Rabbit is the 4th animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs, coming after the Tiger and before the Dragon. Recent years of the Rabbit include 2023, 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, and 1951, with the next Rabbit year in 2035 (Year of the Wood Rabbit). Rabbits are associated with the earthly branch symbol mǎo.
The Rabbit is open and optimistic, sensitive and imaginative, and enjoys the comfortable side of life. They’re not the bravest of the zodiacs and may become neurotic if they choose to dwell on their emotions.
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Chinese Zodiac Years for Rabbit
The 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs are based on the Chinese lunar calendar (often used in traditional Chinese culture), which doesn’t correspond exactly with the Gregorian calendaring system.
To find your Chinese astrology zodiac animal, pay particular attention to the beginning date of Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year. This is especially important if you were born in January or February, as your animal may be from the last year (use the chart below to find where your lunar month falls).
Chart of Years, Dates, and Elements for Rabbit Zodiac Signs
Rabbit Year |
Lunar Year Start Date |
Lunar Year End Date |
Element |
---|---|---|---|
1927 |
February 2, 1927 |
January 22, 1928 |
Fire |
1939 |
February 19, 1939 |
February 8, 1940 |
Earth |
1951 |
February 6, 1951 |
January 26, 1952 |
Metal |
1963 |
January 25, 1963 |
February 12, 1964 |
Water |
1975 |
February 11, 1975 |
January 30, 1976 |
Wood |
1987 |
January 29, 1987 |
February 16, 1988 |
Fire |
1999 |
February 16, 1999 |
February 4, 2000 |
Earth |
2011 |
February 3, 2011 |
January 22, 2012 |
Metal |
2023 |
January 22, 2023 |
February 9, 2024 |
Water |
2035 |
February 8, 2035 |
January 27, 2036 |
Wood |
Personality Traits of Rabbit Signs
Rabbits are elegant, imaginative, and courteous to others—even their enemies—because they hate any kind of conflict. They possess a keen perception of reality, which makes Rabbits the ultimate adapters to the real world.
Unexpectedly, Rabbits are savvy in business and financial transactions and are good at finding win-win solutions in complex situations. They adore an abundant lifestyle and prefer not to be stressed out most of the time.
Rabbits are earnest with everything they do; they just ask that others treat them the same way.
Rabbits won’t tolerate a boring life. They’ll continuously create interest in life, hopping from one excitement to the next, so they’re not the best at delving into any subject for an extended period of time.
The Rabbit personality can be overly cautious and jumpy. When a Rabbit is feeling down, may have the tendency to escape from reality. A key lesson for Rabbits is how to manage their emotions so that they can thrive.
Rabbit Strengths
The Rabbit’s greatest strengths include their gentle nature, keen intelligence, natural zest, and sincere modesty. Rabbits are cheerful to be around and passionate in a way that makes their partner feel like a million bucks.
They’re also analytical and great gatherers of knowledge and information. Although Rabbits are shrewd negotiators, their less competitive and more diplomatic nature ensures that everyone will be happy with the outcome in the Rabbit’s favor.
Rabbit Weaknesses
Despite Rabbits’ peace-loving appearance, they can also be paranoid on occasion, even capable of becoming hysterical. If they feel jealous romantically or snubbed unfairly at work, their internal conflict may rise to a nuclear level.
When this happens, Rabbits can become defensive out of an innate need for self-protection. If they feel betrayed, they will turn on that person with a coldness that no one would’ve believed Rabbit capable of.
Female Rabbit Signs
At their best, female Rabbits are delicate and easy-going, with a great drive to work toward their dreams. At their worst, however, these ladies’ emotional turbulence is a great hindrance to their progress in life.
The source of this turbulence is often because their love life is undergoing a crisis. With the right romantic partner, Rabbit can blossom with security in other areas of life that make their partner proud.
Male Rabbit Signs
Few can resist the gentle and considerate male Rabbit. There is a calm sweetness to these men who rarely get riled up, but they’re more often than not hiding a passionate tempest within their hearts.
Male Rabbits are charming socially but shrewd and often cocky in the professional domain. This is because, while the consummate gentleman on the outside, Rabbit may just be as stubborn as Ox on the inside.
