When does the year of the dog end? - briefly
The Year of the Dog in the Chinese zodiac ends on February 4, 2019. This date marks the beginning of the next cycle, the Year of the Pig.
When does the year of the dog end? - in detail
The Year of the Dog in the Chinese Zodiac is one of the 12 animal signs used in the Chinese calendar system. To understand when the Year of the Dog ends, it's important to first grasp how the Chinese calendar operates and how it differs from the Gregorian (Western) calendar.
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, meaning it combines elements of both solar and lunar calendars. It consists of 12 months based on the cycles of the moon, with each month beginning on the darkest day before the new moon. However, because the lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, an intercalary month (a thirteenth month) is added periodically to keep the calendar in alignment with the seasons.
Each Chinese Zodiac sign corresponds to one of these 12 months, and they cycle through in a specific order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The Year of the Dog begins with the first day of the lunar new year, which falls between late January and mid-February in the Gregorian calendar, depending on the specific year.
The exact date when the Year of the Dog ends can vary because it is tied to the start of the following lunar new year. For example, if the Year of the Dog begins on February 4th, it will end on January 23rd of the following Gregorian year, marking the start of the Year of the Pig.
To summarize, the Year of the Dog in the Chinese Zodiac ends with the beginning of the next lunar new year, which typically falls between late January and mid-February of the subsequent Gregorian year. This transition is crucial for those who follow the Chinese calendar and believe that each animal sign brings its own unique energies and characteristics to the year.