Year of the Goat 2027: Clash Signs and Jade Pendants
Updated
2027 is the Year of the Goat (Fire Goat, 丁未), starting at Chinese New Year on 6 February 2027. Chinese almanacs list four signs that "offend Tai Sui": Goat (own year), Ox (clash), Dog and Rat. Thai ปีชง 2570 lists put the Ox first and often add the Dragon, and Vietnamese lists name Mùi, Sửu, Tuất and Tý. By tradition people wear their own sign, a "harmony" sign, Guanyin or a safety buckle; judge the jade, carving and certificate, not the promise.
What is the 2027 Chinese zodiac year?
2027 is the Year of the Goat (also called the Sheep or Ram), the Fire Goat year 丁未 in the Chinese calendar. It begins with Chinese New Year on Saturday 6 February 2027 and runs to 25 January 2028. Feng shui almanacs count the year from the start of spring (立春), on 4 February 2027, so a few advisers start the "Tai Sui" year two days earlier.
Every year, almanacs list which signs "offend Tai Sui" (犯太岁), the deity said to rule that year. Many people in China, Thailand and Vietnam check the list before the new year and choose a jade pendant to wear for it. This guide sets out what the traditions say for 2027, where the lists disagree, what people usually wear, and how a jade dealer would judge the pendant itself.
| Language | What the year is called | What people search |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 羊年, 丁未年 | 2027犯太岁的生肖, 犯太岁戴什么 |
| Thai | ปีมะแม (แพะ), พ.ศ. 2570 | ปีชง 2570 มีปีอะไรบ้าง, แก้ชง, จี้หยก 12 นักษัตร |
| Vietnamese | năm Đinh Mùi, tuổi Mùi (con Dê) | tuổi xung năm 2027, phạm Thái Tuế 2027 |
| English | Year of the Goat / Sheep | 2027 Chinese zodiac clash |
Two local differences matter. The Vietnamese zodiac has the Cat (Mão, Mèo) instead of the Rabbit, and the eighth sign is the Goat (Dê), never the Sheep. The Thai names come from the old Thai calendar (ชวด, ฉลู, ขาล … มะแม …), but Thai ปีชง lists follow the Chinese lunar year, which starts at Chinese New Year, not at Songkran.
Born in January or early February? Your sign follows the lunar year, not the calendar year. Someone born on 20 January 2015 is a Horse, not a Goat, because the Goat year began on 19 February 2015. Check the date of Chinese New Year in your birth year before you look at any list.
Which signs clash with Tai Sui in 2027?
Chinese almanacs name five kinds of conflict with the year's sign. For a Goat (未) year they fall like this:
| Type | Chinese | Meaning in the tradition | Sign in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own year | 值太岁 (本命年) | Your sign is the year's sign | Goat |
| Clash | 冲太岁 | Your sign sits opposite the year's sign on the zodiac wheel; seen as the strongest | Ox |
| Punishment | 刑太岁 | One of the "punishment" sets; for Goat it is Ox, Dog and Goat | Ox, Dog |
| Harm | 害太岁 | One of the "harm" pairs | Rat |
| Break | 破太岁 | One of the "break" pairs | Dog |
So Hong Kong and Taiwan almanac columns usually list four signs for 2027: Goat, Ox, Dog and Rat. The Ox is named most often, because it both clashes with and "punishes" the year.
Thai and Vietnamese lists start from the same idea but are phrased differently, and they do not always agree:
| Tradition | How the 2027 list is usually phrased | Where it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese almanacs (HK, Taiwan) | 值: Goat; 冲 + 刑: Ox; 刑 + 破: Dog; 害: Rat | The reference list |
| Thai ปีชง 2570 lists | ปีชงตรง or ชงเต็ม: ปีฉลู (Ox). ปีชงร่วม: usually ปีมะแม (Goat), ปีจอ (Dog) and often ปีมะโรง (Dragon) | Many Thai sites group the "co-clash" signs by the Dragon-Dog-Ox-Goat set, so the Dragon appears and the Rat (ปีไห่) is often left out. Some use the Teochew terms ปีคัก (own year), ปีเฮ้ง (刑), ปีไห่ (害), ปีผั่ว (破) |
| Vietnamese "phạm Thái Tuế 2027" lists | Trực Thái Tuế: Mùi; xung Thái Tuế: Sửu; hình: Sửu, Tuất; hại: Tý; phá: Tuất | Many articles add the "four clashing signs" (tứ hành xung) Thìn, Tuất, Sửu, Mùi, which brings in the Dragon too |
Most full 2027 lists are published around the end of 2026, so check a recent one from a source you trust. When they differ, it is because each tradition uses a different set of rules, not because one of them is a mistake. Many Chinese commentators also add that a clash year means change, not only bad news. That is a belief, and it is the right way to read every list here.
