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Chinese New Year 2010
Sunday, 14 February 2010. It opened the Year of the Metal Tiger, 庚寅, which ran until 2 February 2011.
- New Year's Eve13 February 2010
- New Year's Day14 February 2010
- Lantern Festival28 February 2010
- Animal and elementMetal Tiger 金虎, Yang
- Year ends2 February 2011; the next new year is 3 February 2011
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.
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, 庚寅, returns once every sixty years; the last Metal Tiger year was 1950, the next is 2070.
The 2010 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 2010 only.
| Day | Date in 2010 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 6 February 2010 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 13 February 2010, Saturday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 14 February 2010, Sunday | The Year of the Tiger begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 15 February 2010 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 18 February 2010 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 28 February 2010, Sunday | 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 2010
2010 is a Metal Tiger year, 庚寅, the 27th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1950 and comes again in 2070; the previous Tiger year was 1998, the next is 2022. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 松柏木.
New Year's Day fell on a Sunday, so the reunion dinner on 13 February 2010 landed on a Saturday evening. The festival landed on 14 February in the Western calendar, close to the latest it can fall.
Born in 2010?
Between 14 February 2010 and 2 February 2011 you are a Metal Tiger.
Anyone born from 14 February 2010 to 2 February 2011 is a Metal Tiger (庚寅) and turns 16 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. Metal years favour decisiveness and finishing: clean cuts, clear words, things brought to a conclusion.
Born in January or early February 2010, before the 14 February 2010 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 2022, 2034, 2046, 2058; 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.
- 200422 January 2004, Wood Monkey
- 20059 February 2005, Wood Rooster
- 200629 January 2006, Fire Dog
- 200718 February 2007, Fire Pig
- 20087 February 2008, Earth Rat
- 200926 January 2009, Earth Ox
- 20113 February 2011, Metal Rabbit
- 201223 January 2012, Water Dragon
- 201310 February 2013, Water Snake
- 201431 January 2014, Wood Horse
- 201519 February 2015, Wood Goat
- 20168 February 2016, Fire Monkey
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 2010?
Sunday, 14 February 2010. New Year's Eve was 13 February 2010, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 28 February 2010.
What animal is 2010 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Tiger. From 14 February 2010 to 2 February 2011 it was the year of the Metal Tiger (庚寅). Before 14 February 2010, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Ox.
How old is someone born in 2010?
Someone born in the Year of the Tiger 2010 turns 16 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 2022, 2034, 2046.
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.