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Chinese New Year 1941
Monday, 27 January 1941. It opened the Year of the Metal Snake, 辛巳, which ran until 14 February 1942.
- New Year's Eve26 January 1941
- New Year's Day27 January 1941
- Lantern Festival10 February 1941
- Animal and elementMetal Snake 金蛇, Yin
- Year ends14 February 1942; the next new year is 15 February 1942
What the Snake year carries
The Snake
Thoughtful, elegant and private. The Snake is called the little dragon; it is the sign of wisdom that watches before it speaks.
The White Snake of West Lake, who took human form for love, is one of China's four great folk tales.
Metal 金
Metal years are associated with resolve and clarity: the edge of a blade, the ring of a bell. Metal years favour decisiveness and finishing: clean cuts, clear words, things brought to a conclusion.
The pairing of stem and branch, 辛巳, returns once every sixty years; the last Metal Snake year was 1881, the next is 2001.
The 1941 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1941 only.
| Day | Date in 1941 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 20 January 1941 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 26 January 1941, Sunday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 27 January 1941, Monday | The Year of the Snake begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 28 January 1941 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 31 January 1941 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 10 February 1941, Monday | 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 1941
1941 is a Metal Snake year, 辛巳, the 18th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1881 and comes again in 2001; the previous Snake year was 1929, the next is 1953. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 白蜡金.
New Year's Day fell on a Monday; the reunion dinner was the Sunday evening before. The festival landed on 27 January in the Western calendar, one of the earlier dates it can take.
Born in 1941?
Between 27 January 1941 and 14 February 1942 you are a Metal Snake.
Anyone born from 27 January 1941 to 14 February 1942 is a Metal Snake (辛巳) and turns 85 in 2026. Thoughtful, elegant and private. The Snake is called the little dragon; it is the sign of wisdom that watches before it speaks. Metal years favour decisiveness and finishing: clean cuts, clear words, things brought to a conclusion.
Born in January or early February 1941, before the 27 January 1941 new year? Then the previous animal, the Dragon, 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 Snake comes round again) are 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037, 2049; the next one is 2037. Tradition has you wear something red through a 本命年 for protection. The signs said to suit a Snake best are the Ox, the Rooster and the Monkey: 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.
- 19354 February 1935, Wood Pig
- 193624 January 1936, Fire Rat
- 193711 February 1937, Fire Ox
- 193831 January 1938, Earth Tiger
- 193919 February 1939, Earth Rabbit
- 19408 February 1940, Metal Dragon
- 194215 February 1942, Water Horse
- 19435 February 1943, Water Goat
- 194425 January 1944, Wood Monkey
- 194513 February 1945, Wood Rooster
- 19462 February 1946, Fire Dog
- 194722 January 1947, Fire Pig
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1941?
Monday, 27 January 1941. New Year's Eve was 26 January 1941, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 10 February 1941.
What animal is 1941 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Snake. From 27 January 1941 to 14 February 1942 it was the year of the Metal Snake (辛巳). Before 27 January 1941, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Dragon.
How old is someone born in 1941?
Someone born in the Year of the Snake 1941 turns 85 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037, 2049.
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 Snake 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 Snake 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.