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Chinese New Year 1926
Saturday, 13 February 1926. It opened the Year of the Fire Tiger, 丙寅, which ran until 1 February 1927.
- New Year's Eve12 February 1926
- New Year's Day13 February 1926
- Lantern Festival27 February 1926
- Animal and elementFire Tiger 火虎, Yang
- Year ends1 February 1927; the next new year is 2 February 1927
What the Tiger year carries
The Tiger
Bold, warm and unafraid of risk. The Tiger is the king of the mountain in Chinese lore, a guardian figure painted on doors and sewn onto children's shoes to keep harm away.
Children born in Tiger years were given tiger-head hats and shoes so the animal's courage would protect them.
Fire 火
Fire years are associated with warmth and drive: summer, lanterns, the hearth. Fire years favour energy and visibility: bold moves, warm company, the spotlight.
The pairing of stem and branch, 丙寅, returns once every sixty years; the last Fire Tiger year was 1866, the next is 1986.
The 1926 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1926 only.
| Day | Date in 1926 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 5 February 1926 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 12 February 1926, Friday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 13 February 1926, Saturday | The Year of the Tiger begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 14 February 1926 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 17 February 1926 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 27 February 1926, Saturday | First full moon: lanterns, riddles, sweet rice balls. The season closes. |
In mainland China the public holiday usually runs from the eve for seven or eight days; Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia each keep their own, shorter, holiday. How the days are kept, in more detail: the traditions.
What is particular to 1926
1926 is a Fire Tiger year, 丙寅, the 3th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1866 and comes again in 1986; the previous Tiger year was 1914, the next is 1938. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 炉中火.
New Year's Day fell on a Saturday, so the reunion dinner on 12 February 1926 landed on a Friday evening. The festival landed on 13 February in the Western calendar, close to the latest it can fall.
Born in 1926?
Between 13 February 1926 and 1 February 1927 you are a Fire Tiger.
Anyone born from 13 February 1926 to 1 February 1927 is a Fire Tiger (丙寅) and turns 100 in 2026. Bold, warm and unafraid of risk. The Tiger is the king of the mountain in Chinese lore, a guardian figure painted on doors and sewn onto children's shoes to keep harm away. Fire years favour energy and visibility: bold moves, warm company, the spotlight.
Born in January or early February 1926, before the 13 February 1926 new year? Then the previous animal, the Ox, is yours: the zodiac follows the lunar calendar, not 1 January. The zodiac calculator settles it from the exact date.
Your zodiac years (本命年, when the Tiger comes round again) are 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034; the next one is 2034. Tradition has you wear something red through a 本命年 for protection. The signs said to suit a Tiger best are the Horse, the Dog and the Pig: the compatibility table has every pair.
Chinese New Year in other years
The second new moon after the winter solstice, so it moves between 21 January and 20 February. Every year from 1924 to 2050.
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1926?
Saturday, 13 February 1926. New Year's Eve was 12 February 1926, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 27 February 1926.
What animal is 1926 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Tiger. From 13 February 1926 to 1 February 1927 it was the year of the Fire Tiger (丙寅). Before 13 February 1926, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Ox.
How old is someone born in 1926?
Someone born in the Year of the Tiger 1926 turns 100 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034.
Why does the date change every year?
The festival falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, so it moves between 21 January and 20 February on the Western calendar.
How long does Chinese New Year last?
Fifteen days, from New Year's Day to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first lunar month. Most people have a week of public holiday in mainland China.
Born in a Tiger year?
Your animal depends on the exact date, not the calendar year.
Find your animal
Enter your birthday and we count it by the lunar calendar: the animal, its element, your lunar birth date and your next zodiac year.
Chinese zodiac calculatorWant the Tiger in ink on your wall? The zodiac poster sets the animal above your name and lunar birthday. Giving a Chinese name this new year? Three real names, free.