Chinese New Year
Lunar New Year 2027 (Chinese New Year)
Lunar New Year 2027, also called Chinese New Year, falls on Saturday, February 6, 2027. It opens the Year of the Goat, a Fire Goat year (丁未 (dīng wèi)).
At a glance
- Date
- Saturday, February 6, 2027
- New moon
- February 6, 10:56 AM in your time zone (UTC-5); February 6, 2027 at 11:56 PM (UTC+8) in Beijing
- Animal
- Goat (Sheep, Ram) · 羊
- Element
- Fire, yin
- Stem and branch
- 丁未年 · dīng wèi
- Lantern Festival
- Saturday, February 20, 2027
- Beginning of Spring (Lìchūn)
- February 4, 2027, 9:46 AM (UTC+8)
What is Lunar New Year?
Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is the start of the year in the Chinese calendar. The calendar follows both the Moon and the Sun, so the date moves from year to year between January 21 and February 20. The year begins on the day of the new moon that opens the first month.
We calculate the date from the real new moon and count the calendar day in Beijing time (UTC+8).
From the winter solstice to Lunar New Year
Month 11 of the Chinese calendar always contains the winter solstice. The new moon that opens the first month is Chinese New Year; this year it is the second new moon after the solstice. The Moon icons show the real phase at each moment.
Tue, December 22, 2026 · 4:50 AM (UTC+8)
Winter solstice: the Sun reaches its southernmost point (month 11 contains it)
Fri, January 8, 2027 · 4:25 AM (UTC+8)
New moon: month 12 begins
Sat, February 6, 2027 · 11:56 PM (UTC+8)
New moon: Chinese New Year, month 1 begins
Sat, February 20, 2027
Lantern Festival, the 15th day of month 1 (the Moon is almost full)
The Year of the Goat
2027 is a yin year: the Year of the Goat, with the element Fire (丁未 (dīng wèi)). The table below lists the neighbouring years.
The animal is called Goat, Sheep or Ram depending on the language and the source; the Chinese character 羊 (yáng) covers all of them.
The Goat (also called Sheep or Ram) is associated with gentleness, creativity and a caring nature.
A close call: the new moon is minutes before midnight
The new moon that opens the year falls on February 6 at 11:56 PM (UTC+8) Beijing time, only 3 minutes before midnight. We count the whole calendar day in Beijing, so Chinese New Year is February 6; a source with a slightly different calculation could name February 7. In New York the new moon falls on February 6 at 10:56 AM EST.
The Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival is the 15th day of the first month and closes the New Year festivities. It falls on Saturday, February 20, 2027.
Born in the Year of the Goat
People born from February 6, 2027 to January 25, 2028 belong to the Year of the Goat. If you were born in January or February, use the calculator to see which side of the new year you are on.
Chinese New Year dates, 2025 to 2031
| Year | Date | Animal and element |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wednesday, January 29, 2025 | Wood Snake 乙巳 |
| 2026 | Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | Fire Horse 丙午 |
| 2027 | Saturday, February 6, 2027 | Fire Goat 丁未 |
| 2028 | Wednesday, January 26, 2028 | Earth Monkey 戊申 |
| 2029 | Tuesday, February 13, 2029 | Earth Rooster 己酉 |
| 2030 | Sunday, February 3, 2030 | Metal Dog 庚戌 |
| 2031 | Thursday, January 23, 2031 | Metal Pig 辛亥 |
Other New Year traditions
Lunar New Year is also celebrated in Korea (Seollal), Vietnam (Tết) and elsewhere, each with its own customs. The zodiac described on this site is the Chinese one; the Vietnamese zodiac, for example, has the Cat in place of the Rabbit.
Sources
- Hong Kong Observatory: Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table and the 24 Solar Terms.
- Astronomy Engine (Don Cross), used for the new moon and the position of the Sun.