What calendar year is the Year of the Cat? - briefly
The Year of the Cat corresponds to different calendar years depending on the specific cycle within the Chinese zodiac. For example, in the current 60-year cycle (which began in 1984), the Year of the Cat is 2023.
What calendar year is the Year of the Cat? - in detail
The Year of the Cat, as per the Chinese zodiac, does not directly correspond to any specific Gregorian calendar year. Instead, it refers to a cycle within the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. Each year in the Chinese zodiac is associated with one of twelve animals, and each animal's year occurs every twelve years. The Cat is not one of the official animals in the Chinese zodiac; instead, it is often associated with the Rabbit (or Hare).
In the Chinese zodiac, the Rabbit is the fourth sign, following the Tiger. According to Chinese legend, the Jade Emperor decided the order of the zodiac by how quickly animals could reach his party. The Rabbit, being clever and swift, arrived quickly but was pushed back by the Ox, leading it to be placed fourth rather than first.
To determine which Gregorian calendar year corresponds to the Year of the Rabbit (and thus indirectly to the Year of the Cat), one must consider the Chinese lunar calendar. The Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year, typically between January 21 and February 20. For instance:
- In 2023, the Year of the Rabbit began on January 22.
- Before that, the previous Year of the Rabbit was in 2011.
Therefore, to find out when the next Year of the Cat (or Rabbit) will be, one must look for the next occurrence of a Year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese lunar calendar and then convert it into the corresponding Gregorian year.