Chinese New Year 2025

Chinese New Year, otherwise known as the Lunar New Year, is the oldest and the biggest celebration of festivals, starting with the Little Year, followed by the Spring Festival, ending with the Lantern Festival. The most important holiday season for the people of China, the Chinese New Year is a 15-day festival celebrated based on the sighting of the new moon, marking the beginning of the traditional lunisolar Chinese Calendar. The Chinese New Year is celebrated by over 1.4 billion people in more than 20 countries.

Chinese New Year 2025 is on January 29 Wednesday

8 months and 29 days to go for the event

Lunar New Year Dates 2025

Little Year- February 03rd
Spring Festival- February 10th
Lantern Festival- February 24th

As people await to celebrate the arrival of the New Moon, they adorn the streets and homes with red lanterns and scrolls, strolling down the street with much pomp and loud crackers. There is a little story behind these traditions.

History of Chinese New Year

Though it is unclear as to when the Chinese started celebrating Lunar New Year, it is assumed to have begun since the year-end religious ceremonies observed during the Shang Dynasty back in 1122 BC.

An old Chinese legend has it that once a village was frightened by the arrival of a monster named Nian, who would visit the village on the first of every year and eat up all their food. Nian would also harm people and swallow everyone who appeared in its sight. As the years passed by, the villagers discovered that the color red, fire and loud noises annoyed and frightened the beast.

Since then, on every new moon on the first of their Lunar calendar, people burst loud crackers, made loud noises, hung red lanterns and red scrolls on their doors. The color red, firecrackers, lanterns made out of bamboo or wooden frames, fish,oranges and tangerines, and red envelopes with golden engraved symbols are a major part of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Chinese New Year Festival days and Events

The Spring Festival to Lantern Festival is a festive period in China. Here are the 16 days of festivals leading to Lantern Festival.

Date	Event	About the Day
February 09	New Year's Eve (除夕 / chúxì)	Family reunion, dinner, and staying up till New Year.
February 10	Spring Festival (春节 / chūn jié) (Birthday of Chicken) (大年初一 / The first day of the New Year)	Visit elder family members, relatives, temples, giving gifts
February 11	To In-law’s Day (迎婿日 / yíng xù rì) (Birthday of the Dog) (大年初二 / The second day of the New Year)	Married daughters bring their husbands to visit their parents.
February 12	Day of the Rat (鼠日 / shǔ rì) (Birthday of Pig) (大年初三 / The third day of the New Year)	Inauspicious day to visit anyone as people get into arguments. Stay home, and play games
February 13	Birthday of the Sheep (羊日 / yáng rì) (Also 接神日 / God’s Day) (大年初四 / The fourth day of the New Year)	Auspicious day for temple visits, honoring the Kitchen God, and fortune telling
February 14	Break Five (破五 / pò wǔ) (Birthday of OX) (大年初五 / The fifth day of the New Year)	Day to break bad lucks by bursting firecrackers. Also, the day when the God of Wealth visits the family
February 15	Day of the Horse (马日 / mǎ rì) (大年初六 / The sixth day of the New Year)	People resume going to work, and an auspicious day to clean and throw old things away
February 16	Day of the Human (人日 / rén rì) (大年初七 / The seventh day of the New Year)	People eat special food for blessings
February 17	Day of the Millet (谷日节 / gǔ rì jié) (大年初八 / The eighth day of the New Year)	Gods and Goddesses visit our world. Reunion dinner with family to finish the New Year leftover food
February 18	Providence Health (天公生 / tiān gōng shēng) (天公誕 / Jade Emperor’s Birthday) (大年初九 / The ninth day of the New Year)	Offerings are given to the Jade Emperor and his birthday is celebrated
February 19	Stone Festival (石头节 / shí tou jié) (Mother Earth’s Birthday) (初十 / Tenth day)	Celebrated as both Stone festival and Mother Earth’s Birthday, festive meals and candies are served on this occasion
February 20	Son-in-law Day (子婿日 / zǐ xù rì) (十一 / Eleventh Day)	Fathers treat their son-in-law on this day
February 21	Lantern Festival Preparations (Set up structures for Lantern Festival) (十二 / Twelfth Day)	Structures is prepared for the Lantern festival
February 22	(点灶灯 / Light the stove light) (Set up lights for Lantern Festival) (十三 / Thirteenth Day)	Lighting decorations are put up for the Lantern festival. Also, the day when Emperor Guan became one of the Gods
February 23	Lights up the decorations for the Lantern Festival (十四 / Fourteenth Day)	The lights and decorations are lit up for the start of the Lantern Festival
February 24	Lantern Festival (元宵节 / yuán xiāo jié) Also, one of the Chinese Valentine’s Day (十五 / Fifteenth Day)	Lanterns are lit on this day. Dragon dances are performed on this day. Solve a riddle game is played with the riddle written on the lantern. This day marks the completion of the celebrations

