丙午

2026: the year of the Fire Horse (丙午)

In Korean saju, 2026 is the year of 丙午 (Byeong-o). The top character, 丙, is yang Fire, and the bottom character, 午, is the Horse. Together they make 2026 the year of the Fire Horse. The saju year starts at Ipchun on February 4, 2026 at 05:02 Korea time and runs until February 4, 2027.

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2026 at a glance

Year pair: 丙午 · Byeong-o
Element: Fire (yang)
Animal: Horse
Old poetic name: 天河水 · Milky Way water
Saju year starts: February 4, 2026 05:02
Ends: February 4, 2027
Age in 2027: turns 1

Born in January or early February 2026?

The saju year changes at Ipchun, February 4, 2026 at 05:02 Korea time. If you were born before that moment, your year pair is 乙巳: you belong to 2025, the year of the Wood Snake.

Many zodiac sites switch the animal at Lunar New Year instead, which fell on February 17 in 2026, after Ipchun. So for birthdays from Ipchun until the day before February 17, saju already says Horse while those sites still say Snake.

The two characters of 丙午

丙Byeong · the sun at midday — fire that lights up everything
午O · Horse · blazing heat in midsummer

The Fire element of 2026

The top character decides the year’s element, so 2026 is a Fire year. When Fire energy is strong, it tends to feel like this: You feel bright, expressive, and ready to share your passion with others.

Color: Red
Food: Tomatoes, red berries, and warm spices
Direction: South
Activity: Getting some sunlight or dancing to your favorite song

This is your birth-year element. In saju, your core element comes from your birth day instead (the day master), and it can be different. A free saju card shows yours.

Month pillars of the 2026 saju year

In saju, each month also has a pair, and it starts on a solar term, not on the 1st. These are the twelve months of 丙午 with their start dates (Korea date). Your birth month’s pair is one of your four pillars.

Month pair	Starts
庚寅Gyeong-in	February 4
辛卯Sin-myo	March 5
壬辰Im-jin	April 5
癸巳Gye-sa	May 5
甲午Gap-o	June 6
乙未Eul-mi	July 7
丙申Byeong-sin	August 7
丁酉Jeong-yu	September 7
戊戌Mu-sul	October 8
己亥Gi-hae	November 7
庚子Gyeong-ja	December 7
辛丑Sin-chuk	January 5, 2027

The Horse in zodiac compatibility

By the branch tables, the Horse’s closest match is the Goat (six harmony). Its team of three adds the Tiger and Dog. Its opposite sign, the Rat, is a clash pair, read as different rhythms rather than bad luck.

The Horse in 2027

Same element. Same-element years tend to bring more company and more comparison, so allies and rivals both show up.

Ties with 丁未: Six harmony (六合)

2027 outlook for the Horse →

Other Horse years

The Horse comes back every 12 years, but the element on top changes each time:

The exact pair 丙午 returns every 60 years: 1906, 1966 and 2086.

Read 丙午 as a day pillar →

How to read this

Your birth year is one pillar out of four. Your birth month, day and hour usually say more about you than the year does. Use this page for facts and fun, then check the full chart.

Born in 2026? See your whole chart

Your year is one pillar. Add your birthday for a free saju card with all four, worked out on your device.

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Questions about 2026

What Chinese zodiac animal is 2026?

2026 is the year of the Horse, and more exactly the Fire Horse (丙午). In saju the year runs from Ipchun on February 4, 2026 to February 4, 2027.

What element is 2026?

Fire. The top character 丙 is yang Fire, and that is the year’s element. The bottom character 午 adds Fire.

I was born in January 2026. What is my sign?

Before Ipchun (February 4, 2026, 05:02 Korea time) you belong to the year before: 乙巳, the Wood Snake of 2025. Check your exact time if you were born that day.

Is my birth-year element my saju element?

Not exactly. The year element describes your birth year. Saju reads your core self from your birth-day character (the day master), which needs your full birth date.