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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 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 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. 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 According to the Chinese zodiac signs, each year in the lunar cycle is associated with a particular animal. This is a 12-year cycle that repeats itself. This is a 12-year cycle that repeats itself. With Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) quickly approaching, some may wonder why this coming year is the Year of the Snake, why each year is represented by an animal and the story behind it all 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. The story is widespread (and widely varying) among Chinese. Though it is made up, it might be interesting for you to tell your children and friends. The Heavenly Gate Race Story - Reasons for Zodiac Rankings. Long, long ago, there was no Chinese zodiac. The Jade Emperor wanted to select 12 animals to be his guards. He sent an immortal being The Chinese New Year animals change annually on a twelve year cycle but there are also five different types of each animal represented by the five elementary elements from Chinese culture - earth, wood, fire, water and metal. 2024 was the year of the Wood Dragon and 2025 is the year of the Wood Snake. Rat Next Year of the Snake: After 2025, the next Year of the Snake will be 2037, as the Chinese zodiac operates on a 12-year cycle. Chinese New Year Activities The Chinese Zodiac Wheel. The Chinese Zodiac Wheel is a fantastic interactive tool for learning about the 12 animals and their corresponding years. This hands-on activity helps participants 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 VI. Celebrations and Traditions During Chinese New Year. During the Chinese New Year, each zodiac animal is celebrated with its own set of customs and rituals. Families may prepare special dishes that reflect the traits of the zodiac animal for that year. Common practices include: Decorating homes with symbols of the zodiac animal. What is Lunar New Year? Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, marks the start of a new zodiac cycle based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Each year, the date shifts within the Gregorian calendar. Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world, particularly in Asian countries like China, shown here (Beijing). 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) The most important festival in the Chinese calendar is the New Year or Spring Festival. One of the annual events used to commemorate the festival is a colorful parade complete with animated dragon and lion figures. The document outlines the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac calendar, their associated years, and common personality traits associated with each animal. The zodiac cycle has been used in China since 2600 BC and is based on lunar cycles. Use these Chinese New Year animals story cut-outs to teach children about the story behind the tradition. There's a cut-out for each animal, an explanation of the 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. In ancient China, people used the Earthly Branches (地支 dìzhī) as a way to divide the 24 hours of each day. The time was divided into 12 two-hour periods, and an animal signified each time period. A specific animal also signifies each month, and, you guessed it, those animals are the same ones used in the Chinese zodiac to signify each year. 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
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