Born in December: zodiac sign and personality

December holds two signs. Those born from 1 to 21 December are Sagittarius, mutable fire ruled by Jupiter, and those born from 22 to 31 December are Capricorn, cardinal earth ruled by Saturn. The change comes at the winter solstice, the longest night of the year.

December's gift is a faith that holds in the dark. The Sagittarius born bring fire and laughter to the shortest days and believe the road ahead is good; the Capricorn born arrive as the light begins its return and set about building something that will last. Both are serious about what they believe, and both mean to leave a mark.

Born 1 to 21 December: Sagittarius

December Sagittarians fall mainly in the second and third decans of their sign. From around the second to the eleventh of the month, Mars colours the decan through Aries: these natives are bold and restless, the explorers and campaigners of the sign, who set out first and plan on the way. From around the twelfth, the Sun enters through Leo and the fire turns warm and generous: these are the storytellers and hosts, the ones who fill a table at midwinter and make everyone laugh.

All of them are frank, optimistic and hungry for meaning. They need a horizon, and they keep looking for it even in the coldest weeks.

Born 22 to 31 December: Capricorn

Those born from 22 December to the end of the month are Capricorn of the first decan, where Saturn rules both sign and decan. They are grave as children and lighter with age, practical, reserved and immensely reliable. December Capricorns share their birthday with Christmas or the days around it and learn early not to expect a fuss, which teaches them to earn their own recognition. Behind the composure there is a dry wit and a loyalty proved over years, never in words alone.

The Sagittarius Capricorn cusp: 18 to 24 December

The winter solstice, around 21 or 22 December, takes the Sun into Capricorn, and those born in the days around it belong a little to each sign. This stretch is called the cusp of prophecy. People born here join Sagittarian vision to Capricorn realism: they see where things are going and have the patience to get there first.

December born in love and marriage

Sagittarius loves openly and honestly and needs a partner who is also a companion on the road. Aries and Leo share their fire, Libra and Aquarius bring good company and ideas, and Gemini, the opposite sign, keeps them talking. They stay where they are free, and they leave where they are caged.

Capricorn takes love as seriously as work. They court carefully, commit fully and show devotion by providing and protecting. Taurus and Virgo share their earth, Scorpio and Pisces bring them feeling, and Cancer, their opposite, teaches them tenderness. A Capricorn marriage is built for the long years and grows warmer with them.

December born at work and with money

Sagittarius thrives where there is room to range: teaching, higher education, publishing, travel, sport, exploration and work across borders. The Leo decan of mid December adds a gift for performance. They are generous with money and lucky with it, and a fixed habit of saving guards their good fortune.

Capricorn is made for careers built over decades: management, finance, government, engineering, architecture and every institution that values reliability. With money they are the most prudent sign of winter, saving steadily, investing for the long run and rarely taking a gamble they cannot afford.

December birthstones and colours: turquoise and tanzanite

December has two birthstones. The turquoise takes its name from the French for Turkish, because it reached Europe through Turkey, and it is among the oldest protective stones in the world, worn by riders and travellers from Persia to the American Southwest and given as a token of friendship. The tanzanite, violet blue, is found in only one place on earth, in the hills below Kilimanjaro, and was first unearthed in 1967. The turquoise suits the traveller Sagittarius; the deep tanzanite suits Capricorn's quiet depth.

December's colours are turquoise, violet blue and evergreen. Sagittarius adds purple and royal blue; Capricorn adds deep green, charcoal and brown.

The spiritual meaning of December

December takes its name from decem, ten, as the tenth month of the old Roman year. Its spiritual heart is the winter solstice and the feasts that gather around it, Yule and Christmas, which celebrate a light born in the deepest dark. Those born in December carry that promise: whatever has been lost, the days begin to lengthen.

In the tarot, Sagittarius answers to Temperance, the card of patient blending and the middle way, and Capricorn to the Devil, the card of the bonds of matter and ambition, and of the freedom to walk out of them. The December soul learns to trust the road and then to take full responsibility for where it leads.

What zodiac sign is December?

December has two signs. Those born from 1 to 21 December are Sagittarius, and those born from 22 to 31 December are Capricorn.

Is 22 December Sagittarius or Capricorn?

On our table, 22 December is the first day of Capricorn and 21 December the last day of Sagittarius. The solstice falls at a different hour each year, so those born on the day of the change confirm their sign with their birth time.

What is the birthstone for December?

December has two birthstones: the turquoise, an ancient stone of protection and friendship, and the tanzanite, a violet blue stone found only in Tanzania.

What are people born in December like?

December people are purposeful, honest and resilient. The Sagittarius born are optimistic, frank and adventurous; the Capricorn born are disciplined, reliable and quietly ambitious.

Which signs are compatible with people born in December?

December Sagittarians match best with Aries, Leo, Libra and Aquarius. December Capricorns match best with Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio and Pisces.