The Lunar New Year on February 6, 2027 begins the Year of the Fire Goat, which runs until January 25, 2028. The Goat is also called the Sheep or the Ram. If you were born in a Goat year, 2027 is your benming nian, your own zodiac year. Chinese tradition says to wear red all year long for protection.
Are you a Goat?
Recent Goat years are 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003 and 2015. The zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, not on January 1. If your birthday falls in January or early February, look up the Lunar New Year date for your birth year to be sure which animal you are.
In Chinese astrology the Goat stands for kindness, peace and quiet inner strength.
Why your own zodiac year calls for red
In Chinese folk belief, each year is watched over by a deity called Tai Sui. People in their own zodiac year are said to clash with Tai Sui, which can make the year unsettled. Red, the color of luck and celebration, is the traditional protection.
People entering their zodiac year wear red string bracelets, red socks and red underwear for the whole zodiac year. Many families believe the red works best when it is given rather than bought for yourself, so a red bracelet makes a natural gift for a Goat in your life. Read more about the meaning of red string bracelets.
The Goat's guardian Buddha
Chinese Buddhist folk tradition gives each zodiac sign a guardian Buddha or bodhisattva. For the Goat, and for the Monkey, it is Vairocana, the Great Sun Buddha. Some zodiac bracelets carry a charm of the guardian for the wearer's sign.
The Goat and the Horse
In the Chinese zodiac the twelve animals form six harmonious pairs, and the Horse and the Goat are one of them. 2026 is the Year of the Horse, so the Goat year takes over from its partner sign.
Gifts for the Year of the Goat
- Cinnabar Chinese Zodiac Red String Luck Rope Bracelet, available with the Goat.
- Braided Red String Bracelet with Zodiac Button, available with the Goat.
- Chinese Zodiac Handmade Red String Bracelet, whose Sheep and Monkey style carries Vairocana.
- Natural Jade Chinese Zodiac Pendant Necklace, available with the Goat.
- Chinese Zodiac Obsidian Bracelet, in the Horse and Goat pair.
- Red String Gourd Bracelet for Sheep Zodiac Protection
Find more in our red string bracelets.
