1956 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Monkey
丙申 · 猴 Hóu
1956 is the Year of the Fire Monkey. The Chinese year ran from Feb 12, 1956 to Jan 30, 1957, so anyone born in that span is a Fire Monkey. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Feb 12, 1956, and earlier births belong to the Wood Goat year.
- Monkey
- Fire
- Yang
Born in 1956?
Enter your birth date to check, down to the exact Lunar New Year.
Month and day are optional. Add them if you were born in January or February. See January and February Chinese zodiac.
1956 at a Glance
- Animal
- Monkey 猴 hóu
- Element
- Fire
- Yin or Yang
- Yang
- Year name
- 丙申 · sound element 山下火
- Begins
- Sunday, Feb 12, 1956
- Ends
- Jan 30, 1957
- Age in 2026
- 69 or 70
- Next Monkey year
- 1968
1956 Fire Monkey Turns 70
People born in 1956 reach 70 in 2026. The Tang poet Du Fu wrote that living to seventy has been rare since ancient times (人生七十古来稀), and Chinese families still call the seventieth birthday 古稀.
Lunar New Year 1956 fell on Feb 12, 1956, so January and early February births belong to the Wood Goat year. The year name 丙申 carries the sound element 山下火, “fire at the foot of the mountain,” so the year element and the sound element are both Fire.
Born in January or Early February 1956?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 1956 was on Sunday, Feb 12, 1956, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 11, 1956 | Wood Goat | 乙未 |
| Feb 12, 1956 to Jan 30, 1957 | Fire Monkey | 丙申 |
So someone born on Feb 11, 1956 is a Wood Goat, and someone born on Feb 12, 1956 is a Fire Monkey. Dates are in China Standard Time.
What Is a Fire Monkey?
A Fire Monkey combines the Monkey with the element of the birth year. 1956 ends in 6, which gives Fire. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Fire Monkey years include 2016.
How Old Is a 1956 Monkey, and When Is the Next Monkey Year?
Someone born in 1956 turns 70 in 2026 and 71 in 2027. The last Monkey year was 1944, and the next is 1968. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Monkey years a 1956 Monkey lives through:
- 1956Fire MonkeyBornThis page
- 1968 Chinese zodiacEarth MonkeyTurns 12
- 1980 Chinese zodiacMetal MonkeyTurns 24
- 1992 Chinese zodiacWater MonkeyTurns 36
- 2004 Chinese zodiacWood MonkeyTurns 48
- 2016 Chinese zodiacFire MonkeyTurns 60 · full cycle (花甲)
- 2028 Chinese zodiacEarth MonkeyTurns 72
1956 Monkey Compatibility: Best and Hardest Matches
Compatibility follows the animal, not the element. Tradition favors the signs in the Monkey's trine group and its Secret Friend, and is cautious about the opposite sign and the harm pair.
The 1956 Monkey in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Monkey to the next two years, and how old a 1956 Monkey will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Steady
Turns 70. No formal link to the Horse in the traditional rules.
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Steady
Turns 71. No formal link to the Goat in the traditional rules.
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 1956, and the other years of the decade.
- 1954 Chinese zodiacWood HorseFeb 3, 1954 to Jan 23, 1955
- 1955 Chinese zodiacWood GoatJan 24, 1955 to Feb 11, 1956
- 1956Fire MonkeyFeb 12, 1956 to Jan 30, 1957
- 1957 Chinese zodiacFire RoosterJan 31, 1957 to Feb 17, 1958
- 1958 Chinese zodiacEarth DogFeb 18, 1958 to Feb 7, 1959
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
1950 Chinese zodiac1951 Chinese zodiac1952 Chinese zodiac1953 Chinese zodiac1954 Chinese zodiac1955 Chinese zodiac19561957 Chinese zodiac1958 Chinese zodiac1959 Chinese zodiacAll Chinese zodiac years
1956 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 1956?
1956 is the Year of the Fire Monkey. The Chinese year ran from Feb 12, 1956 to Jan 30, 1957.
What element is the 1956 Chinese zodiac?
Fire. A year's element follows its last digit: 6 gives Fire. The Monkey's own fixed element is Metal, which is a different thing.
What Chinese zodiac is January 1956?
Lunar New Year 1956 fell on Sunday, Feb 12, 1956. Born from January 1 to Feb 11, 1956, you are a Wood Goat. From Feb 12, 1956, you are a Fire Monkey.
How old is someone born in 1956?
In 2026 they turn 70, or are 69 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 71. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Monkey year after 1956?
1968, the Year of the Earth Monkey, begins on Jan 30, 1968.