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 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. The Chinese zodiac includes 12 animal signs, in order they are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, marks the transition from one animal to the next—2024 is the year of the Dragon, which began on February 10th, 2024, and ends on February 24th, 2024. Every year, the Lunar New Year marks the transition from one animal to another. The Year of the Dragon, which began on Feb. 10, 2024, ended Tuesday to begin the Year of the Snake. Every Chinese zodiac year from 1900–2031, full table and broken down by each zodiac. Find your year, animal, dates and element (metal, water, wood, fire, earth). Chinese New Year For the starting date of a zodiac year, there are two schools of thought in Chinese astrology: Chinese New Year or the Start of Spring. Chinese New Year, day 1 of the Chinese lunar year, falls somewhere in the period January 21 st to February 20 th. The Start of Spring is the 1 st of the 24 Solar Terms, beginning on February 3 rd or 4 th. Most Each Chinese New Year revolves around a 12-year cycle and is associated with an animal in the Chinese zodiac, which is then paired with any one of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire and Find Your Chinese Zodiac Sign. Chinese zodiac years are based on the lunar calendar, each zodiac animal's year comes around every 12 years. Everyone has his/her zodiac sign based on the birth year in the lunar calendar. Use the following Chinese zodiac calculator to find your zodiac sign, element, and lucky things. Most famously, each Chinese New Year brings in a new Chinese animal zodiac as the focus for that year. Moreover, the imagery of the Chinese zodiac is prevalent in various aspects of art, design, and popular culture, serving as a unique motif in paintings, fashion, literature, and entertainment. Beyond its traditional history, the Chinese zodiac Below are listed the Chinese zodiac 2026 ruling animals and elements for each month of the year.* According to the Chinese New Year 2026 calendar, February 17, 2026 is the Lunar New Year celebration day, which marks the start of the Year of the Fire Horse 2026 (the Horse being the ruling animal of the year 2026) and the first day of the Month What are the animals of the zodiac? Each year honors an animal based on the Chinese zodiac. The circle of 12 animals — the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig — measure the cycles of time. Chinese New Year and the Zodiacs. Each of these zodiac animals governs a whole year, which starts at Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar. This usually corresponds to January or February in the western calendar. When the current year has the same zodiac animal as the year you were born, you are said to be in Ben Ming Nian. The Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao, is a 12-year cycle of animal signs. Each year is associated with one of these animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake. Chinese Zodiac and Festive Traditions: A Guide to Chinese New Year The Chinese zodiac operates on a 12-year cycle, featuring animals like the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Fireworks and firecrackers play a vital role in the celebrations, believed to ward off evil spirits. The Chinese Lunar New Year 2025 will begin on January 29 and end with the Lantern Festival on February 12. Celebrations may last 16 days, starting from New Year's Eve on January 28. The year 2025 Chinese New Year 2025: Key Dates . Zodiac Animal for 2025: The Year of the Snake . Each Chinese New Year is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals in a repeating cycle. The Snake is the Celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 from January 29 to February 12, marking the Year of the Wood Snake. Enjoy family gatherings, traditional dishes, and vibrant parades during this 15-day festival. 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) Bidding farewell to the mythical Dragon, the world welcomes the Year of the Snake on January 29 — the first day of the Lunar New Year. For those who celebrate this ancient festival, starting the Traditionally, Chinese people believe that each zodiac sign has fated personality traits and each different zodiac year has a lot to do with personal horoscopes. Below is our Chinese zodiac calculator .
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