Year of the Pig
猪 zhū · 12 of 12
Last across the river, first to enjoy the far bank.
- Earthly Branch
- 亥 hài
- Fixed element
- 水 Water
- Yin / Yang
- Yin
- Zodiac hours
- 21:00–23:00
Personality of the Pig
The Pig finished the Great Race twelfth and dead last, having stopped mid-journey for a meal and then a nap — and arrived, the legend emphasizes, entirely unbothered. No excuses, no envy of the winners, just a good morning enjoyed in full. Tradition adores this story because it is the sign's whole philosophy: life is not a podium. Pig people are sincere, generous, and easygoing, with a gift for actually enjoying what others merely acquire.
Mistake none of that ease for softness of purpose. The Pig is among the zodiac's steadiest workers — unhurried, but nearly unstoppable once committed, the friend who is still helping you move at midnight when the enthusiasts have gone home. The real vulnerability is an open door: Pigs assume good faith the way others assume gravity, and the schemers of the world know exactly what an honest sign looks like.
The Pig's fixed element is Water — a yin sign, read in tradition as depth of feeling and a current that wears down stone without ever seeming to push. Its hours run from 9 to 11 at night — the day's last watch, when work is done, the table is cleared, and rest is earned. That placement says everything: the Pig closes the zodiac's circle, and it presides over the hour when contentment is the whole agenda.
Strengths
- Sincere Means every word, which is why a Pig's compliment is kept and a Pig's promise is banked.
- Generous Shares food, money, time, and credit without keeping score, and somehow never seems poorer for it.
- Easygoing Absorbs chaos without drama; around a Pig, arguments lose altitude and deadlines stop feeling like emergencies.
- Steadfast Slow to commit and slower to quit, finishing marathons that flashier signs abandoned at the first hill.
- Sensual Knows how to actually live — good meals, deep sleep, real holidays — and teaches everyone nearby by example.
Weaknesses
- Trusting Extends good faith on credit to people who never intended to repay it, sometimes twice.
- Indulgent Treats comfort as a food group, and the second helping — of dinner, spending, or leisure — rarely gets vetoed.
- Conflict-averse Swallows grievances to keep the peace, then wonders why the peace tastes slightly of resentment.
- Procrastinating Believes tomorrow is an excellent shelf for unpleasant tasks, and the shelf sags a little more each week.
Love & relationships
Love with a Pig feels like arriving somewhere warm: dinner on, judgment off, affection given without invoicing. This sign is openly romantic — sensual, attentive, generous with comfort and touch — and steadfast once settled, treating commitment as a place to relax rather than a cage to test. The tender spot is trust: betray a Pig and the wound goes deeper than its easy smile will ever admit.
Tradition pairs the Pig most happily with the Tiger, its Six Harmonies partner — boldness sheltered by warmth, warmth emboldened in return — and with its trine allies the Rabbit and the Goat, who share its love of peace and a well-laid table. The match to weigh hardest is the Snake, the Pig's direct clash, all strategy against candor; the Monkey's teasing cleverness also sits poorly as the harm pairing.
Career & money
Pigs build careers the way water builds canyons: patiently, and more completely than anyone expected. They excel where trust is the real product — hospitality, medicine, counseling, food, client work of every kind — because customers and colleagues can tell the sincerity isn't a technique. Pigs also handle prosperity gracefully; tradition considers the sign lucky with wealth, mostly because it isn't frantic about it.
Two habits hold the sign back: postponing the unpleasant conversation and trusting the wrong partner's spreadsheet. A Pig who schedules the hard call for Monday morning — and has a skeptical friend review the contracts — removes most of what ever goes wrong. Managers prize this sign for morale alone: teams around a Pig stay fed, calm, and oddly loyal.
Natural fits
- Restaurateur
- Hotel manager
- Pediatrician
- Counselor
- Winemaker
- Human resources director
- Charity director
- Real estate agent
Health & balance
Tradition gives the Pig a robust constitution and a dangerous talent for enjoying it. The sign's classic troubles are the pleasures compounding — rich food, late suppers, a settled fondness for the sofa — so the watchwords are portion and motion rather than denial. Pigs do well with sociable exercise, walking after dinner, and keeping the feast for feast days. Emotionally they are resilient, but swallowed grievances deserve airing before they ferment into something heavier.
Pig years and their elements
The zodiac year begins at Chinese New Year, not January 1 — check the exact dates below if you were born in January or February.
| Year | Dates (Gregorian) | Element year |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 丁亥 | January 22, 1947 – February 9, 1948 | Fire Pig |
| 1959 己亥 | February 8, 1959 – January 27, 1960 | Earth Pig |
| 1971 辛亥 | January 27, 1971 – February 14, 1972 | Metal Pig |
| 1983 癸亥 | February 13, 1983 – February 1, 1984 | Water Pig |
| 1995 乙亥 | January 31, 1995 – February 18, 1996 | Wood Pig |
| 2007 丁亥 | February 18, 2007 – February 6, 2008 | Fire Pig |
| 2019 己亥 | February 5, 2019 – January 24, 2020 | Earth Pig |
| 2031 辛亥 | January 23, 2031 – February 10, 2032 | Metal Pig |
| 2043 癸亥 | February 10, 2043 – January 29, 2044 | Water Pig |
Pig compatibility
Traditional matchmaking rates these pairings for the Pig:
See Pig compatibility with all 12 signs →Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Year of the Pig symbolize?
In Chinese tradition the Pig stands for abundance, honesty, and good fortune — the animal of the full larder and the generous table. As the twelfth and final sign it closes the zodiac's cycle, and folklore reads it as the reward at the end of work: a Pig year favors enjoying what has been earned, mending friendships, and simple prosperity.
Which years are Years of the Pig?
Recent Pig years are 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, and 2019; the next begins in 2031. As always with the zodiac, the year starts at Chinese New Year — late January to mid-February — so a birthday in January or early February of those years may still belong to the preceding Dog year.
Who should a Pig marry?
Traditional matchmaking gives the Pig its Six Harmonies bond with the Tiger — courage and kindness protecting each other — and easy trine harmony with the Rabbit and the Goat, fellow keepers of the peaceful table. The classic warning is the Snake, the Pig's direct clash, and the Monkey, its harm pairing, whose games can bruise an honest heart. Two Pigs must watch shared indulgence, as the sign is considered self-punishing.