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 symbols hold deep cultural significance, representing luck, prosperity, and new beginnings. The top symbols include red envelopes, lanterns, firecrackers, zodiac animals, and the Fu character, each playing a crucial role in the festive celebrations. During Chinese New Year, various charms and decorations are used to attract good fortune. These range from paper cutouts to couplets and paintings, all featuring wealth, happiness, and longevity themes. Paper cutouts: Artistry and auspiciousness. Chinese New Year paper cutouts. Paper cutouts, usually in red, are a popular form of decoration. 5. 年花 (New Year Flowers) Symbolism: New Year flowers such as 桃花 (peach blossoms), 富贵竹 (lucky bamboo), and 桔子树 (tangerine trees) represent growth, prosperity, and good luck. Each flower carries its own specific auspicious meaning. Application: These flowers are used to decorate homes and offices during Chinese New Year. For The Fu character, a ubiquitous emblem during Chinese New Year, epitomizes the deeply ingrained cultural aspiration for good fortune and happiness. Its presence is not merely decorative but deeply symbolic, embodying the essence of New Year wishes. 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 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. January 29th, 2025 (Chinese New Year) will signal the start of the year of the Snake. So make sure to create your paper cuttings before the Chinese New Year. Fu character. The Chinese fu character, meaning good fortune and blessings, is one of the most commonly found Chinese New Year symbols. It is written on a red, diamond shaped piece of paper, which is often hung upside down on the outside of the front door. One of the most important Chinese New Year signs in many parts of Asia is the inclusion of Chinese zodiac animals. There are 12 Chinese New Year characters, and each year is associated with a Fu Character. Perhaps the most common Chinese New Year symbol is the fu character. In the days of the Lunar New Year, the character that symbolizes happiness and blessing is placed outside of the front doors although sometimes it also appears as interior home decoration. Traditionally the sign would be written on a red diamond-shaped background As Chinese New Year slithers closer, it’s time to embrace the year of the Snake—a year of transformation, wisdom, and, of course, luck! Chinese New Year is a season of good food, great company and even greater vibes. While you are studying how to greet everyone in Chinese for the Lunar New Year, remember to check out our Dos and Don’ts in our Chinese New Year Traditions post to properly prepare yourselves to ring in the new year! 23 Common Chinese New Year Greetings 1. 新年快乐 – Happy Chinese New Year. The most common greeting used during the While the last three characters are the same as those in “Happy New Year,” the first is commonly swapped out for the year’s representative Chinese zodiac. So, for 2025, you can greet someone by saying se neen fai lok (蛇年快樂), which means “Happy Year of the Snake.” 8 Things You Might Not Know About Chinese New Year; All about Chinese New Year: taboos, wishes and magic words; Useful Phrases for Spring Festival Celebrations; Bring Yourself Good Luck on本命年 (Běnmìngnián) 8 Common Homophonic Puns in Chinese New Year Festival ; Phrases. 1. 恭贺新年。 Gōnghè xīnnián. A Happy New Year to you. 2 Common Chinese greetings on Lunar New Year couplets . Here are popular Chinese New Year greetings included in our festive printables. Vertical couplets. 大吉大利 (Dàjí dàlì / Happy and prosperous) – Also part of the saying 大吉大利晚上吃鸡 (Dà jí dà lì wǎn shàng chī jī / Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!) Start the following lesson on the most popular sayings for Chinese New Year, with written Chinese characters, sound marks in pinyin, human voice pronunciation, and their lucky meanings. Say loudly in Chinese to express your joy and love to your family and friends! 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. Welcome the New Year in style by mastering 10 best Chinese idioms with dragon characters that convey “Happy New Year” wishes in a truly unique way. From “龙马精神” (lóng mǎ jīngshén) to “龙争虎斗” (lóng zhēng hǔ dòu), these idioms are not only rich in meaning but also reflect the cultural significance of dragons in 48 Pcs Chinese New Year Decorations 2025, Spring Festival Chinese Lunar Year Decoration 2025, Includes Fu Character Window Stickers Red Envelopes Couplets, 2025 Snake Chinese New Year Couplet Set. Chinese New Years Eve: 春节: Chūnjié: Chinese New Year; Spring Festival: 春节快乐! Chūnjié kuàilè! Happy Spring Festival! 新年快乐! Xīnnián kuàilè! Happy New Year! 大吉大利! dàjídàlì! Wishing you great prosperity! 恭喜发财: gōngxǐ fācái: May you have a prosperous new year: 鼠年大吉: shǔnián dàjí
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