Which pendant do people choose for each sign in 2027?
The table follows the Chinese almanac status, with notes where Thai or Vietnamese lists differ. "Six harmony" (六合) and "three harmony" (三合) are the signs said to support each sign; they are explained in the next section.
| Sign | Recent birth years | 2027 status | Often chosen pendant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat (鼠, ปีชวด, Tý) | 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 | Harm (害); Vietnamese hại Thái Tuế; often not in Thai lists | Ox (six harmony), or Monkey and Dragon (three harmony) |
| Ox (牛, ปีฉลู, Sửu) | 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 | Clash and punishment (冲 + 刑): the main clash sign in every list | Rat (six harmony), Snake or Rooster (three harmony); many choose Guanyin or a safety buckle |
| Tiger (虎, ปีขาล, Dần) | 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 | No clash | Own sign, or Pig (six harmony) |
| Rabbit (兔, ปีเถาะ) / Cat in Vietnam (Mão, Mèo) | 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 | No clash; three harmony with the Goat year | Own sign, or Dog (six harmony) |
| Dragon (龙, ปีมะโรง, Thìn) | 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 | Not in Chinese Tai Sui lists; often in Thai ชงร่วม and Vietnamese tứ hành xung lists | Rooster (six harmony), Rat or Monkey (three harmony) |
| Snake (蛇, ปีมะเส็ง, Tỵ) | 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 | No clash | Own sign, or Monkey (six harmony) |
| Horse (马, ปีมะเมีย, Ngọ) | 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 | No clash; six harmony with the Goat year | Own sign, or Goat (six harmony) |
| Goat (羊, ปีมะแม, Mùi) | 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 | Own year (值太岁, 本命年) in every list | Own Goat on a red cord, or Horse (six harmony), Rabbit or Pig (three harmony) |
| Monkey (猴, ปีวอก, Thân) | 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 | No clash | Own sign, or Snake (six harmony) |
| Rooster (鸡, ปีระกา, Dậu) | 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 | No clash | Own sign, or Dragon (six harmony) |
| Dog (狗, ปีจอ, Tuất) | 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 | Punishment and break (刑 + 破); Thai ชงร่วม | Rabbit or Cat (six harmony), Tiger or Horse (three harmony) |
| Pig (猪, ปีกุน, Hợi) | 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019 | No clash; three harmony with the Goat year | Own sign, or Tiger (six harmony) |
Birth years here are lunar years: if you were born in January or early February, check the Chinese New Year date for your year first.
What do people traditionally wear in a clash year?
Customs differ by family and by adviser. These are the choices you will meet most, and they are what people say, not effects anyone can promise.
- Your own sign. In your own year (本命年) many Chinese wear their own zodiac animal, often on a red cord, and many also wear something red. In 2027 that means Goat pendants for people born in Goat years.
- A "helper" sign. The six harmony (六合) pairs are Rat-Ox, Tiger-Pig, Rabbit-Dog, Dragon-Rooster, Snake-Monkey and Horse-Goat. The three harmony (三合) sets are Monkey-Rat-Dragon, Pig-Rabbit-Goat, Tiger-Horse-Dog and Snake-Rooster-Ox. A common habit is to wear your own six or three harmony sign, so an Ox wears a Rat. Some advisers instead choose a sign that harmonizes with the year itself (Horse, Rabbit or Pig in 2027). Both are in use.
- Guanyin, the laughing Buddha or a birth-year Buddha. Chinese buyers sometimes choose the "birth-year Buddha" (本命佛). For Goat and Monkey this is Vairocana (大日如来), for Ox and Tiger the bodhisattva Akasagarbha (虚空藏菩萨), for Dog and Pig Amitabha (阿弥陀佛), and for Rat the Thousand-armed Guanyin (千手观音).
- Pixiu (貔貅). A mythical beast said to take in wealth and guard it. In Chinese and Vietnamese feng shui writing it is also said to guard against the year's "bad energy". It is usually worn on a bracelet.
- Safety buckle (平安扣) or plain tablet (无事牌). A round disc for "peace and safety", or a plain plaque meaning "nothing goes wrong". These suit anyone who would rather not wear an animal, and they show the jade itself clearly.
- A red cord. Red is the colour of the own year. Many people simply put their usual pendant on a new red cord at New Year.