Rabbit Zodiacs and the Five Elements Theory
The Chinese Five Elements Theory assigns one of the five elements—Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth—to each year, in addition to the zodiacs. So Rabbits born in different years will have different personalities.
Metal Rabbits
Metal Rabbits are smart and creative, often struck with unexpected inspiration. They have a hidden depth most aren’t privy to. Relationships are key to their success, so it’s best to maintain a courteous but removed circle.
Metal Rabbits will have opportunities to make small incomes throughout their life, but they must not make large gambles, which they’ll certainly lose. They spend freely, so budgeting is something they must learn as they mature.
Water Rabbits
Those born in the Year of the Water Rabbits are usually blessed with a comfortable life from the start. As such, they’ll likely be passive and rather mild compared to others, pursuing pleasure and comfort in life without any sense of urgency.
Water Rabbits aren’t blessed with good luck and will go through many short-lived romances until they learn to change their lackluster approach to romance. In addition, they must keep a close eye on health throughout life.
Wood Rabbits
Wood Rabbits are kind and conservative, disliking competition and indifferent towards success, although they seem to gravitate toward people who are competitive—perhaps as an inspiration or at least a complement to their own character.
In life and in love, Wood Rabbits are richly imaginative and hate the mundane. They’re talented in money management, although things tend to break down around them, which will eat away from their budget unexpectedly.
Fire Rabbits
Fire Rabbits are clever and singularly marked for leadership among all Rabbit natives. They hold lofty ideals, are good with decision making, and aspire to power, and they will often leverage influence and support from the masses to achieve their goals.
Fire Rabbits should heed others’ advice more, as their fiery temper can make them hot-headed in certain situations. They also have the tendency to provoke others when they are anxious, which may disrupt their relationships.
Earth Rabbits
Earth Rabbits are frank and straightforward. They are ambitious and more entrepreneurial than other Rabbit natives. Their ambition runs high, making them demanding at work, but once home, they’ll be more relaxed and like themselves.
Earth Rabbits lack money management skills, so imposing a budget on themselves early in life is very important, although almost impossible to actually implement. Gentle, generous, and kind, they’ll be loved by their family unconditionally.
Lucky (and Unlucky) Things for Rabbits
Rabbit’s luck is associated with green and yellow, 0, 6 and 2, and the direction of east. Black, 5 and 9, and living in mountainous regions, especially to the west, won’t bring great luck to Rabbits and should be avoided.
In Chinese culture, your zodiac birth year, or Ben Ming Nian, is considered unlucky, so be sure to wear red colors in the Year of the Rabbit to ward off any bad luck.
Lucky Things
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Lucky numbers: 0, 6, 2
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Lucky colors: Green, Yellow
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Lucky directions: East
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Lucky flowers: Bamboo, Cyclamen
Unlucky Things
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Unlucky numbers: 5, 9
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Unlucky colors: Black
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Unlucky directions: West
Love and Compatibility for Rabbits
In matters of the heart, Rabbits start out suspicious of others’ motives, since their cautious nature means that many of their ideas and understanding of the world—whether real or imaginary—tend toward the negative.
Once they truly fall in love for the first time, they’ll learn to be honest with their feelings without being defensive. In many ways, true love will be the beginning of Rabbits’ farewell to loneliness.
❤️ Best Match: Rabbit and Goat
Rabbit and Goat, the softies of the 12 zodiacs, delight in their partner’s good nature and gentle temperament, and then curiously, they find strength and courage in the power of love to take on the world.
Isn’t the meaning of love to make both partners the most expansive versions of themselves? That’s why at home where they feel safe, these two will share a pure, restorative, and nearly innocent love.
Female Rabbit and Male Goat
Rabbit and Goat make each other shine brighter when they come together and share a partnership not of intense passion but mutual understanding and care, which is both rare and vital to a long-term relationship.
Rabbit is quicker than Goat, which Goat admires and praises, filling Rabbit (who’s secretly vain) with pride. This, in turn, motivates the Rabbit to show up in the relationship in an even more loving manner.
Male Rabbit and Female Goat
Both Rabbit and Goat are romantic to the core and believe love to be a vital part of life. They will get along well, and their partner will have a special place in their heart.
