Does your zodiac animal change if you were born before Ipchun?
Updated ·
In saju, yes. The saju year starts at the minute of Ipchun, not on January 1 or at the Lunar New Year.
The saju year changes at Ipchun
Saju uses the minute of Ipchun, not January 1 or the Lunar New Year, as the boundary of the year. Ipchun is the moment the sun reaches 315 degrees of ecliptic longitude, and it falls between February 3 and 5 every year.
So someone born on February 2 belongs to the previous year in saju, even though the calendar year is the new one. The zodiac animal is the earthly branch of the year pillar, so the animal also belongs to the previous year.
Example: February 4, 2027
In 2027, Ipchun falls on February 4 at 10:46 a.m. Korea Standard Time. Someone born that day at 10:40 a.m. belongs to 2026, the Byeong-o (丙午) year of the Horse. Someone born at 10:50 a.m. belongs to 2027, the Jeong-mi (丁未) year of the Goat.
It can differ from the animal people use day to day
In everyday talk, many people count the zodiac animal from the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year moves between late January and mid February, so it can be days or weeks away from Ipchun.
If you were born between the two dates, your saju animal and your everyday animal can differ. Saju calculations use Ipchun.
How SAJUDORIM calculates it
SAJUDORIM compares the birth moment with the Ipchun moment to the minute. For 2000 to 2028 it uses the values published by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). For other years it uses an astronomical calculation.
The astronomical calculation can differ from published values by up to about 12 minutes. If a birth falls within that window, SAJUDORIM says so on the result screen.
Solar term times, 2000 to 2028
Questions
- If I was born in January, is my saju animal always the previous year's?
- Yes. Ipchun falls between February 3 and 5 every year, so anyone born in January has the previous year's year pillar and animal in saju.
- I was born on the day of Ipchun. Which year am I?
- If you were born before the Ipchun minute, the previous year. At or after it, the new year. The Ipchun times for 2000 to 2028 are listed to the minute in the SAJUDORIM solar term tables.