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Just as New Year celebrations finish in the West, people are gearing up to mark Lunar New Year in the East! 2025 is the year of the Wood Snake, starting from January 29, 2025, to February 16, 2026. Although it did not originate in Japan, the Chinese zodiac, and the 12 animals that represent it, have been embraced by Japanese culture wholeheartedly. During the time of both the New Year on Today is Chinese New Year 2025, heralding in the Year of the Snake – the Wood Snake, to be exact. Lunar New Year isn’t just celebrated in China though, with countries such as Japan, Thailand While Japan does not have an official celebration dedicated specifically to the Chinese zodiac, the influence of the Chinese zodiac is prevalent in Japanese culture, particularly during the New Year period. In Japan, the Chinese zodiac animals are incorporated into various aspects of traditional customs, including nengajo (New Year's postcards Every year is dedicated to one of these animals and the cycle repeats in a 12-year cycle. The 12 Zodiac animals in order are: Mouse, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Chicken, Dog, Boar The Chinese Zodiac is called 十二支 じゅうにし or 干支 えと in Japanese. There are two things to know about these zodiac animals. The Chinese New Year date changes every year, but it generally falls between 21 January and 20 February. (See our lunar month calendar.) You'll notice on the chart that the first Japanese zodiac year of the 20th century (1 January 1900) begins with the first zodiac animal (mouse). That's because Japan officially adopted the Chinese calendar in 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 zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle. Each year is represented by an animal. The 12 zodiac animals in order are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. These animal signs are exactly the same in South Korea, North Korea, Singapore, and Cambodia. The Japanese Zodiac Each year of the mini-cycle is then associated with one of the five elements of the zodiac (metal, water, wood, fire, and earth) and with an animal. Widely used for orientation in time and space , the lunar calendar spread outside the borders of China and it was in the 600s that it was introduced to Korea, then to Japan, by Chinese Buddhist monks. The Chinese Zodiac is still a part of Japan’s New Year celebrations to this day. Despite changing to the Gregorian calendar, Japan celebrates the changing of the zodiac on January 1, welcoming any of the 12 animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. And this year, Lunar New Year begins Jan. 29. Each Lunar New Year is also marked by one of 12 animals—this year being the Year of the Wood Snake, which follows 2024’s Year of the Dragon Therefore, the Japanese New Year is celebrated on the same day as the Western world, January 1st, rather than the later Lunar New Year in late January. Japanese Zodiac Animals, Signs & Meanings. There are twelve animals of the Japanese Zodiac, and each corresponds to specific years and is said to encompass certain qualities. There are several Lunar New Year, often called the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, is the most important holiday in China and many other Asian communities. Every year is marked by a different animal and 2025 A typical Japanese new year’s decoration, featuring the 12 animals of the zodiac. All about the Japanese zodiac animals Rat 子 (ne) People born in the year of the Rat are intelligent and persuasive, which make them good leaders. They are passionate in achieving success and can come up with creative ways to attain it. 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 . 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. People pray at Mazu Miao Temple in Yokohama China Town on Jan. 28, 2025, in Yokohama, Japan. Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, will begin on Jan. 29, 2025, marking the Year of the Snake. Chinese New Year is a perfect time to introduce children to the fascinating traditions and stories of the Chinese Zodiac. The 12 animals each carry unique characteristics, making them an exciting topic for young Chinese learners. Here are some fun activities to help your kids learn more about thes Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China. Tied to the Chinese lunar calendar, it begins on the new moon that appears between January 21 and February 20. The holiday was The Chinese New Year is being celebrated by more than 1 billion people with fireworks, feasts and festivals. There are 12 zodiac animals in Chinese astrology and each is associated with one of Each sign is named after an animal, and each animal has its own unique characteristics. Do you know why the 12 Chinese zodiac animals are in the sequence above? The following story reveals legendary reasons, and some of the characteristics of the 12 animals. The story is widespread (and widely varying) among Chinese. Though it is made up, it
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