They’re mild and gentle, so even when they quarrel—a rare occurrence—they’ll quickly apologize and make up. They prize communication, making this a solid connection that can weather any storm life throws at them.
❤️ Best Match: Rabbit and Pig
This will likely be the most supportive and warm relationship Rabbit and Pig have ever experienced, and both partners will marvel at their luck in finding the perfect mate for many years to come.
Rabbit has always been skittish because they feel uneasy in the world, which Pig’s laid back manner goes a long way to assuage. In return, Rabbit can add a certain charm and sparkle to Pig’s life.
Female Rabbit and Male Pig
Rabbit and Pig are both givers, which others take advantage of, so when they come together in this relationship and discover the same in their partner, they may just fall in love all over again.
They can both give without fear when that happens, and their romance will become solid almost overnight. Pig takes care of Rabbit, which is such an attractive trait to her, while Rabbit charms Pig constantly.
Male Rabbit and Female Pig
Both partners will benefit from this relationship, as both will notice the positive characteristics in their partner that they would like to have themselves early on. As such, it’s a bond built upon mutual admiration.
Rabbit is clever and usually a star in their discipline, which Pig adores. In the meantime, Pig is loyal and honest, an endlessly giving partner who will become a pillar of spiritual support for Rabbit.
❤️ Best Match: Rabbit and Dog
Neither Rabbit or Dog is flashy or self-important. Where some relationships have one diva and one humble servant; in this one, both partners are equal in how humble and how loving they are to each other.
It’s worth noting that this pairing may make both complacent, which is fine if neither aspires to more—but if you do, it would be a bad idea to give up your dreams for love.
Female Rabbit and Male Dog
Rabbit is capable and clever, while Dog is loyal and steady. When Rabbit tires of her whimsical adventures in the world, Dog is always there to welcome her back to their safe and comfortable nest.
Even though they’re both gentle creatures, Dog and Rabbit should also nurture their life goals separately, which will serve as cornerstones to their romantic relationship. Being excellent communicators, they find it easy to talk together.
Male Rabbit and Female Dog
Both will put the other first and consider the other’s feelings more important than their own. This is because both are accustomed to giving too much, which won’t be taken for granted in this relationship.
Rabbit excels at creating a loving environment for their partner, which is intoxicating for Dog, while Dog is naturally loyal, which Rabbit appreciates and values above many other qualities. A stable partnership built to last.
Worst Matches: Rooster, Dragon
Rabbit and Rooster: This isn’t an ideal match for love or marriage because Rooster and Rabbit look at the world in such fundamentally different ways that even as colleagues, they are likely to clash, not to mention love.
As romantic partners, they’re bound to fight over every detail of their shared life. Rooster finds Rabbit vain, while Rabbit finds Rooster selfish. Neither will notice the other’s better qualities, making this an exhausting pairing.
Rabbit and Dragon: Rabbit can’t be themselves with Dragon as their mate because Dragon picks on Rabbit for being careless and complacent, resigning Rabbit to loneliness within the relationship until it becomes too much for this gentle creature.
Their personalities clash because Dragon is decisive and overwrought, always wanting to press things forward relentlessly, which tires Rabbit out, while Rabbit is quiet and sensitive with a rich emotional life that Dragon will ignore.
Careers Fit for the Chinese Zodiac Rabbit
Rabbits are wise in thought and action. They may appear vain at a glance, but people will soon find out how wrong their first impression was when Rabbits impress everyone by getting their hands dirty.
They’re cautious with money—making them excellent finance professionals—but Rabbits can certainly also be wildly creative with their quick and agile imagination, making them suitable for work related to literature, art, architecture, and music.
Rabbits are not suited for anything that takes a long time, as focus is not their strong suit. They’ll find anything that obliges them to decide between right and wrong distasteful since they dislike confrontation.
Best careers for Rabbits
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Finance
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Artist
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Architecture
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Public Relations
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Teacher
Worst careers for Rabbits
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Lawyer
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Politics
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Speculative Investment
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Manual Labor
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Researcher
Health and Lifestyle Advice for Rabbits
As a wood zodiac, Rabbit is blessed with natural physical vitality, although in return, they’ll likely struggle more than others in terms of emotional and psychological health, often suffering from neuroticism or anxiety throughout life.
