Chinese New Year begins Wednesday, Jan. 29, in 2025. The holiday lasts from Wednesday to Feb. 15, which is the Lantern Festival. Why does the Chinese New Year fall on different dates each year? 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 In the Chinese zodiac, each new year, according to the lunar calendar, is associated with one of 12 animals, and 2025 marks the Year of the Snake. Different regions in Asia may not follow the same Why does Chinese New Year fall on different dates? Rather than following the western Gregorian Calendar with 365-day years, the Chinese New Year follows a lunar calendar based the moon's 12 phases 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 Chinese New Year starts a new animal’s zodiac year. In China, each lunar cycle has 60 years and 12 years is regarded as a small cycle. Each of the 12 years is defined by an animal sign: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake and 2026 is the Year of the Horse. Traditional Holiday. Lunar Calendar Date. Gregorian Calendar Date (2025) Chinese New Year. 1 st Day of the 1 st Month. January 29, 2025. Lantern Festival. 15 th Day of the 1 st Month. February 12, 2025 Japan used to celebrate Lunar New Year according to the traditional lunar calendar. However, during the Meiji Era (1868–1912), the Japanese government adopted the Gregorian calendar with New Year beginning on January 1. Although Chinese New Year isn't a holiday in Japan, celebration activities still can be seen in the Chinatowns. Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year or Spring Festival 2025 falls on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025. Snake is the new year animal. Learn more about Chinese Lunar New Year traditions, taboos, food, zodiac signs, and greetings. Just like New Year according to the Gregorian calendar (January 1), Lunar New Year celebrations start on the night before the first day of the new year. ( Note: China follows the Gregorian calendar for daily business but still follows the Chinese calendar for important festivals, auspicious dates for events such as weddings, and the Moon phases.) Paper Fan Craft Instructions: This themed paper fan activity is perfect to use for the Chinese New Year, and can be popped onto an art provision table. Simply download, print, and enjoy! What is celebrated at Chinese New Year? Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China. 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. Taking naps, especially on the first day of the Chinese New Year, represents laziness. In Chinese culture, taking naps on the first day of the new year will affect your luck and career for the rest of the year. 9. Avoid breaking things in your home If you were born between the Chinese Lunar New Year (the first day of the first Chinese lunar month which usually falls during 21 January and February 20 in Gregorian calendar) and Lichun (the Beginning of Spring which usually falls on February 4 or February 5 in Gregorian calendar), you may belong to the zodiac sign of the last year. 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 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 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). 60 Chinese New Year Crafts for Kids. 1. DIY Chinese Lanterns. These paper lanterns from Nurture Store are a great way for young children to practice their scissor skills and are perfect for decorating the house in time for the Chinese New Year celebrations. 2. DIY Paper Fortune Cookie Lunar New Year’s Eve: The Reunion Dinner. At the heart of Lunar New Year celebrations is the reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on January 28, 2025. A traditional reunion dinner has many dishes, including steamed or fried fish, rice cakes and balls, noodles and dumplings. 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.
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