The trade does not agree on how much the animal matters. Some feng shui writers say a matching animal is enough; others say the wearer's five elements or birth chart matter more than the shape. For the wider beliefs around jade, and how colours and the five elements are used, see jadeite meaning and beliefs. For what each design means, see jadeite pendant meanings.
How do Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese families handle a clash year?
| Chinese | Thai | Vietnamese | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main ritual | 安太岁 or 拜太岁: registering with Tai Sui at a temple early in the year | แก้ชง: worshipping ไท้ส่วยเอี๊ย at a Chinese temple, often after ตรุษจีน; also merit-making, giving blood | Cúng sao giải hạn at a pagoda, often around the full moon of the first lunar month (rằm tháng Giêng) |
| What people wear | Own sign, a six or three harmony sign, red items | Many add a Chinese-style piece: a zodiac pendant, pixiu bracelet or Guanyin | Mặt dây tam hợp or lục hợp, tỳ hưu bracelet, red cord |
| Other beliefs for 2027 | Some avoid big moves or weddings; others hold a wedding to "meet the clash with joy" (冲喜) | Some avoid funerals in a ชง year, or carry pomegranate leaves if they must go | Separately from Thái Tuế, 2027 is the last of three "tam tai" years for people born in Hợi, Mão and Mùi years |
None of these rituals needs jade. A jade pendant is one way people keep the wish close; a temple visit, a donation or nothing at all are equally common.
When do people buy zodiac pendants?
Most people buy in the weeks before the new year, so the pendant is ready to wear on New Year's Day or at 立春. For 2027 that means buying in November, December or January.
- Order early if the piece comes from abroad. Workshops and shippers are busiest just before Chinese New Year, and many close for a week or more over the holiday. Leave time for photos, questions, a certificate check and delivery.
- Do not let the date rush you. "Last pieces before New Year" is a sales line. A good pendant is worth the same in March.
- For babies born in 2027. A Goat pendant or a small safety buckle is a common gift, given at the full month (满月) or first birthday. Traditionally the parents keep it until the child is older.
How does a dealer judge a jade zodiac pendant?
A dealer looks in this order: material, then cracks, then carving, then size and finish. The animal comes last, because the same goat can be carved in a fine stone or a dyed one.
- Material in daylight. By a window, not under a shop's warm spotlights, look at colour, translucency (水头) and texture (种). Natural colour is rarely perfectly even.
- Cracks with a flashlight. In a dim room, hold a small white flashlight against the back and move it along the legs, horns, neck and every groove. A crack stops the light as a sharp line. Thin parts such as horns and legs are where zodiac pieces break.
- The face (开脸). Even on an animal, the face sells the piece: eyes level and alive, a clear nose and mouth, a friendly expression. A goat with blurred eyes or a lopsided head is poor work, however good the stone.
- Hand or machine carving. Many zodiac pendants are machine carved (机雕) in large numbers. Machine work looks soft and rounded, every piece in the tray is the same, and the hollows are often dull. Hand work has crisp lines, varied depth and polish right into the recesses. A good carver also uses a patch of colour on purpose (俏色), for example green for the horns or the grass. See jadeite carving craftsmanship.
- Back, thickness and hole. A deeply hollowed back makes a pendant look greener from behind than it will look on the chest. The drill hole or bail should be centred and smooth.
| Term | Chinese | Thai | Vietnamese | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zodiac pendant | 生肖挂件 / 生肖吊坠 | จี้ 12 นักษัตร | mặt dây 12 con giáp | A carved animal of one of the twelve signs |
| Machine carved | 机雕 | แกะเครื่อง | chạm máy | Carved by ultrasonic or CNC machine; identical pieces |
| Hand carved | 手工 | แกะมือ | chạm tay | Carved and finished by hand |
| Face | 开脸 | หน้าตา, งานหน้า | khuôn mặt | How well the face is carved |
| Using colour | 俏色 | ใช้สีตามเนื้อ | tận dụng màu (xảo sắc) | A colour patch placed on part of the design on purpose |
| Translucency | 水头 | ความใส, น้ำ | độ trong (thủy đầu) | How far light goes into the stone |
| Texture | 种 | เนื้อ | chủng | How fine and compact the grain is |
Where it is made matters a little too. In the Chinese trade, Jieyang (揭阳) in Guangdong is known for small, fine pendants, including high-end ones, while Sihui (四会) turns out much of the mid- and low-grade carving. Most cheap, identical zodiac sets come from mass production; that is fine when the price and the description say so.
