1961 Chinese Zodiac: Metal Ox
People born in 1961 are Yin Metal Oxs, with one important exception: the first weeks of the year.
Quick answer
The 1961 zodiac year ran from February 15, 1961 to February 4, 1962. If you were born on or after February 15, 1961, your sign is the Metal Ox. If you were born earlier in 1961, you belong to the Metal Rat of 1960.
Metal Ox personality
Steady, hard-working and dependable.
The Ox is the second animal of the zodiac and a symbol of agriculture, patience and honest labor. Oxen are reliable, methodical and grounded, the people who carry a project to the end without making a fuss.
Metal years add determination, discipline and focus. Metal people tend to be organized, ambitious and self-reliant.
Strengths: Dependable and honest, Hard-working and patient, Strong sense of duty, Calm under pressure, Practical. Watch for: Stubborn, Resistant to change, Reserved, Workaholic, Slow to forgive.
Read the full Ox guide for love, career and compatibility.
Born early in 1961?
The Chinese zodiac follows the lunisolar calendar, so a January or February birth often belongs to the previous animal. In 1961, Chinese New Year fell on February 15, 1961. Anyone born before that date is a Metal Rat instead. See the Rat guide.
1961 zodiac year facts
- Chinese New Year 1961 fell on a Wednesday, February 15, 1961.
- The Ox year lasted 355 days, slightly shorter than a calendar year.
- Anyone born in the first 45 days of 1961 (January 1 to February 15, 1961) belongs to the previous sign.
- People born in 1961 turn 65 or 64 during 2026, depending on their birthday.
- The same Metal Ox combination appears every 60 years: next in 2021.
Other Ox years: 1949, 1973, 1985. Each has a different element, which colors the animal's traits.
Ox compatibility
The Ox is traditionally most harmonious with Snake and Rooster, and tends to clash with the Goat.
Near 1961, the Ox's harmonious partners were born in: Snake: 1965; Rooster: 1957.
The Chinese zodiac is a cultural tradition offered for reflection and entertainment.