[ **up: [[Zodiac, Chinese|Chinese zodiac]]** ] --- # Ben Ming Nian 本命年 [[2025-0316. '“Ben Ming Nian” in Chinese means a year that shares the same zodiac animal as the year you were born.'|'“Ben Ming Nian” in Chinese means a year that shares the same zodiac animal as the year you were born.']][^1] [[2025-0316. 'Ben Ming Nian is not an occasion for celebration, but traditionally believed to be a year of setbacks and delays at best and disasters at worst.'|'Ben Ming Nian is not an occasion for celebration, but traditionally believed to be a year of setbacks and delays at best and disasters at worst. This is because in addition to the zodiac animal, each year also has a governing god, called the God of “Tai Sui” in Chinese. To understand this peculiarity, you might consider that back in the days of emperors, it was considered taboo to share the same name as the emperor—so it isn’t surprising that the God of the Tai Sui might not look kindly upon your sharing their zodiac!']][^2] [[2025-0316. 'Ben Ming Nian is not an occasion for celebration, but traditionally believed to be a year of setbacks and delays at best and disasters at worst.'|’According to folklore, people in their Ben Ming Nian are most susceptible to incurring the wrath of Tai Sui for that year, which could lead to tricky luck in everything you do even in the most optimistic interpretation. Some believe worse could befall those in their Ben Ming Nian. In love, for example, tradition dictates that you’d do best to avoid getting married or engaged in these years, otherwise the marriage may not last. … Basically, it is best to lay low on Ben Ming Nian and try to fly under the radar of Tai Sui to avoid serious calamity.’]][^3] - *See:* [[Tai Sui (Chinese deity)]] --- |Zodiac Sign|Chinese Name|Zodiac Years| |---|---|---| | [[Rat (Chinese zodiac)\|Rat]] |鼠 (shǔ)|1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020| | [[Ox (Chinese zodiac)\|Ox]]|牛 (niú)|1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021| | [[Tiger (Chinese zodiac)\|Tiger]]|虎 (hǔ)|1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022| | [[Rabbit (Chinese zodiac)\|Rabbit]]|兔 (tù)|1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023| | [[Dragon (Chinese zodiac)\|Dragon]]|龙 (lóng)|1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024| | [[Snake (Chinese zodiac)\|Snake]]|蛇 (shé)|1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025| |[[Horse (Chinese zodiac)\|Horse]]|马 (mǎ)|1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026| |[[Goat (Chinese zodiac)\|Goat]]|羊 (yang)|1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027| |[[Monkey (Chinese zodiac)\|Monkey]]|猴 (hóu)|1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028| |[[Rooster (Chinese zodiac)\|Rooster]]|鸡 (jī)|1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029| |[[Dog (Chinese zodiac)\|Dog]]|狗 (gǒu)|1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030| |[[Pig (Chinese zodiac)\|Pig]]|猪 (zhū)|1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031| [^4] --- ## Ways to get good luck despite Ben Ming Nian ### A Shrine for the God of Tai Sui [[2025-0316. How to get good luck (despite Ben Ming Nian).|’If it is your zodiac year, it will also be your year of Fan Tai Sui—offending the God of Tai Sui. To turn this around, you might want to set up a shrine in your house and ask for their forgiveness, even before anything happens.’]][^5] ### Wear a talisman of your zodiac animal or pixiu [[2025-0316. How to get good luck (despite Ben Ming Nian).|’You could also wear a pendant or a bracelet bearing a talisman of your zodiac animal, or the mythical creature of Pixiu, which is believed to bring the wearer wealth. Chinese people will usually choose to wear talismans made of jade, because they believe the stone to possess the power to draw out impurities from your body—including any blight of ill fortune.’]][^6] I have definitely had friends pushed (by their mothers) to wear the “correct” jade bracelet for the duration of their Ben Ming Nian. ### Dress in red [[2025-0316. How to get good luck (despite Ben Ming Nian).|’Since your Ben Ming Nian is not bringing you good tidings, you could wear red—for example, a red belt or a red scarf—for a bit of extra luck. In addition, you can also wear the talisman of your choice on a red string. Chinese people will also usually have a set of red underwear and red socks ready to put on for the lunar new year, especially if it is your Ben Ming Nian, to bind yourself to good fortune.’]][^7] Again, I’ve heard the red underwear thing a bunch! ### Ben Ming Nian gifts [[2025-0316. How to get good luck (despite Ben Ming Nian).|’By the way, it’s important to note that zodiac talismans and red clothes are most effective when they are gifts from your close friends and family, instead of purchased by yourself. This is because in gifting you with these red items, your loved ones are giving you pieces of their own luck, which can do wonders to “suppress” any ill omens in your year of disrupted luck.’]][^8] [^1]: Sophie Song, ‘Ben Ming Nian: Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, *[[Astrala. 'Chinese New Year' (Website)|Chinese New Year]]*, updated 27 September 2024, https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/ben-ming-nian/. [^2]: Sophie Song, ‘Ben Ming Nian: Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, *[[Astrala. 'Chinese New Year' (Website)|Chinese New Year]]*, updated 27 September 2024, https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/ben-ming-nian/. [^3]: Sophie Song, ‘Ben Ming Nian: Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, *[[Astrala. 'Chinese New Year' (Website)|Chinese New Year]]*, updated 27 September 2024, https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/ben-ming-nian/. [^4]: Sophie Song, ‘Ben Ming Nian: Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, *[[Astrala. 'Chinese New Year' (Website)|Chinese New Year]]*, updated 27 September 2024, https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/ben-ming-nian/. [^5]: Sophie Song, ‘Ben Ming Nian: Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, *[[Astrala. 'Chinese New Year' (Website)|Chinese New Year]]*, updated 27 September 2024, https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/ben-ming-nian/. [^6]: Sophie Song, ‘Ben Ming Nian: Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, *[[Astrala. 'Chinese New Year' (Website)|Chinese New Year]]*, updated 27 September 2024, https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/ben-ming-nian/. [^7]: Sophie Song, ‘Ben Ming Nian: Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, *[[Astrala. 'Chinese New Year' (Website)|Chinese New Year]]*, updated 27 September 2024, https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/ben-ming-nian/. [^8]: Sophie Song, ‘Ben Ming Nian: Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, *[[Astrala. 'Chinese New Year' (Website)|Chinese New Year]]*, updated 27 September 2024, https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/ben-ming-nian/.