Born in 1966 (Shōwa 41): eto and age
People born in 1966 turn 60 on their birthday in 2026.
On this page
- Year
- 1966
- Japanese era
- Shōwa 41
- Eto
- 丙午 Hinoe-uma (Yang Fire Horse)
- Animal
- Horse (午)
- Stem
- Hinoe (丙)
- Nacchin
- Water of the Heavenly River
- Main star (Nine Star Ki)
- Shichiseki Kinsei
- Lucky direction (ehō)
- South-southeast
- Risshun
- Feb 4 15:38
- Kanreki
- 2026
1.The eto of 1966, and the Risshun rule
The eto of 1966 is 丙午 (Hinoe-uma, the Yang Fire Horse). In Four Pillars, Nine Star Ki and other Eastern astrology, though, the year begins at Risshun (Feb 4 in 1966). People born between 1 January 1966 and the moment of Risshun (Feb 4, 15:38) are treated as the previous year's 乙巳 Kinoto-mi and Happaku Dosei.
2.Personality of people born in 1966
丙午 combines 丙, the stem of the sun, with 午, the horse. Like a horse running across the plains, the Horse is cheerful, active and in love with freedom.
Bright and cheerful, you have no hidden side. Passionate and quick to act, you naturally lift everyone's spirits.
Read more: meaning of 丙午, Year of the Horse and Shichiseki Kinsei.
3.School years in Japan for people born in 1966
Japanese school years run from 2 April to 1 April the next year, so people born between 1 January and 1 April (hayaumare) are in the grade above.
| Milestone | Born 2 Apr – 31 Dec | Born 1 Jan – 1 Apr |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary school entry | 1973 Apr | 1972 Apr |
| Junior high entry | 1979 Apr | 1978 Apr |
| Senior high entry | 1982 Apr | 1981 Apr |
| University entry | 1985 Apr | 1984 Apr |
| Coming-of-age ceremony | 1987 Jan | 1986 Jan |
4.Longevity celebrations
| Celebration | Year |
|---|---|
| Kanreki (60) | 2026 this year |
| Koki (70) | 2036 |
| Kiju (77) | 2043 |
| Sanju (80) | 2046 |
| Beiju (88) | 2054 |
Kanreki is celebrated at 60 (61 in traditional counting). From Koki on, the celebrations were originally counted in traditional age, which would make each one a year earlier than shown.
5.Yakudoshi (unlucky years) for people born in 1966
Yakudoshi are counted in traditional age (kazoedoshi = the calendar year − birth year + 1; everyone gains a year on 1 January, regardless of birthday).
6.Fortune for the Horse in 2026 and 2027
2026: overall ★★★★☆ A year with the wind at your back: challenges bear fruit
2027: overall ★★★★☆ A year with the wind at your back: challenges bear fruit
Read the full fortune for the Horse →
7.The calendar of 1966
In 1966, Shichiseki Kinsei sat in the center of the Nine Star Ki year chart, and the lucky direction (where the year god Toshitokujin resides) was south-southeast. Years with the same eto are 1906 and 2026; years with the same eto and the same star come every 180 years (1786, 2146). Since the Edo period a superstition has claimed that women born in a Hinoe-uma year are fiery-tempered. In 1966, the last Hinoe-uma year, births in Japan fell by about 25% from the year before. 2026 is the first Hinoe-uma year in 60 years, and the next is 2086.
Your birth year is only the start. Calculate the eto of your birth day (your Day Master) for a deeper look at your personality and fortune: try the free Four Pillars chart or astrology reading.
8.FAQ
How old is someone born in 1966?
They turn 60 on their birthday in 2026 (and are 59 before it). In traditional kazoedoshi counting they are 61.
What is the eto of 1966?
The eto of 1966 is 丙午 (Hinoe-uma), the Yang Fire Horse, a Year of the Horse.
What is the Nine Star Ki star for 1966?
People born on or after Risshun (Feb 4) are Shichiseki Kinsei; those born before it are Happaku Dosei.