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Chinese New Year 1977
Friday, 18 February 1977. It opened the Year of the Fire Snake, 丁巳, which ran until 6 February 1978.
- New Year's Eve17 February 1977
- New Year's Day18 February 1977
- Lantern Festival4 March 1977
- Animal and elementFire Snake 火蛇, Yin
- Year ends6 February 1978; the next new year is 7 February 1978
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.
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, 丁巳, returns once every sixty years; the last Fire Snake year was 1917, the next is 2037.
The 1977 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 1977 only.
| Day | Date in 1977 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 10 February 1977 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 17 February 1977, Thursday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 18 February 1977, Friday | The Year of the Snake begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 19 February 1977 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 22 February 1977 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 4 March 1977, Friday | 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 1977
1977 is a Fire Snake year, 丁巳, the 54th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1917 and comes again in 2037; the previous Snake year was 1965, the next is 1989. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 沙中土.
New Year's Day fell on a Friday; the reunion dinner was the Thursday evening before. The festival landed on 18 February in the Western calendar, close to the latest it can fall.
Born in 1977?
Between 18 February 1977 and 6 February 1978 you are a Fire Snake.
Anyone born from 18 February 1977 to 6 February 1978 is a Fire Snake (丁巳) and turns 49 in 2026. Thoughtful, elegant and private. The Snake is called the little dragon; it is the sign of wisdom that watches before it speaks. Fire years favour energy and visibility: bold moves, warm company, the spotlight.
Born in January or early February 1977, before the 18 February 1977 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 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037, 2049, 2061; 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.
- 197127 January 1971, Metal Pig
- 197215 February 1972, Water Rat
- 19733 February 1973, Water Ox
- 197423 January 1974, Wood Tiger
- 197511 February 1975, Wood Rabbit
- 197631 January 1976, Fire Dragon
- 19787 February 1978, Earth Horse
- 197928 January 1979, Earth Goat
- 198016 February 1980, Metal Monkey
- 19815 February 1981, Metal Rooster
- 198225 January 1982, Water Dog
- 198313 February 1983, Water Pig
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 1977?
Friday, 18 February 1977. New Year's Eve was 17 February 1977, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 4 March 1977.
What animal is 1977 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Snake. From 18 February 1977 to 6 February 1978 it was the year of the Fire Snake (丁巳). Before 18 February 1977, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Dragon.
How old is someone born in 1977?
Someone born in the Year of the Snake 1977 turns 49 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 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.