Year of the Rooster

Rooster personality

Roosters are observant, hardworking, confident and honest — precise and proud, usually punctual, well-organised and the sharpest-dressed in the room. They speak plainly and hold high standards for themselves and others, which can read as blunt or critical. Under pressure, though, the Rooster is reliable and quietly courageous.

The Rooster and the five elements

Each Year of the Rooster carries a different heavenly-stem element, so no two Roosters are quite alike. The current cycle’s 2029 is the Earth Rooster.

• Wood Roostergrowth-minded, generous and cooperative, taking the long view
• Fire Roosterdynamic, passionate and bold, quick to lead
• Earth Roostergrounded, patient and dependable, building to last
• Metal Roosterdisciplined, determined and principled, holding a firm line
• Water Roosterintuitive, adaptable and persuasive, reading people well

Rooster birth years and ages

Each zodiac year recurs every 12 years, with a different heavenly-stem element each time. Ages are the age reached during the year.

Rooster compatibility

Traditional matches follow the trine (San He), the secret-friend pair (Liu He) and the clash (Liu Chong), all set by the Rooster’s place in the twelve-year cycle.

Trine — natural allies

Ox and Snake. Signs four places apart share the Rooster’s pace and outlook, and tend to understand each other quickly.

Secret friend

Dragon. The single strongest one-to-one bond — supportive even when the two are not in the same trine.

Clash — most tension

Rabbit. The opposite sign, six places away — not doomed, but the pairing that asks for the most communication and patience.

The Rooster in Singapore

A Rooster year's decorations play on 大吉大利 (a pun on the Rooster, "ji", and good fortune), a motif you'll see on ang bao packets and the Chinatown light-up. CNY is a two-day public holiday in Singapore.