When is Chinese New Year Celebrated?

Chinese New Year festival is celebrated with the sighting of the new moon in the start of every year. This marks the first day on the Chinese Calendar. Every year, national holidays begin on the first day of the Chinese Calendar or the Lunar Calendar and end on the 15th of the first month.

Hence, Chinese New Year falls on different dates in the English Calendar each year. In 2024, Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival falls on the 10th of February in the Gregorian Calendar. The Little Year falls on the 3rd of February, 2024 and the Chinese New Year celebrations end on the 24th of February, 2024 with the Lantern Festival. In Chinese culture, the zodiac system is a cycle of animal signs that repeats every 12 years. In the order of occurrence, the zodiac animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Every year is associated with the above order of the Chinese Zodiac animals, making the Chinese Animal Year of 2024 the Year of the Dragon.

Chinese Astrology Links

Chinese Fortune-Telling

As the world clocks toward the Lunar New Year, people are having their fortunes predicted for the Year of the Rabbit. Chinese fortune telling as an occult practice has a huge significance among people in most parts of China. It originated with its practice in divination and religion, when people surrendered their fates to nature. Performed in different methods, including Bazi, face reading, palm reading, Feng Shui, and fortune sticks, fortune-telling has evolved as a practice with its own discipline among the people of China. Their faith in the system of Chinese Fortune-Telling is profound, that their religion, cultural thinking and ideologies, all rely on fortune telling.

A season of love, respect, companionship and good luck, the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year is a glorious celebration to look forward to.

Xīnnián kuàilè! (Happy New Year)

FAQs

1) When is Chinese New Year Celebrated?

Chinese New Year festival is celebrated with the sighting of the new moon in the start of every year.  This marks the first day on the Chinese Calendar. Every year, national holidays begin on the first day of the Chinese Calendar or the Lunar Calendar and end on the 15th of the first month. Hence, Chinese New Year falls on different dates in the English Calendar each year.

2) When is Chinese New Year in 2024?

In 2024, Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival falls on the 10th of February in the Gregorian Calendar. The Little Year falls on the February 03rd, and the Chinese New Year celebrations end on the 24th of February, 2024 with the Lantern Festival.

3) What is Chinese New Year for 2024/ What is the Chinese Animal Year for 2024?

In Chinese culture, the zodiac system is a cycle of animal signs that repeats every 12 years. In the order of occurrence, the zodiac animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Every year is associated with the above order of the Chinese Zodiac animals, making the Chinese Animal Year of 2024 the Year of the Dragon.

4) What is Chinese Zodiac?

In Chinese culture, the zodiac system is a cycle of animal signs that repeats every 12 years. In the order of occurrence, the zodiac animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Every year is associated with the above order of the Chinese Zodiac animals.

5) How long is the Chinese New Year Celebrated

15 Days - The most important holiday season for the people of China, the Chinese New Year is a 15-day festival celebrated based on the sighting of the new moon, marking the beginning of the traditional lunisolar Chinese Calendar.