What size for a child or an adult?
| Child | Adult | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Small and light, roughly fingertip to thumbnail size | Thumb size is common for daily wear; men often choose larger pieces |
| Shape | Smooth and compact; rounded horns and ears, no thin parts that stick out | Any, but thin horns and legs need care |
| Thickness | Solid, not hollowed | Enough to carry the colour; not so thin it breaks |
| Cord | Short, checked often, under supervision | Red cord or a gold chain with a metal bail |
| Good choices | Small goat, safety buckle, pea pod | Zodiac animal, Guanyin, plain tablet |
Always ask for length, width and thickness in millimetres, and a photo beside a coin or ruler. Photos make small pendants look large.
Safety note for babies: a cord around a baby's neck, or a small piece within reach, is a choking and strangling risk. Never leave a pendant on a sleeping baby. Many families keep a baby's pendant in its box, or let the child wear it only for short times under supervision. More gift ideas are in the jadeite gift guide.
How do you avoid dyed or treated zodiac pendants?
Cheap zodiac pendants are one of the most common places to find Type B (bleached and resin-filled) and Type C (dyed) jadeite, and look-alikes such as glass. Demand peaks before New Year, and many buyers judge only by the animal.
| What the seller says | What it tells you | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Natural A-grade, guaranteed" with no certificate | Nothing | Ask for a lab certificate that says jadeite, natural (Type A) |
| "Imperial green" or "full green" at a low price | Vivid, even green is the most expensive kind | Treat it as a warning; look for colour gathered along cracks with a loupe |
| "Blessed", "for Tai Sui", "แก้ชงได้", "hóa giải Thái Tuế" | Nothing about the jade | Judge the stone and the carving; pay for those, not the claim |
| "Burmese jade" or "cẩm thạch thiên nhiên" without the word jadeite | Could be any green stone | Ask what the material is, in writing |
| A certificate from a lab you cannot find online | Possibly nothing | Check the number on the lab's own website |
Signs of Type B and C, and how to read a certificate, are in how to spot treated jadeite and how to verify a jadeite certificate. A dyed pendant is not "real jade" in any tradition, whatever animal it shows.
What should you check before you buy?
- Confirm your sign by the lunar year, and decide which tradition you follow: own sign, a helper sign, a Buddha or a safety buckle.
- Ask for daylight photos of the front, back and side, and a short video.
- Ask for a flashlight video along the horns, legs, neck and grooves.
- Look at the face and ask, in writing, whether it is hand or machine carved.
- Ask for the size in millimetres and a photo beside a coin.
- Ask for a lab certificate that says jadeite, natural (Type A), and check that the photo, weight and size match.
- Order before the New Year rush, and do not pay extra for a blessing or a "Tai Sui" label.
Common mistakes: choosing the animal first and the stone not at all, judging colour from backlit photos, trusting "A-grade" without a certificate, and buying a pendant too large or too sharp for a child.
Buying a jade zodiac pendant on JadeiteHub
JadeiteHub works from Ruili, on the Myanmar border. Sellers post real photos of the actual piece, some with video, and you can ask a seller to show the face, the horns and the back under a flashlight before you buy, so the listing describes them. Every sold piece is checked against its certificate before it ships, travels with insured shipping, and is fully refunded if it does not match the description. Payments go through licensed providers; import duties are paid by the buyer. If you want the pendant for New Year, order early enough to allow for checking and delivery.
FAQ
Which zodiac signs clash with Tai Sui in 2027?
In Chinese almanacs: Goat (own year), Ox (clash and punishment), Dog (punishment and break) and Rat (harm). Thai lists put the Ox first and often add the Dragon; Vietnamese lists name Mùi, Sửu, Tuất and Tý. These are traditional beliefs.
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
Saturday 6 February 2027. The Goat year runs to 25 January 2028. Feng shui almanacs count from the start of spring (立春) on 4 February 2027.
What should I wear if my sign clashes in 2027?
By tradition, people wear their own sign, a six or three harmony sign (for example a Rat for an Ox), Guanyin, a pixiu or a safety buckle on a red cord. Advisers disagree, and no pendant can promise luck.
Is a cheap jade zodiac pendant real jade?
Often not. Cheap zodiac pendants are a common place for dyed (Type C) or resin-filled (Type B) jadeite and glass. Ask for a lab certificate that says jadeite, natural (Type A).
What size zodiac pendant suits a child?
Small, light and smooth, with rounded horns and ears and no thin parts. Babies should never wear a pendant while sleeping or unsupervised.
