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Chinese New Year 2001
Wednesday, 24 January 2001. It opened the Year of the Metal Snake, 辛巳, which ran until 11 February 2002.
- New Year's Eve23 January 2001
- New Year's Day24 January 2001
- Lantern Festival7 February 2001
- Animal and elementMetal Snake 金蛇, Yin
- Year ends11 February 2002; the next new year is 12 February 2002
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 1941, the next is 2061.
The 2001 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 2001 only.
| Day | Date in 2001 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 17 January 2001 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 23 January 2001, Tuesday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 24 January 2001, Wednesday | The Year of the Snake begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 25 January 2001 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 28 January 2001 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 7 February 2001, Wednesday | 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 2001
2001 is a Metal Snake year, 辛巳, the 18th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1941 and comes again in 2061; the previous Snake year was 1989, the next is 2013. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 白蜡金.
New Year's Day fell on a Wednesday; the reunion dinner was the Tuesday evening before. The festival landed on 24 January in the Western calendar, one of the earlier dates it can take.
Born in 2001?
Between 24 January 2001 and 11 February 2002 you are a Metal Snake.
Anyone born from 24 January 2001 to 11 February 2002 is a Metal Snake (辛巳) and turns 25 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 2001, before the 24 January 2001 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 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.
- 199531 January 1995, Wood Pig
- 199619 February 1996, Fire Rat
- 19977 February 1997, Fire Ox
- 199828 January 1998, Earth Tiger
- 199916 February 1999, Earth Rabbit
- 20005 February 2000, Metal Dragon
- 200212 February 2002, Water Horse
- 20031 February 2003, Water Goat
- 200422 January 2004, Wood Monkey
- 20059 February 2005, Wood Rooster
- 200629 January 2006, Fire Dog
- 200718 February 2007, Fire Pig
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 2001?
Wednesday, 24 January 2001. New Year's Eve was 23 January 2001, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 7 February 2001.
What animal is 2001 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Snake. From 24 January 2001 to 11 February 2002 it was the year of the Metal Snake (辛巳). Before 24 January 2001, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Dragon.
How old is someone born in 2001?
Someone born in the Year of the Snake 2001 turns 25 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 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.