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December zodiac sign: Sagittarius or Capricorn?

December begins under Sagittarius and ends under Capricorn.

  • Sagittarius
  • Capricorn
  • winter solstice
December: Sagittarius, then CapricornChange between the 21st and the 22nd
The essentials

The December sign at a glance

For you

At the winter solstice, Sagittarius gives way to Capricorn: on that very day, the time decides.

December 1 to 20
♐︎ Sagittarius
December 23 to 31
♑︎ Capricorn
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Calculate my sign

By Thomas Guilhot · updated

The signs of December

In December, two signs follow each other

The Sun leaves Sagittarius for Capricorn between December 21 and 22, depending on the year.

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SagittariusChange between days 21 and 22, depending on the yearCapricorn
  • SagittariusDecember 1 to 20, sometimes until the 22nd
    Sign dates
    November 22 – December 21 (approximate)
    Element, modality
    Fire, mutable
    Ruler
    Jupiter

    Sagittarius aims far: seeking meaning, widening the horizon, and sharing what it has understood along the way.

    The Sagittarius sign 
  • CapricornDecember 23 to 31, sometimes from the 21st
    Sign dates
    December 22 – January 19 (approximate)
    Element, modality
    Earth, cardinal
    Ruler
    Saturn

    Capricorn embodies the patient climb: building, ascending, and taking on responsibilities over the long term.

    The Capricorn sign 

Go further

How is it calculated?

The Sun enters Capricorn at a precise moment, legal time in Paris: before, Sagittarius; after, Capricorn.

Frequently asked questions about the December zodiac sign

What is the zodiac sign for a December birth?

Sagittarius until the winter solstice, Capricorn afterward. The solstice occurs shortly after the 20th and its time differs every year; the grid shows it in Paris time for 90 years. A birth on Christmas or New Year’s Eve is always Capricorn, and a birth at the start of the month is always Sagittarius, whatever the year.

Born on the day the sign changes in December: Sagittarius or Capricorn?

If the birth took place before the moment of the solstice, the Sun was still in Sagittarius; after it, it had reached Capricorn. The moment appears in the table for each year. A birth abroad, in Polynesia or Quebec for example, can even fall on a different calendar date than the solstice shown for Paris.

Why doesn’t the winter solstice always fall on the same day?

Because the year of the seasons does not last a whole number of days. The moment of the solstice moves back by about six hours each ordinary year, then forward by a day in the leap year. Depending on the hour it occurs and the time zone, it therefore changes date from one year to the next; the grid on this page shows the rhythm over 90 years.

The 12 months

The sign for each month