The Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac

Symbolic interpretation

The Rabbit is fourth in the cycle and pairs with the Mao hour at sunrise. It carries the moon-rabbit legend in Chinese culture, so popular readings link it with gentleness, taste and a quiet inner life.

The Rabbit is fourth in the cycle and matches the earthly branch Mao (卯), the hours from 5 am to 7 am, when the sun comes up. The Chinese word 兔 covers both rabbits and hares, and in Vietnam's version of the zodiac the Cat takes this place, which is a good reminder that the cycle has local variations.

The Han dynasty author Wang Chong includes the rabbit (兔, tù) in his Lunheng list of branch animals, paired with Mao. Separately, a much-loved folk legend places a jade rabbit on the moon, pounding a potion in a mortar, which is why the Rabbit is tied to the Mid-Autumn Festival and moon-gazing.

Popular readings of the Rabbit are warm and low-key: attentive, good at making a home feel good, careful about who they let close. The stereotype of timidity is worth questioning, since a Rabbit's gentleness often comes with firm boundaries.

If you are a Rabbit, ask what you protect by staying quiet and what you give up by doing so.

For entertainment and reflection only. Not medical, financial, or legal advice.

Zodiac year dates

Years begin at Lunar New Year, not January 1. A birthday before the start date belongs to the previous animal year.

Dates follow the Chinese calendar in China. If your birthday falls within one day of Lunar New Year, check the boundary notice in your chart.

Complete year ranges from the 1900–2100 Lunar New Year table
Year	Starts	Ends (inclusive)
1903	1903-01-29	1904-02-15
1915	1915-02-14	1916-02-02
1927	1927-02-02	1928-01-22
1939	1939-02-19	1940-02-07
1951	1951-02-06	1952-01-26
1963	1963-01-25	1964-02-12
1975	1975-02-11	1976-01-30
1987	1987-01-29	1988-02-16
1999	1999-02-16	2000-02-04
2011	2011-02-03	2012-01-22
2023	2023-01-22	2024-02-09
2035	2035-02-08	2036-01-27
2047	2047-01-26	2048-02-13
2059	2059-02-12	2060-02-01
2071	2071-01-31	2072-02-18
2083	2083-02-17	2084-02-05
2095	2095-02-05	2096-01-24

Calculated from our bundled Lunar New Year table; 1901–2100 dates checked against the Hong Kong Observatory calendar tables.

Sources

Lunheng (論衡) ch. 14 Wushi (物勢篇), the passage pairing earthly branches with animals

論衡 (Lunheng), chapter 14 物勢篇 (Wushi)Wang Chong (王充)
Lunabao original writing

See it in your chart