When is Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday, February 6, 2027, starting the Year of the Goat. It is the first day of the first month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Each month begins on the day of a new moon, and the new year usually starts with the second new moon after the December solstice, which is why the holiday always lands between January 21 and February 20.
Chinese New Year dates and zodiac animals
| Year | New Year’s Day | Zodiac animal | Stem-branch (element) | Lantern Festival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Sat, Feb 6 | Goat | Ding-wei (Fire) | Sat, Feb 20 |
| 2028 | Wed, Jan 26 | Monkey | Wu-shen (Earth) | Wed, Feb 9 |
| 2029 | Tue, Feb 13 | Rooster | Ji-you (Earth) | Tue, Feb 27 |
| 2030 | Sun, Feb 3 | Dog | Geng-xu (Metal) | Sun, Feb 17 |
| 2031 | Thu, Jan 23 | Pig | Xin-hai (Metal) | Thu, Feb 6 |
| 2032 | Wed, Feb 11 | Rat | Ren-zi (Water) | Wed, Feb 25 |
| 2033 | Mon, Jan 31 | Ox | Gui-chou (Water) | Mon, Feb 14 |
| 2034 | Sun, Feb 19 | Tiger | Jia-yin (Wood) | Sun, Mar 5 |
| 2035 | Thu, Feb 8 | Rabbit | Yi-mao (Wood) | Thu, Feb 22 |
| 2036 | Mon, Jan 28 | Dragon | Bing-chen (Fire) | Mon, Feb 11 |
Sources: the Hong Kong Observatory's Gregorian-Lunar calendar conversion tables, checked year by year against timeanddate.com's China holiday calendars.
Why we use official tables
The Chinese calendar counts days in China Standard Time (UTC+8). When a new moon falls close to midnight in Beijing, a calendar computed in another time zone, or with a less precise model of the moon, can put the new year on the wrong day. Some widely used software calendars do exactly that: they place Chinese New Year 2027 on February 7 and 2030 on February 2, one day off from the official February 6 and February 3. The dates on this page come from published astronomical tables instead of a formula.
The zodiac and the 60-year cycle
Each year is linked to one of twelve animals in a fixed order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The traditional year name pairs one of ten "heavenly stems" with one of twelve "earthly branches," giving a cycle of 60 years, and each stem is associated with one of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal or water. That is why 2027 is called the year of the Fire Goat. Because the zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year rather than January 1, people born in January or early February belong to the previous year's animal.
How Lunar New Year is celebrated
Celebrations traditionally run for 15 days, from New Year's Day to the Lantern Festival. Families clean their homes beforehand to sweep away bad luck, hang red decorations and couplets, and gather for a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve. Red envelopes of money, called hongbao or lai see, are given to children and unmarried relatives, and fireworks, lion dances and dragon dances fill the streets. Mainland China gives a week-long public holiday, and the travel rush around it, chunyun, is often described as the world's largest annual human migration. Korea (Seollal), Vietnam (Tết) and many other communities celebrate their own lunar new year around the same time, and in the U.S. New York City public schools close for the holiday.
Frequently asked questions
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
Chinese New Year 2027 is on Saturday, February 6, 2027, beginning the Year of the Goat. The Lantern Festival that closes the celebrations follows on Saturday, February 20, 2027.
What animal is 2027?
2027 is the Year of the Goat (Ding-wei, a fire year), starting on February 6. The year after is the Year of the Monkey.
Why does Chinese New Year change every year?
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar: months start at the new moon, and the year normally begins with the second new moon after the December solstice. That puts New Year’s Day anywhere from January 21 to February 20.
How long does Chinese New Year last?
Traditional celebrations last 15 days, from New Year’s Day to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month. The official public holiday in mainland China is about a week.
Is Lunar New Year the same as Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year is one Lunar New Year. Korea’s Seollal and Vietnam’s Tết are celebrated around the same time but have their own customs, which is why many people use the broader name Lunar New Year.
Last updated: October 8, 2026