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Chinese New Year 2021
Friday, 12 February 2021. It opened the Year of the Metal Ox, 辛丑, which ran until 31 January 2022.
- New Year's Eve11 February 2021
- New Year's Day12 February 2021
- Lantern Festival26 February 2021
- Animal and elementMetal Ox 金牛, Yin
- Year ends31 January 2022; the next new year is 1 February 2022
What the Ox year carries
The Ox
Steady, patient and dependable. The Ox finishes what it starts and is trusted with what matters; in farming China it was the family's most valuable companion.
The Ox would have won the river race, but carried the Rat across and came second without complaint.
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, 辛丑, returns once every sixty years; the last Metal Ox year was 1961, the next is 2081.
The 2021 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 2021 only.
| Day | Date in 2021 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 4 February 2021 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 11 February 2021, Thursday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 12 February 2021, Friday | The Year of the Ox begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 13 February 2021 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 16 February 2021 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 26 February 2021, 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 2021
2021 is a Metal Ox year, 辛丑, the 38th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1961 and comes again in 2081; the previous Ox year was 2009, the next is 2033. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 壁上土.
New Year's Day fell on a Friday; the reunion dinner was the Thursday evening before. The festival landed on 12 February in the Western calendar, near the middle of its range.
Born in 2021?
Between 12 February 2021 and 31 January 2022 you are a Metal Ox.
Anyone born from 12 February 2021 to 31 January 2022 is a Metal Ox (辛丑) and turns 5 in 2026. Steady, patient and dependable. The Ox finishes what it starts and is trusted with what matters; in farming China it was the family's most valuable companion. Metal years favour decisiveness and finishing: clean cuts, clear words, things brought to a conclusion.
Born in January or early February 2021, before the 12 February 2021 new year? Then the previous animal, the Rat, 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 Ox comes round again) are 2033, 2045, 2057; the next one is 2033. Tradition has you wear something red through a 本命年 for protection. The signs said to suit an Ox best are the Snake, the Rooster and the Rat: 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.
- 201519 February 2015, Wood Goat
- 20168 February 2016, Fire Monkey
- 201728 January 2017, Fire Rooster
- 201816 February 2018, Earth Dog
- 20195 February 2019, Earth Pig
- 202025 January 2020, Metal Rat
- 20221 February 2022, Water Tiger
- 202322 January 2023, Water Rabbit
- 202410 February 2024, Wood Dragon
- 202529 January 2025, Wood Snake
- 202617 February 2026, Fire Horse
- 20276 February 2027, Fire Goat
Questions
When was Chinese New Year 2021?
Friday, 12 February 2021. New Year's Eve was 11 February 2021, and the Lantern Festival that closed the celebrations was 26 February 2021.
What animal is 2021 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Ox. From 12 February 2021 to 31 January 2022 it was the year of the Metal Ox (辛丑). Before 12 February 2021, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Rat.
How old is someone born in 2021?
Someone born in the Year of the Ox 2021 turns 5 in 2026. Their zodiac years (本命年) are 2033, 2045.
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 an Ox 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 Ox 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.