1956 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Monkey

1956 is the Year of the Fire Monkey — a Yang Fire year. The animal sign is the Monkey, the ninth of the 12-animal cycle.

1956 carries the Fire element (Yang Fire). Element is set by the year's heavenly stem and cycles every 10 years, so the full Fire Monkey combination returns only once every 60 years.

Those born in 1956, the Year of the Monkey, are traditionally described as sharp, curious, and inventive. With the Fire element added, passion, energy, and boldness are emphasised.

The Monkey is traditionally most compatible with the Rat, Dragon, Snake.

Almost — but the Chinese zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year (late January or early February), not January 1. So someone born in early 1956, before that year's Chinese New Year, is actually a Goat (the 1955 sign). If your birthday is in late January or early February, enter your full date of birth in the Age Calculator to confirm your exact sign.