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Chinese New Year dates, 2024 to 2035

The festival falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, so the date moves every year. Each date starts a new zodiac year with its own animal and element.

YearNew Year's DayAnimalElementStem and branchLantern Festival
202410 February 2024, SaturdayDragon 龙Wood 木甲辰24 February 2024
202529 January 2025, WednesdaySnake 蛇Wood 木乙巳12 February 2025
202617 February 2026, TuesdayHorse 马Fire 火丙午3 March 2026
20276 February 2027, SaturdayGoat 羊Fire 火丁未20 February 2027
202826 January 2028, WednesdayMonkey 猴Earth 土戊申9 February 2028
202913 February 2029, TuesdayRooster 鸡Earth 土己酉27 February 2029
20303 February 2030, SundayDog 狗Metal 金庚戌17 February 2030
203123 January 2031, ThursdayPig 猪Metal 金辛亥6 February 2031
203211 February 2032, WednesdayRat 鼠Water 水壬子25 February 2032
203331 January 2033, MondayOx 牛Water 水癸丑14 February 2033
203419 February 2034, SundayTiger 虎Wood 木甲寅5 March 2034
20358 February 2035, ThursdayRabbit 兔Wood 木乙卯22 February 2035

How the festival is kept

Fifteen days, from the reunion dinner to the first full moon.

  1. New Year's Eve

    The reunion dinner (年夜饭): the whole family at one table, dumplings in the north, fish everywhere because 鱼 sounds like "surplus". Red couplets go up on the door, and the house is already cleaned so bad luck is not swept out in the new year.

  2. New Year's Day

    Red envelopes (红包) from elders to children, visits to relatives in order of seniority, new clothes, and the first words of the year chosen with care: 新年快乐, happy new year, and 恭喜发财, wishing you prosperity.

  3. Lantern Festival

    The fifteenth night, the first full moon of the year: lanterns, riddles hung on them, and sweet rice balls (汤圆) whose round shape stands for the family together. It closes the season.

Why the date moves. Chinese New Year is the first day of the first lunar month, which begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice (the third when a leap month intervenes). On the Western calendar that puts it anywhere between 21 January and 20 February. The zodiac animal changes on this day, not on 1 January, so a January birthday usually belongs to the previous animal.

Every year from 1924 to 2050

The date, animal and element of each year, for anyone working out their own sign or a parent's.

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

2030s

2040s

2050s

The twelve animals