon
Feb 20 SatDragonDragon

Highlighted rows are the days the two calendars disagree. Switch days are shown for the places above; in other time zones Ipchun can fall a day earlier or later. Check any birthday.

Questions

1988 year start FAQ

Is someone born on February 5, 1988 a Rabbit or a Dragon?

By Lunar New Year (February 17) still a Rabbit. In saju a Dragon, because the saju year had already turned at Ipchun (February 4, 14:42 UTC). Most zodiac charts and the holidays follow Lunar New Year; saju and BaZi follow Ipchun.

When did the Year of the Dragon start in 1988?

By the lunar calendar on Wednesday, February 17, 1988, Lunar New Year. In saju at Ipchun (February 4, 14:42 UTC), the moment the Sun reached 315 degrees, known in Korean as Ipchun (입춘, 立春), the start of spring.

When was Lunar New Year 1988 in Korea?

Seollal (설날) fell on Thursday, February 18, 1988, a day after China's February 17. The new moon came at 11:54 pm in Beijing, already past midnight in Seoul, which was then an hour ahead.

Why does saju start the year at Ipchun?

Saju counts its years and months by the sun. The year turns at Ipchun, the start of spring, and each month at one of the solar terms. Lunar New Year follows the moon instead, so it moves between Jan 21 and Feb 20 while Ipchun stays around Feb 4.

Free episode · 4 panels

Your year, your Day Master

Type your birthday for your Day Master and a free episode. Add your birth city and time, and saju reads your year from Ipchun, to the minute.

Your birthdayStep 1 of 3

Free. 4 panels. No account, no photo.