---
title: "1956 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Monkey (丙申), 12 Feb 1956 to 30 Jan 1957 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1956 is the Year of the Fire Monkey, 猴 hóu: from Chinese New Year on 12 February 1956 to 30 January 1957, so a birthday before 12 February 1956 is a Goat. What Fire means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属猴."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1956"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese zodiac](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac)

# 1956: Year of the Fire Monkey

1956 is the Year of the Monkey, 猴 hóu, a Fire year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 12 February 1956 and runs to 30 January 1957. Born from 1 January to 11 February 1956? You are a [Goat, 1955](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1955).

猴

hóu

Fire Monkey

**Animal**
[猴 hóu Monkey](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/monkey)

**Element**
火 huǒ Fire, yang

**Cycle name**
丙申年 bǐng shēn nián

**Starts**
12 February 1956

**Ends**
30 January 1957

**Matches**
Rat, Dragon and Snake; clashes with Tiger

**Age**
Born in 1956? You turn 70 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1956-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1956 in Chinese

A year is read digit by digit, then 年 nián: no “nineteen eighty-three”.

- 一九五六年 yī jiǔ wǔ liù nián 1956
- 丙申年 bǐng shēn nián the 丙申 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九五六年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ wǔ liù nián chū shēng de I was born in 1956.
- 我属猴 wǒ shǔ hóu I'm a Monkey.
- 火猴 huǒ hóu Fire Monkey

## What Fire means

火Fire is warmth and light at the height of summer. People born in a Fire year are said to be passionate and bold, the first to start and the last to give up.

**Season**
夏 xià summer

**Direction**
南 nán south

**Colour**
红 hóng red

### Words for a Fire Monkey

- 机智 jīzhì clever
- 热情 rèqíng warm-hearted
- 乐观 lèguān optimistic

Each year has one of five elements, 五行 wǔ xíng, two years each, so the same animal and element meet once every sixty years. The traits are what tradition says, for fun.

## The Monkey, 猴

The Monkey is Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of Journey to the West. People born in a Monkey year are said to be clever, funny and curious, quick learners who can solve anything and love a joke.

[Monkey personality, matches and sayings](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/monkey)

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1956?

1956 is the Year of the Monkey, 猴 (hóu), from Chinese New Year on 12 February 1956 to 30 January 1957. Its element is Fire, so people born in it are Fire Monkeys.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1956?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 11 February 1956? You belong to 1955, the Year of the Wood Goat.

### What element is 1956 in the Chinese zodiac?

Fire, 火 (huǒ). 1956 is 丙申 (bǐng shēn) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Fire year; the Fire Monkey comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1956 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九五六年 (yī jiǔ wǔ liù nián). “I was born in 1956” is 我是一九五六年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ wǔ liù nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Monkey” is 我属猴 (wǒ shǔ hóu).