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Chinese New Year 2046
Tuesday, 6 February 2046. It opens the Year of the Fire Tiger, 丙寅, which runs until 25 January 2047.
- New Year's Eve5 February 2046
- New Year's Day6 February 2046
- Lantern Festival20 February 2046
- Animal and elementFire Tiger 火虎, Yang
- Year ends25 January 2047; the next new year is 26 January 2047
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.
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, 丙寅, returns once every sixty years; the last Fire Tiger year was 1986, the next is 2106.
The 2046 festival calendar
Fifteen days from the eve to the first full moon; the dates below are for 2046 only.
| Day | Date in 2046 | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Little New Year 小年 | 29 January 2046 | The Kitchen God is sent off with sweets; the house cleaning begins. |
| New Year's Eve 除夕 | 5 February 2046, Monday | Reunion dinner, red couplets on the door, staying up to see the year in. |
| New Year's Day 初一 | 6 February 2046, Tuesday | The Year of the Tiger begins; red envelopes, visits in order of seniority, no sweeping. |
| Day 2 初二 | 7 February 2046 | Married daughters visit their parents. |
| Day 5 初五 | 10 February 2046 | Shops reopen and the God of Wealth is welcomed with firecrackers. |
| Lantern Festival 元宵 | 20 February 2046, Tuesday | 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 2046
2046 is a Fire Tiger year, 丙寅, the 3th of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. The same pairing last fell in 1986 and comes again in 2106; the previous Tiger year was 2034, the next is 2058. Its 纳音 "sound" in the old almanacs is 炉中火.
New Year's Day falls on a Tuesday; the reunion dinner is the Monday evening before. The festival lands on 6 February in the Western calendar, near the middle of its range.
A child born between 6 February 2046 and 25 January 2047 is a Fire 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. A baby born in January 2046 before the new year is still an Ox.
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.
- 204012 February 2040, Metal Monkey
- 20411 February 2041, Metal Rooster
- 204222 January 2042, Water Dog
- 204310 February 2043, Water Pig
- 204430 January 2044, Wood Rat
- 204517 February 2045, Wood Ox
- 204726 January 2047, Fire Rabbit
- 204814 February 2048, Earth Dragon
- 20492 February 2049, Earth Snake
- 205023 January 2050, Metal Horse
Questions
When is Chinese New Year 2046?
Tuesday, 6 February 2046. New Year's Eve is 5 February 2046, and the Lantern Festival that closes the celebrations is 20 February 2046.
What animal is 2046 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Tiger. From 6 February 2046 to 25 January 2047 it is the year of the Fire Tiger (丙寅). Before 6 February 2046, the year still belongs to the previous animal, the Ox.
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.