2016 Chinese Zodiac: Fire Monkey
People born in 2016 are Yang Fire Monkeys, with one important exception: the first weeks of the year.
Quick answer
The 2016 zodiac year ran from February 8, 2016 to January 27, 2017. If you were born on or after February 8, 2016, your sign is the Fire Monkey. If you were born earlier in 2016, you belong to the Wood Goat of 2015.
Fire Monkey personality
Clever, curious and playful.
The Monkey is the ninth animal of the zodiac and a symbol of intelligence and mischief. Monkeys are witty, inventive and curious, with a talent for solving problems in unexpected ways.
Fire years add passion, enthusiasm and boldness. Fire people tend to be dynamic, expressive and quick to act.
Strengths: Clever and inventive, Curious, Funny and social, Adaptable, Quick learner. Watch for: Restless, Mischievous, Competitive, Easily bored, Can be superficial.
Read the full Monkey guide for love, career and compatibility.
Born early in 2016?
The Chinese zodiac follows the lunisolar calendar, so a January or February birth often belongs to the previous animal. In 2016, Chinese New Year fell on February 8, 2016. Anyone born before that date is a Wood Goat instead. See the Goat guide.
2016 zodiac year facts
- Chinese New Year 2016 fell on a Monday, February 8, 2016.
- The Monkey year lasted 355 days, slightly shorter than a calendar year.
- Anyone born in the first 38 days of 2016 (January 1 to February 8, 2016) belongs to the previous sign.
- People born in 2016 turn 10 or 9 during 2026, depending on their birthday.
- The same Fire Monkey combination appears every 60 years: previously in 1956.
Other Monkey years: 1992, 2004, 2028. Each has a different element, which colors the animal's traits.
Monkey compatibility
The Monkey is traditionally most harmonious with Rat and Dragon, and tends to clash with the Tiger.
Near 2016, the Monkey's harmonious partners were born in: Rat: 2020; Dragon: 2012.
The Chinese zodiac is a cultural tradition offered for reflection and entertainment.