The lunar calendar is also associated with 12 animal signs in Chinese zodiac, so every 12 years is regarded as a cycle. 2025 is a Year of the Snake, while 2026 turns to be a Year of the Horse. Chinese New Year Calendar (1930 - 2030) Each Chinese lunar year has a Chinese zodiac sign animal. The Chinese zodiac year's stsarting date is a little different from the Gregorian year. It starts from Chinese New Year. The Chinese zodiac years chart below is provided to help you find out the exact starting and ending dates of the Chinese zodiac years. (This is especially useful for Chinese New Year Calendar from 1930 to 2030, as well as the Animal Sign and the number of days from today to the next Chinese New Year. Today is the Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the year of the Dragon. Why does Chinese New Year fall on different dates? Rather than following the western Gregorian Calendar with 365-day years, the Chinese New Year follows a lunar calendar based the moon's 12 phases Chinese Calendar Years 2020 - 2031. Almost all the features of Chinese culture you may have heard of, including zodiac animals, Chinese New Year, Tai Sui and the Five Elements Theory, are based on the lunar calendar. You can find the start and finish (in Gregorian calendar dates) of the lunar years in the current decade below, along with their It is the Year of the Snake according to the Chinese zodiac, which features a 12-year cycle with each year represented by a specific animal. People born in the Years of the Snake including 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, and 2025 will experience their Zodiac Year of Birth (Ben Ming Nian). 2026 Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 17th and it is Note: China public holidays( ) include the New Year’s Day, Chinese Spring Festival (from Lunar New Year’s Eve to the sixth day of the New Year), Qingming Festival, May Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and the National Day (from Oct.1 to Oct.7). Holidays except the Chinese Spring Festival and National Day are usually 3-day It is also called the Lunar calendar, Yin calendar, Xia calendar or the old Chinese calendar. Each Chinese calendar year has a zodiac sign, 12 or 13 months and each month has 29 or 30 days. If there are 12 months, there will be 354 or 355 days in a year; if 13 months, there will be 383 or 384 days. Why Does Chinese New Year Date Change Every Year? The date is decided by the Chinese Lunar Calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon and sun and is generally 21–51 days behind the Gregorian (internationally-used) calendar. The date of Chinese New Year changes every year, but it always falls between January 21st and February 20th. Chinese New Year is not just one day but over 30 days of festivities and activities, which have their own calendar. The preparation begins on the first of the Lunar Calendar and the celebration lasts until the 15th of the first month. In 2025, Chinese New Year begins on January 29th and ends on February 12th with the Lantern Festival. The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, features 12 animal signs in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake according to Chinese zodiac, starting from the 2025 Chinese New Year on Jan. 29th and lasting to 2026 Lunar New Year's Eve on Feb. 16. 2026 is the Year of the Horse. In ancient times, the New Year was a two-week celebration, with different rituals and customs to be observed on each day going up until the Lantern Festival, which takes place on the 15th of the first lunar month. Chinese New Year and the traditional lunisolar calendar. Chinese New Year is sometimes referred to as the “Lunar New Year.” Lunar New Year, festival typically celebrated in China and other Asian countries that begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later. The dates of the holiday vary from year to year, beginning some time between January 21 and February 20. Since the mid-1990s people in China have been given seven consecutive days off work during the Chinese New Year. This week of relaxation has been designated Spring Festival, a term that is sometimes used to refer to the Chinese New Year in general. The origins of the Chinese New Year are steeped in legend. One legend is that thousands of years Layue (simplified Chinese: 腊月; traditional Chinese: 臘月; pinyin: Làyuè) is a term often associated with Chinese New Year as it refers to the sacrifices held in honour of the gods in the twelfth lunisolar month, hence the cured meats of Chinese New Year are known as larou (simplified Chinese: 腊肉; traditional Chinese: 臘肉; pinyin The Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) usually falls during 21 January and February 20, if your birthday is during this period in Gregorian date, you may belong to the zodiac sign of the last year. In the following table, the years’ starting and ending dates are clearly shown which help you determine your animal sign correctly. Chinese New Year 2025: Calendar, Dates and Festivals. 8 Days. Jan 21st–28th. Little Year. Preparations for the new year begin January 21st, 2025, and last until New The exact date varies each year based on the lunar calendar. The new year begins on Jan. 29 this year. The festival is important in Asian cultures as it’s meant to bring families together and Note: China public holidays( ) include the New Year’s Day, Chinese Spring Festival (from Lunar New Year’s Eve to the sixth day of the New Year), Qingming Festival, May Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and the National Day (from Oct.1 to Oct.7). Holidays except the Chinese Spring Festival and National Day are usually 3-day Just like New Year according to the Gregorian calendar (January 1), Lunar New Year celebrations start on the night before the first day of the new year. (Note: China follows the Gregorian calendar for daily business but still follows the Chinese calendar for important festivals, auspicious dates for events such as weddings, and the Moon phases.)
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