The Chinese New Year of 2025 falls on January 29th (Wednesday), and will last to February 2nd. It is the Year of Snake. As an official public holiday, Chinese people can get eight days' off from work, from January 28th to February 4th. The Chinese New Year of 2026 falls on February 17th (Tuesday), and will last to February 21th. It is the Year The Year of the Snake.Here's your guide to the Lunar New Year. When does Chinese New Year start and end? Chinese New Year in 2025 starts on Wednesday, Jan. 29, and lasts until the Lantern Festival Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a major festival celebrated at the beginning of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Thought to have originated in ancient China around 3,500 years ago, it is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, marking the end of winter and the beginning of the new year. The Vietnamese New Year celebration of Tet, short for Tet Nguyen Dan which means “festival of the first day”, is celebrated over three days as opposed to the traditional 15 of the Chinese New This year, Lunar New Year begins Jan. 29. Because the lunar calendar is based on the phases of the moon, the beginning of the year happens on a different day each year. 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 Therefore, the Chinese year usually begins several weeks into the Western 365-day year (usually between January 21 and February 20), not on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar. As is ancient tradition, the Chinese zodiac attaches animal signs to each lunar year in a cycle of 12 years. The Chinese New Year is also a time when the annual zodiac sign changes, meaning that each year is assigned to a specific zodiac animal. Zodiac signs play an integral role in Chinese culture. It is said that your luck regarding financial situations, health and relationships for each year can be calculated based on your zodiac sign. 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. 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 Pre-Chinese New Year Preparations and Activities (Jan. 7–Feb. 12, 2025) Jan. 7, 2025: Laba Festival. Some Chinese start to celebrate and prepare for Chinese New Year as early as day 8 of the 12 th month of the lunar calendar. Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival For example, in 2013, New Year's Eve (9 February) fell on a Saturday and New Year's Day (10 February) on Sunday. The SAN FRANCISCO -- Celebrate the Lunar New Year with us! We're giving you a chance to experience the most spectacular Chinese New Year parade, live in person on Saturday, February 15! The Chinese New Year 2025 starts on January 29th and ends on February 12th. The Chinese New Year is traditionally celebrated for around 15 days, from the Chinese New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival. Celebrations vary daily, but they all aim to welcome the upcoming new year. Some festivals during Chinese Lunar New Year are important: Image by Betto Rodrigues via Shutterstock. One of L.A.’s oldest traditions, Chinatown’s annual Chinese New Year Festival returns and will be honoring the year of the snake with an incredible Golden Dragon Parade on February 8, 2025, from 1 to 4 p.m. Get the full info here! The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between January 21 and February 20. It’s a major holiday in Greater China and has strongly influenced lunar new year celebrations of China’s neighboring cultures, including the Korean New Year, the Tết of Vietnam, and the Losar of Tibet. Chinese Lunar New Year performances in Center Plaza Celebrate the Year of the Snake at Santa Monica Place! Visit us from January 28th to February 13th and write a wish for the cherry blossom wishing trees, stand under the red and gold lanterns in Center Plaza, and grab a photo with all of our festive Lunar New Year décor plus pick up a Lunar New Year craft kit for the kids*. Come celebrate the coming of Spring and the start of the Year of the Snake in grand style at the 2025 East Tennessee Chinese New Year Festival! This family-friendly variety show will feature dancing, singing, music, a traditional lion dance, martial arts, and more. Our Special Guest will be the World’s Premier Umbrella Juggling Artist Lina Liu from New York City. A Guinness World Record 2026 is the year of the Red Fire Horse. 2026 Chinese New Year Day is on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The new moon time at China Time Zone is 20:04 on 2/17/2026. 2027 is the year of the Red Fire Sheep. 2027 Chinese New Year Day is on Saturday, February 6, 2027. The new moon time at China Time Zone is 23:59 on 2/6/2027. Laba Festival (Jan. 7, 2025): Old Chinese New Year Calendar Start. Traditionally, the start of the Chinese New Year calendar is 'The Laba Festival' (腊八节 Làbājié), which occurs about three weeks before Chinese New Year's Day and is celebrated separately. Religious activities and preparations for Lunar New Year would begin on this day.
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