Your natural sensitivity is your strength and weakness, as it’ll help if you wish to be an artist or at least help your communication, but don’t let it stop you from progressing in life, Rabbit!
Rabbit and the 12 Zodiac Animals (Origin Story)
Myth and legend have it that Rabbit became the fourth zodiac in the Chinese culture because it participated in a celestial race with its swift thinking and action. Are you curious about the Rabbit’s zodiac origin story?
At the beginning of time, the Jade Emperor, who governed the heavens, decided to hold a race across a celestial river to decide which animals would be honored by the people as the 12 zodiacs.
Rabbit wasn’t expected to have a place among the chosen 12 at all since it was neither strong nor a quick swimmer. But like the Rat that jumped inside the Ox’s ear, the Rabbit cleverly hopped from the other animals’ backs to pass the Dragon and Snake, cross the finish line, and win fourth place!
Famous People Born in the Year of the Rabbit
Rabbits are clever and agreeable, often making them celebrities very popular and well-liked by the public.
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Robin Williams: July 21, 1951, Metal Rabbit
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Ian McKellen: May 25, 1939, Earth Rabbit
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Angelina Jolie: June 4, 1975, Wood Rabbit
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Blake Lively: August 25, 1987, Fire Rabbit
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Michael Jordan: February 17, 1963, Water Rabbit
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David Beckham: May 2, 1975, Wood Rabbit
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Queen Victoria: May 24, 1819, Earth Rabbit
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Johnny Depp: June 9, 1963, Water Rabbit
Rabbit’s Horoscope for 2024 (Year of the Dragon)
After a tough zodiac year, Rabbits will still need to withstand considerable pressure in 2024 since Dragon clashes with Rabbit, meaning it’s Rabbit’s year of “Fan Tai Sui,” or offending the God of Tai Sui.
Even though inauspicious signs abound for Rabbits, as long as you stay positive and under the radar—don’t take unnecessary trips or outings, and keep an upbeat mindset—this year won’t be impossible to navigate.
Rabbit’s 2024 Love and Relationships Forecast
Rabbit’s love life will take the heaviest hit by Tai Sui in 2024, which must be awful news for this romantic group, but bad luck, like good, comes around to everyone, so it’ll be okay.
Single Rabbits will either face a complete void of eligible romantic interests or, even worse, keep coming across people with player energy who have the potential to break their hearts. Do be careful, Rabbit!
Rabbits who already have a significant other may have a case of the infamous Rabbit neuroticism all year. Do they still love me? Are they seeing someone else? These questions will run through Rabbit’s mind.
Career Prospects for Rabbit in 2024
In 2024, Rabbit may find it difficult to give work their all, either because they’re feeling scattered with worry or else too tired from the Tai Sui influence to focus on the tasks at hand.
Their supervisor won’t take that well, especially because Rabbit is usually a charming and quick contributor at work. As such, Rabbit is advised to leave other concerns out of their mind and always stay present.
One more word of advice: don’t spill all your secrets in the office—actually, don’t spill any of your secrets, Rabbit! “Friends” from work may very well turn around and stab you in the back.
Rabbit’s Wealth and Finance in 2024
It’s likely a year of mediocre or less-than-expected income for Rabbits, compounded by higher-than-expected expenses. That’s not a winning formula. It also doesn’t help that Rabbit will feel unmotivated in 2024.
Usually, Rabbits are known for their elegance and taste for the finer things in life. But try not to invest in anything that can wait, Rabbit, as other expenses in 2024 may be more urgent.
It’s at least fortunate that Tian Yi, an auspicious star, is in Rabbit’s quarter and offsetting the negative effect of Tai Sui. If Rabbit is in dire financial straits, they’ll receive help from many loved ones.
Health Predictions for Rabbits in 2024
As already mentioned, it’d serve Rabbit to stay home more this year, although that doesn’t mean they should be on the couch instead of getting enough exercise—a sturdier physique would really help in 2024.
With Tai Sui’s meddling, Rabbit may be illness-prone this year, but nothing too troublesome is in the stars. What you can do is have regular check-ups and go see the doctor if anything feels off.
Take care of your digestion, Rabbit. You’re already delicate in this area, and in 2024, be extra careful not to eat anything overly taxing on your system, and you’ll end the year in fine shape.