When is the Chinese New Year? In 2026, it's the Year of the Horse.
Saman ShafiqThe Times Square ball drop and elaborate firework celebrations across the world may have ushered in the New Year of 2026 but the Year of the Horse on the Chinese calendar is yet to begin.
The Chinese New Year, an international holiday observed throughout many Asian countries – and celebrated across the U.S. – not only falls on different dates every year but lasts well beyond one night. This year, the 15-day festival begins in February and will be a time for adherents to usher in a new year with a variety of cultural traditions.
Here's everything to know about the 2026 Lunar New Year, the Year of the Horse.
When does the Chinese New Year start in 2026?
Chinese New Year in 2026 is scheduled to start on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and lasts until the Lantern Festival on March 3, the date of the next full moon.
What animal's year is 2026?
The Lunar New Year marks the transition from one animal to another each year. The Year of the Snake, which began on Jan. 29, 2025, is set to end Feb. 16.
2026 will be the Year of the Horse, symbolizing "energy, freedom, and forward momentum," according to Asia Society Texas. The horse is also synonymous with strength, grace, and determination.
Why does the Chinese New Year fall on different dates?
Unlike the Western Gregorian Calendar, which has a predetermined number of days per year, the Chinese New Year follows a lunar calendar based on the moon's 12 phases. Each phase cycle spans approximately 29 days, with the full calendar being about 354 days long.
On the Gregorian calendar, Lunar New Year – which lasts from the first new moon to the next full moon – generally falls in late January or early February.
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Is Chinese New Year the same as Lunar New Year?
Chinese New Year is also commonly called the Lunar New Year, considering many countries, and not just China, recognize the holiday.
Who celebrates Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian cultures, including in China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Each culture has its own name for the New Year. For instance, the Lunar New Year in China is called the Spring Festival, or chūnjié. South Korea refers to the Lunar New Year as Seollal. In Vietnam, the Lunar New Year is called Tết, which is short for Tết Nguyên Đán.
How to celebrate the Lunar New Year
Celebrations vary from culture to culture, but typically, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, people visit the senior members of their extended family. According to the Smithsonian, the festival period is an important holiday for families, with people traveling back to their hometowns and elders preparing family meals.
One of the most recognizable celebrations is lion dance troupes, a dramatic tradition meant to usher in the New Year and expel evil spirits.
Fireworks and firecrackers are also very popular, as is gift giving. In Hong Kong for example, married family members give red packets containing cash to children and teenagers, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich in London.
What is the Lantern Festival?
The fifteenth and final day of the holiday is the Lantern Festival, during which people have tangyuan, or sweet glutinous rice balls, and children carry lanterns around the neighborhood at night to mark the end of the celebration, according to the National Museum of Asian Art.
Order of the Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese Zodiac is represented by a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their attributes, based on the lunar calendar.
Last year was represented by the snake, a symbol of wisdom, intuition, and transformation. While people born in the year of the snake are seen as charismatic, intelligent, and artistic, they are also often considered cunning and mysterious.
Here's the order of the Chinese Zodiac:
- Rat
- Ox
- Tiger
- Rabbit (in Vietnam, the rabbit is replaced by the cat)
- Dragon
- Snake
- Horse
- Goat
- Monkey
- Rooster
- Dog
- Boar/Pig
Contributing: Olivia Munson, Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY; Dina Kaur, Arizona Republic
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.