1965 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Snake
乙巳 · 蛇 Shé
1965 is the Year of the Wood Snake. The Chinese year ran from Feb 2, 1965 to Jan 20, 1966, so anyone born in that span is a Wood Snake. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Feb 2, 1965, and earlier births belong to the Wood Dragon year.
- Snake
- Wood
- Yin
Born in 1965?
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.
1965 at a Glance
- Animal
- Snake 蛇 shé
- Element
- Wood
- Yin or Yang
- Yin
- Year name
- 乙巳 · sound element 覆灯火
- Begins
- Tuesday, Feb 2, 1965
- Ends
- Jan 20, 1966
- Age in 2026
- 60 or 61
- Next Snake year
- 1977
1965 Wood Snake: A Year That Ended on January 20
The 1965 Snake year lasted until Jan 20, 1966, because Lunar New Year 1966 came on the earliest date between 1900 and 2036. So a birthday from January 1 to Jan 20, 1966 is a Wood Snake, not a Horse.
The Snake’s best-known story in China is the Legend of the White Snake (白蛇传), about a snake spirit who becomes a woman and marries a scholar. 1965 Snakes turn 61 in 2026.
Born in January or Early February 1965?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 1965 was on Tuesday, Feb 2, 1965, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 1, 1965 | Wood Dragon | 甲辰 |
| Feb 2, 1965 to Jan 20, 1966 | Wood Snake | 乙巳 |
So someone born on Feb 1, 1965 is a Wood Dragon, and someone born on Feb 2, 1965 is a Wood Snake. Dates are in China Standard Time.
What Is a Wood Snake?
A Wood Snake combines the Snake with the element of the birth year. 1965 ends in 5, which gives Wood. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Wood Snake years include 1905 and 2025.
How Old Is a 1965 Snake, and When Is the Next Snake Year?
Someone born in 1965 turns 61 in 2026 and 62 in 2027. The last Snake year was 1953, and the next is 1977. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Snake years a 1965 Snake lives through:
- 1965Wood SnakeBornThis page
- 1977 Chinese zodiacFire SnakeTurns 12
- 1989 Chinese zodiacEarth SnakeTurns 24
- 2001 Chinese zodiacMetal SnakeTurns 36
- 2013 Chinese zodiacWater SnakeTurns 48
- 2025 Chinese zodiacWood SnakeTurns 60 · full cycle (花甲)
1965 Snake Compatibility: Best and Hardest Matches
Compatibility follows the animal, not the element. Tradition favors the signs in the Snake's trine group and its Secret Friend, and is cautious about the opposite sign and the harm pair.
The 1965 Snake in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Snake to the next two years, and how old a 1965 Snake will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Steady
Turns 61. No formal link to the Horse in the traditional rules.
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Steady
Turns 62. No formal link to the Goat in the traditional rules.
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 1965, and the other years of the decade.
- 1963 Chinese zodiacWater RabbitJan 25, 1963 to Feb 12, 1964
- 1964 Chinese zodiacWood DragonFeb 13, 1964 to Feb 1, 1965
- 1965Wood SnakeFeb 2, 1965 to Jan 20, 1966
- 1966 Chinese zodiacFire HorseJan 21, 1966 to Feb 8, 1967
- 1967 Chinese zodiacFire GoatFeb 9, 1967 to Jan 29, 1968
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
1960 Chinese zodiac1961 Chinese zodiac1962 Chinese zodiac1963 Chinese zodiac1964 Chinese zodiac19651966 Chinese zodiac1967 Chinese zodiac1968 Chinese zodiac1969 Chinese zodiacAll Chinese zodiac years
1965 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 1965?
1965 is the Year of the Wood Snake. The Chinese year ran from Feb 2, 1965 to Jan 20, 1966.
What element is the 1965 Chinese zodiac?
Wood. A year's element follows its last digit: 5 gives Wood. The Snake's own fixed element is Fire, which is a different thing.
What Chinese zodiac is January 1965?
Lunar New Year 1965 fell on Tuesday, Feb 2, 1965. Born from January 1 to Feb 1, 1965, you are a Wood Dragon. From Feb 2, 1965, you are a Wood Snake.
How old is someone born in 1965?
In 2026 they turn 61, or are 60 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 62. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Snake year after 1965?
1977, the Year of the Fire Snake, begins on Feb 18, 1977.